I was thinking throwing a 1/2 fleshed skull in a large plastic bin w/ some earth & grub worms and whatever else that might eat flesh, sorta like a mini compost heap. What do you think?

I think you’d be wasting your time. Actually, I know you’d be wasting your time. I’m not sure why you think worms would eat flesh, but they won’t. If there was a substitute, people would be using it. You have three choices for cleaning skulls: beetles, maceration, and simmering.

Worms only create dirt. That won't help a bit. The only real wild bug that would even touch it would be a blow fly, but they wouldn't consume all that much and good luck catching enough of them. Best bet would be to just buy some beetles and have them shipped to you.

I have heard of people burying skulls to de flesh them w/ good results , I was assuming It was the worms doing the defleshing. If not what is eating the meat while it is in the ground? If its just normal decomp, why bury it in the 1st place?

What about ants?

The only reason I can think to bury is to protect from animals. It may also help hold moisture around the skull which is needed for decomposition. It’s still a poor way of cleaning a skull. The best results you could hope for would be a skull clean of flesh but stained brown from all of the dirt that the bone soaked up.

I did 2 skulls last night, start to finish in 7 hours. Some will try and tell you not to do it this way, hogwash ! Been doing them for years, I even make money at it.

If you live in an area with ant hills, that is an option that has been used with success as well but I'd be too concerned about rodents getting at the exposed antlers.
The light boil followed by a high pressure wash method I've outlined in this forumis the fastest and cheapestmethod to clean the skull and the easiest method aside from the beetles. A couple hours from start to finish.

I buried mine and it worked great I still needed to pull it out and boilit a little bit but being underground took the most o fit off.

If you put it under a barrel or large bucket ( to keep the dogs away) flesh eating bugs will find it fast. Just have some hole they can get in around the bottom. I put one out last year and it was covered up in the bettles in no time. If it gets too cold that will end it for the year so either wait until spring or if you kill it early you will be fine.

If you live in an area that has piss ants or those big red ants just lay head on pilethat is skinned out and they do the same job beattles do. It doesn't take long and they have it clean.