The skulls take 15 to 50 hours to print, depending on the species in question, but early reviews from trophy hunters on authenticity have been positive. The alternative is also welcomed by “shed hunters”, who collect antlers that are naturally shed and have no skull to mount.
Bucks N Bull Skulls founder Shawn Sanchez told Popular Science that the process starts by scanning real animal skulls he has collected over the years. Once printed, stress testing is done to ensure that the faux skull can bear the weight o the antlers in question.
“I really think that if more people knew about the technology and how user-friendly it is, more people would have this in their home literally sitting there waiting to create whatever it is that they possibly need,” Sanchez said of 3D printing. “There’s so much that can be done with it.”