Life size black bear mounting

[beagle77]

Hi, my name is Filippo and I've been doing taxidermy for 1 year on my own (primarily birds). I just wanted to know if it's hard mounting a lifesize black bear. I know there is a lot of sowing involved and I'll be sending the hide to a tannery. What would be the hardest thing inmounting a black bear.  I really can't see it being that hard due to a bear having all that fur and simple facial features. Thanks.

[Frank E. Kotula]

Filippo hopefully it's not a huge bear like over 400lbs. Other than that their not that hard. You'll find the biggest problem and most common is the fit. Most bears need to be altered in width or lenght. So before you get into anything make sure you check the fit first.
Now a real good way to alter a manikin is to follow in Breakthrough magazine Jason Snowberger's way of doing it. He shows the proper way of doing it. If you don't have one on hand, give them a call and you can get it.

[rgswildlife]

Filippo
As Frank said, they are not hard. I always tell my customers I will build a bear mount, because of the alterations needed to make the skin fit the form. Once you do a couple they will just be another project. Try and get your customers to measure there bear asap after the kill, that way the numbers will not change after it is skinned. It just make our job easier.

Rich 

[KevinH]

You guys hit that one right on the head.  The last bear I did I measured when the guy brought it in and found a form that was the exact same measurements, he said he liked that form, so I thought good no cutting and piecing back together .  Yea right, I got the hide back from the tannery and it had lost about 3-4 inches around the belly, which I think is a hard measurement to accurately get anyway.  But I stretched it all I could and it still would not fit.  So I did like Jason's article in Breakthrough said and cut it in half both ways so I had 5 pieces of bear laying there, counting the head, and took thin slices off each part and put it back together.  Then I got the right fit.  But like you guys said thats about the hardest thing with bears, just getting the darn things to fit.

[beagle77]

Thanks a whole lot guys. You were very HELPFULL!!!