I am attempting my first deer head and i have been killing myself with this thing. You veterns might get a kick out of this and it may bring back memories but i feel i just need to vent some of my frustrations. First thing is i have a deer that is about a year old in the freezer and i said im going to order a video to get me started on this thing. The tape does not come for 2 weeks so I have to wait which nearly killed me because I am so pumped about doing this. I finally get the video and watch the darned thing about 5 times before attempting anything on the head. I start on the head and the wife is going nuts because I totally abandoned her and the housework. Grass is two feet tall now.( maybe I can use some of it for a habitat on my next project). Anyway, I now have about 25hours into this thing and im still not finished. I still not sure about "turning the eyes, lips etc. but I think that what I did is ok for the first head im trying. Next I go to set the eyes in and dropped one of the "glass" eyes and it cracked in half so bad I cant put it back together. So what im going to do being this is my first deer im going to put a pirates patch over the eye so that when i look at this mount I will remember no to drop the eyes. I called the taxidermists i nthe area and no one will let a novice watch in on them or work for them because they dont have time to teach anyone which is fine but I was just curious because on hands training is better than anything i would imagine. So needles to say I havent finished the masacre this has become. I just elt I would tell all you pros out there I NOW KNOW WHY YOU CHARGE WHAT YOU CHARGE ---EXPERIENCE! You guys need to go up on your prices for all the time you soent learning this art. I just though some of you would like to read this and remember the things im sure all have gone through before.
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Gerald, I LMAO reading your post. I'm not a deer guy but I'll poke my two cents in here. YOU'RE LEARNING! Stuff happens. The amount of time you have into this mount is really insignificant. In fact, you're probably learning a lot more because of all the time you're putting into this mount. Hopefully it wasn't a trophy and just something to practice on. Keep plugging away and you will learn and grow....
Sounds too familiar to be funny, Gerald. One "tip" on turning eyelids, lips, nose however. Grasp the skin between your thumb and forefinger. Move them back and forth as if you were rolling a piece of twine. IF IT MOVES, there's flesh that still needs to be removed. Eyelids should be taken down to the follicle of the eyelash itself and the lips and nostrils should almost be translucent. Keep at it, you'll get it and the next one probably won't take you so long. You're already doing pretty good if all you have invested is 25 hours so far.
George just gave you a great piece of advice. Personally, I think you should give up taxidermy and take up writing humor about it. I suppose that you are young. Listen to an old hermit, nevermind the wife: Women always get upset when they think their man is having more fun with something else than with them...lol (Down, Leanna, Nancy, Lisa, Shannon, et al....itza joke!)
The long grass is something I call "rabbitat". think of the untended lawn as an act of kindness toward nature and small creatures. You could order another set of eyes and save the remainder in case you ever run into a cyclops, or stick it in the middle of your forehead at holloween to scare the little kiddies.
Welcome to our world. be thankful that you still have ten working digits. The other guys were probably afraid of the competition you are going to give them down the road. (After reading this post, they may welcome you with open arms.) Maybe you can sell that mount to the Captain Morgan's distributor during next hunting season. It would make a great point of purchase ad......lol....Remember what the women say, "When the going gets tough, the tough go shopping."
I can remember some of the same frustrations when I was a fifteen year old kid trying to learn taxidermy. You can bet these guys in your area that won't help or let you watch are not part of a taxidermy association or organization. They still think they are gaurding time tested techniques that nobody helped them with. I got thrown out of several shops along the way, but only after the taxidermists found out I wanted to learn taxidermy. There was one taxidermist in my town. His work was really poor and I could see it then, even without much experience. In retrospect I think they found better mounts in the tombs of the Pharoh's. This guy charged me $5.00 for a pair of bird eyes that at that time cost him about twenty cents. I know some guys in this area now who think their work can't get any better, but have never submitted a piece to be judged or even attended a convention or seminar. The sad part is they aren't too bad now and with a few pointers from an experienced judge could be producing top quality work. They could be getting paid a good price for thier efforts. Remember something Gerald. There are taxidermist that will help you. And, when you learn you can help others. That's how we elivate what we do to an Art Form and not just a craft.
Hang in there
Tony
You are hilariuos! lol Just hang in there, everything WILL work out for you.
Now Cur on the other hand.....trying to irritate! lol What kinda women are you referring to about shopping? And for what? Like tackle, ammo,broadheads.....I'm sure that's what ya meant isn't it?
Women without a sense of humor will never survive being taxidermists.
Gerald, your tale cracked me up and it is all SO true. 'Been there! Tall grass and all! Yes, by all means, save some. What could it hurt? And it makes it look like you wanted to let it grow just for that purpose.
Just roll with it and don't give up. The eye patch idea is perfect! Your next deer will go a lot smoother.
Cur, if I go out to obtain a new bloodline to add to my English Trumpeters, does that count as a shopping spree?
Just one new male? Just cuz it's a [fill in figure from 1-7] hundred dollar pigeon? Forget clothes and fancy shoes!
And now I'M kidding!
Nancy M.
Not the period guy.
I remember my first deer mount attempt, I was in the second grade and my mom ordered me a "Herters Professional Kit" with instructions to mount a big muley buck my dad shot in Wyoming, and my dad helped me sort of, about half way through my dad suggetsed that we just cut the ears off because they were giving us so much trouble, I refused and we got through it . The mount dried, and I mean "dried" in the garage and it looked like something that should be buried. I WAS SO PROUD OF IT! I'm 50 now and still at it, and I wish I still had that mount for it would be bad as ever, or even worse than I remember, and PRICELESS to me.
My last shopping spree was, Bondo, 5 50lb bags of salt, cattle tags for keeping track of antlers, drill bits, a couple of cool new dremel bits that looked as though they may come in handy, a knife sharpener and some dishsoap. Then a stop at the grocery store for Borax, oh and supper items!
But today I get to go REAL shopping, I'm finally getting my bow this afternoon, I'm ecstatic!
And Gerald, if you find yourself crying in the shop some day, just know the rest of us do it all the time! Keep your spunk up and you will defeat your nemesis. If I have a day out there, where nothing kicks me in the a$$, I'm wondering what I did wrong anyway so it don't matter! LOL
Leanna... what kind of bow did you pick up?
When you release the arrow don't let go of the arrow-let the arrow go. That is if you prefer to shoot fingers. BTW, Nice moose ,Jeff !
Gerald, I truely enjoyed your story..but man is it familiar, keep at it though because if you had the patience of 25 hours..you just might find yourself attempting another :
As for you Cur, I think it's funny that you mention all of us "tough" women..Of course you know that WE are the ones that really don't need all of that attention...in our case it's the MEN that seem to be "needy" of OUR time. Gotta love ya : ) Nice chattin at ya again sweetie!