I guess for me it depends on how big it is. If I don't want a full mount then I cut off the antlers across the top of the skull (I make small cut into the head just above the eyes and then saw straight down to this cut from the back of the head). I then clean all the skin and meat off around the antlers on the peice of skull I have. You can then salt this and leave it to dry and clean it off off so you have a nice clean skull plate OR boil the remaining meat off if your impatient like me. Just keep the antlers out of the boil so they don't lose color.

I then soak in water bleach combo and the skull part comes out looking nice and clean and white. Looks good on a wood plaque. Make sure you don't put the antlers in your bleach or they will turn white as well.