dont bury it in the ground take a good piece of wire and tie the skull aboe ground to a tree.the bugs will do the job in 4-7 months .or you can boil the skull in a pot ,outside it stinks.make sure the antlers arent in the water wrap in foil if you have to .after 1, 1/2 hrs THIS IS THE GROSS PART .LITTLE KIDS LEAVE THE ROOM .you have to scoop out the eyes then all the skin,meat and if that wasnt nasty enough you have to get all the brains out of the skull.I use a old coat hanger.Then boil some more ,clean any more meat,brain ,etc then let dry .take regular peroxide and soak a rag and wrap the skull .leave in sun.unwrap let dry sand paper any discolored spots then spray with Krylon clear coat. your done