Why does Taxidermy take so long?

[Robhuntandfish]

My guy only does a dozen a year.  He drops off the hides in NC on his way to Florida for the winter then picks them up on his way back thru. 

[The_Real_TCIII]

My very first buck went to Jim Block in 1998, he tanned it himself and I had it back in 29 days! It still looks good 21 years later. I think it was one of his first deer mounts


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[BizCT]

I would never wait two years thats outrageous. My guy is part time and sends the hides out and always done by May/June

Agree. 2 years for anything less than 10 full body mounts from an African plains game Hunt is ludicrous


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[ApexerER]

Here is the 9pt in my avatar. Done by the same guy. Also took 10 months. 

[landtracdeerhunter]

On 12/30/2019 at 7:30 PM, ApexerER said:

Here is the 9pt in my avatar. Done by the same guy. Also took 10 months. 

I have to ask why the nostrils are so white. Was that the way you you found him

[ApexerER]

21 minutes ago, landtracdeerhunter said:

I have to ask why the nostrils are so white. Was that the way you you found him

You know I have never really paid attention to that. Here is the pic I have of that deer on my computer. I mentioned that I was extremely happy with the 8 pt mount and went back for the 9 pt the following year and have never been as happy with it. I actually colored in around the eyes a little more with a furniture marker because I thought they looked weird. It still looks weird to me and maybe this is why. The 8pt was amazing to me...right down to the dew droplets on his whiskers around his mouth. Maybe it will look better to me if I color those nostrils in. I have not been able to pin point why I don't like the mount as much. Just doesn't seem anywhere near as natural to me....

I also think his neck it too small.....

Edited January 2, 2020 by ApexerER

[The_Real_TCIII]

Id color them in, it would immediately look better

Edited January 2, 2020 by The_Real_TCIII

[BizCT]

26 minutes ago, ApexerER said:

You know I have never really paid attention to that. Here is the pic I have of that deer on my computer. I mentioned that I was extremely happy with the 8 pt mount and went back for the 9 pt the following year and have never been as happy with it. I actually colored in around the eyes a little more with a furniture marker because I thought they looked weird. It still looks weird to me and maybe this is why. The 8pt was amazing to me...right down to the dew droplets on his whiskers around his mouth. Maybe it will look better to me if I color those nostrils in. I have not been able to pin point why I don't like the mount as much. Just doesn't seem anywhere near as natural to me....

I also think his neck it too small.....

agree on both. Mount should match the live animal (Neck size should be measured before tanning and on a form that matches that swollen size - and the nostrils should be black)

[The_Real_TCIII]

Unless he went out like Tony Montana, in that case leave it be!

[ATbuckhunter]

39 minutes ago, Biz-R-OWorld said:

agree on both. Mount should match the live animal (Neck size should be measured before tanning and on a form that matches that swollen size - and the nostrils should be black)

The two tacidermists I went to, did not do this from what I remember. I wanted them too but didnt ask for some reason. I think its really crucial to do that tbh

[BizCT]

3 minutes ago, ATbuckhunter said:

The two tacidermists I went to, did not do this from what I remember. I wanted them too but didnt ask for some reason. I think its really crucial to do that tbh

For sure! There's a huge difference in neck size of an early October buck and a swelled up rut neck. Most of the deer mount forms when you look online show you like 15-20+ different neck size options per mold style.

[WNY Bowhunter]

42 minutes ago, Biz-R-OWorld said:

For sure! There's a huge difference in neck size of an early October buck and a swelled up rut neck. Most of the deer mount forms when you look online show you like 15-20+ different neck size options per mold style.

I measure the cape after tanning...they do stretch once the hide gets thinned. 

[BizCT]

5 minutes ago, WNY Bowhunter said:

I measure the cape after tanning...they do stretch once the hide gets thinned. 

so if anything, a mount should always have a neck equal or bigger than real-life right? for a swollen buck neck to end up pencil thin on a mount is a clear mess up?

[WNY Bowhunter]

15 minutes ago, Biz-R-OWorld said:

so if anything, a mount should always have a neck equal or bigger than real-life right? for a swollen buck neck to end up pencil thin on a mount is a clear mess up?

At least equal to but it depends on cape "shaving", the thinner the leather the more you can stretch it. Too much loose skin is as bad as too tight.

Here's a typical 170# dressed buck on top at 7.25 X 19 X 22 × 24 versus a 241 lb giant at 8.5 X 24 X 28 X 30.5!!! Had to order a new form for that one...head was way too loose fitting to dry  properly.

[BizCT]

At least equal to but it depends on cape "shaving", the thinner the leather the more you can stretch it. Too much loose skin is as bad as too tight.
Here's a typical 170# dressed buck on top at 7.25 X 19 X 22 × 24 versus a 241 lb giant at 8.5 X 24 X 28 X 30.5!!! Had to order a new form for that one...head was way too loose fitting to dry  properly.

