Question...

[George Roof]

Don't change the subject guys. I charge $275 for squirrels AND I use Touchstone DP. So after that, what's your point.

[kdogg_4]

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[DanielGtaxi]

I case skin everything. Most mounts the top back is seen. dorsal you have to cut off the head and a limb sometimes just to get the skin on. Fleshing and shaving case skins is much easier as well. case skins make test fits simple. Its the way to go imo. If you krowtann just throw squirrels in with a cape.

[Dave Byrd]

re guarding your 1st question (tan or dp)

I dry preserve stop rot everything small to large.  This will draw sharp criticism from others on this forum,  but that is how I learned.  I use dp from Jim Allred or Dan Chase.

Re guarding your 2cnd question (incision location)

As others have stated,  it depends on the pose.

[3bears]

George, my point is I charge $375.00 for a tree rat. For that kind of money I think they deserve, what I believe to be, the best product in return. As I stated DP most likely works for you. I am just not comfortable using it on mammals. 3bears

[George Roof]

3Bears, we just have different marketing strategies.  I assume I get more squirrels to mount than you do, but my price has nothing to do with the methods that I use and prefer.  It has EVERYTHING to do with the fact that I simply don't want to do them in the first place REGARDLESS of the method of preservation. If I based my prices on ethics, I'd simply tell them to take that silly assed thing to someone who'd really care.

[3bears]

George, I had to laugh when I read your reply. I am telling them that, just in different words. But some people just don't listen. And then they pay. Maybe someday I will try Dp on a tree rat, until that happens I will continue to tan em. Take care, 3bears

[Bucksmith]

George:  I am very famillar with tanning as I use it for all my gameheads, however you seem to know your stuff on DP.  Would you mind sharing with me your process of using DP on something such as a fox?  Or is it as simple as Kill the fox, skin him out, slap DP on the hide, sew up?  are you washing the hide? fleshing the hide? pickle?   Im not trying to sound stupid, Ive just never used it but I was considering it for stuff like squirrels, fox, ect...  I dont have a dog in this fight either way....It amazes me how we can have so many veteran taxis on here and such different views?  Anyone mounted a DP animal then the same with Tan and see how they fare down the road, both being in same environment?

[George Roof]

Using the modern techniques and chemistry available, Glen Conley has forever changed the face of DP usage in my book (I know Michael P. agrees to this as we've discussed it.)   When I get a fox in, it's skinned out and rough fleshed.  Then I spray it down with Stop Rot.  Especially the belly and ears where slippage on canids and cats is prevalent EVEN WHEN TANNED.  At that point, I roll it up and it goes into the freezer awaiting it's turn.  When it's time to mount, the hide is thawed.  I immediately was it in Downey clothes softener.  This insures a sweets smell but it also conditions the hair. The hide is spun dry and then tossed into my bird tumbler.  After the hair is dried out, the hide comes out and I mist it again with Stop Rot - this time insuring the face, eyes, mouth and ears get a coat.  I let it set for a few minutes, towel it off, DP the hide and then mount it.

The Stop Rot treatment on the fresh hide shuts down decomposition - thus eliminating slippage.  Everyone wants to claim DP causes excessive shrinkage.  A Stop Rot hide treated with DP shrinks no more than a tanned hide.

Just a week ago, I made a post "Stop Rot - Use it or lose it" where I describe TRYING to ruin a fox hide that I had to work with.  The method I described above is just what I did and the hair of that fox was as "tight" as any tanned hide I've seen. I used epoxy glue around the face,but shrinkage still appears minimal. 

There's also a myth that DP only works "down south".  Well, that's crap as well.  DP WILL draw water and expell it regardless of where it is. Set a DP mount over a dehumidifier and it will likely drip.  Set it over a wood stove or fireplace it will crack.  And I understand Delaware isn't Minnesnowda, but we have 4 seasons USUALLY.  I have one of the first Delaware bucks that I killed and mounted 30 years ago in my family room with about 10 others that have been tanned.  That DP deer looks just as good (or bad) as the day it was mounted with ZERO difference.

[museum man]

now days i put everything in the tan...my personal preference...35 years ago we used denatured alcohol on every small mammal....it works fantastic on voles, moles, mice, rabbits etc....sets the hair instantly, and they are all specimens that will start to slip if you skin to rough....i have not seen any finished mount that was soaked in denatured alcohol that a bug has chewed on in the museums collection...even retired i still do touch up work and cleaning each year on the entire collection...i say do what ever floats your boat and whatever extra you want to do for your customers is up to you...

[Tom King]

I DPed with Touchstone for years.................Now every mammal goes in the KT............
It doesn't take longer at least not in the since of "hands on time" and doesn't need to soak that long...........
Now............... being said that I have used both..............I can tell you now that there is NO comparison .........
.............Especially when it comes to Fox and Bobcats...........
You DP those Fox and Bobcats and 8 out of ten times you are going to experience inner ear and belly slippage and if you tell Me you don't then I'll say your full of it..............or you have only mounted one or two lol
You can spray your stop rot all day long and it might help a little bit lol
Nothing wrong with Stop Rot ,it,s a good product and great for those that are very slow at the skinning and turning process...........
I can thaw out five mammals................skin em, turn em, rinse em and throw em in the KT and NOT worry about em till I'm ready to mount em and have very little or no slippage at all........ and have way more handling time to test fit,form alter or what ever I need to get them mounted............
Try handling that fox or Bobcat for an extended time with DP from some sort of problem that may and most likely ,will occur at some time or another lol........
Now ..................you can tell Me all day long that your DP is just as good as MY Krowtan but how would you know if you have never been there?..........Your just assuming it lol
Where I know it for a fact...............

[Dave Byrd]

Not trying to start a ruckus ,  I have never used krowtan so I can't compare the two, but maybe your KT was better because your DP method wasn't that good.

[Tom King]

No Ruckus............I never said My DP mounts didn't turn out good because they did.............but ............a heck of allot more gave me a fit especially those Fox and Bobcats...........After I had plenty of experience with My mammals I had more success than not but God it was a night mare sometimes when I was a beginner lol.............