You did the right thing ordering a new form!


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[GreenDrake]

5 hours ago, ApexerER said:

You know I have never really paid attention to that. Here is the pic I have of that deer on my computer. I mentioned that I was extremely happy with the 8 pt mount and went back for the 9 pt the following year and have never been as happy with it. I actually colored in around the eyes a little more with a furniture marker because I thought they looked weird. It still looks weird to me and maybe this is why. The 8pt was amazing to me...right down to the dew droplets on his whiskers around his mouth. Maybe it will look better to me if I color those nostrils in. I have not been able to pin point why I don't like the mount as much. Just doesn't seem anywhere near as natural to me....

I also think his neck it too small.....

Much of it depends on the mannequins used. There is a company put of Ohio that makes incredible ones. I requested them on the last 3 mounts. They are INCREDIBLE. The definition in the neck muscles and face is amazing. I may get an older mount re-mounted on that mannequin. If I can get the name of them I will post it. 

[WNY Bowhunter]

7 minutes ago, GreenDrake said:

Much of it depends on the mannequins used. There is a company put of Ohio that makes incredible ones. I requested them on the last 3 mounts. They are INCREDIBLE. The definition in the neck muscles and face is amazing. I may get an older mount re-mounted on that mannequin. If I can get the name of them I will post it. 

Ohio Taxidermy Supply.  They're basically all I use and the only forms that I'd mount my own deer on!!! Just sent this one home yesterday...

Edited January 3, 2020 by WNY Bowhunter

[ApexerER]

10 hours ago, WNY Bowhunter said:

Ohio Taxidermy Supply.  They're basically all I use and the only forms that I'd mount my own deer on!!! Just sent this one home yesterday...

Beautiful, If I ever am lucky enough to kill another wall hanger, I will be taking a long ride....

[ATbuckhunter]

4 hours ago, ApexerER said:

Beautiful, If I ever am lucky enough to kill another wall hanger, I will be taking a long ride....

You and me both 

[landtracdeerhunter]

On 1/2/2020 at 2:10 PM, ApexerER said:

You know I have never really paid attention to that. Here is the pic I have of that deer on my computer. I mentioned that I was extremely happy with the 8 pt mount and went back for the 9 pt the following year and have never been as happy with it. I actually colored in around the eyes a little more with a furniture marker because I thought they looked weird. It still looks weird to me and maybe this is why. The 8pt was amazing to me...right down to the dew droplets on his whiskers around his mouth. Maybe it will look better to me if I color those nostrils in. I have not been able to pin point why I don't like the mount as much. Just doesn't seem anywhere near as natural to me....

I also think his neck it too small.....

The white nostrils give the look of a heavy breathing deer. I have seen this effect on living deer close up with theirs tongues hanging out of their months with druel, after miles of doe chasing. I would leave it as be.

[ApexerER]

15 hours ago, landtracdeerhunter said:

The white nostrils give the look of a heavy breathing deer. I have seen this effect on living deer close up with theirs tongues hanging out of their months with druel, after miles of doe chasing. I would leave it as be.

He was chasing Doe all over the place. I also think the flash on my phone made the white really stand out. I went home and looked at it and couldn't decide. 

[WNY Bowhunter]

On 2/25/2016 at 11:43 AM, ApexerER said:

What in the process takes so long? (I am not complaining, just curious) 

The entire process of mounting a deer head has so many more steps than most people realize...from tanning hides to cape and form prep to setting antlers/eyes and fixing holes...all steps that need to be taken before the head is even ready to be mounted.  The mounting process itself only takes a few hours, then comes babysitting the mount while the hide dries over the next few weeks until it's ready for finish work and painting. It's really a daunting process. Being a part-timer, it seems that most of my free time over the winter and spring is consumed by the all the necessary steps it takes to bring these mounts back to life.  You simply can't finish a mount to send home until every single one of these little tedious steps are completed. 

I'm currently about 25% done with the season's workload. At this time, I seriously believe that this will be my last year of doing the taxidermy gig, other than for myself and maybe a handful of others per season...

 

Edited January 15, 2020 by WNY Bowhunter

[nyantler]

On 1/2/2020 at 1:49 PM, landtracdeerhunter said:

I have to ask why the nostrils are so white. Was that the way you you found him

Usually this is from the taxidermist not dremeling out the nose part of the form to create a realistic nasal cavity. Instead they fill the area with putty to keep the form from showing through. Resulting in what you see in apexerEr's mount.

[nyantler]

On 1/2/2020 at 7:45 PM, WNY Bowhunter said:

Ohio Taxidermy Supply.  They're basically all I use and the only forms that I'd mount my own deer on!!! Just sent this one home yesterday...

That is a good taxidermist right there! Good detail work.

[WNY Bowhunter]

1 minute ago, nyantler said:

That is a good taxidermist right there! Good detail work.

Thanks. He's about to be a "former taxidermist" in a few months...lol.