I just complete my 1st squirrel mount and it is kinda horrific loking. I am wonderig ar deer any easier as far as havng something bigger to work with instead of somthing so small? Should a squirrel be easy todo? Or is a squirrel no an easy ting just because it is small? I wouold hate t experiment on a deer that I soot and mess it up. Thanks.
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Did some one tell you this was easy to learn? If they did they either lied to you or have a real gift of talent.
None of this is easy to do, the best work you can do, will never be good enough!
It takes time to learn the trade. There are a lot of bad taxidermist out there. Some are trying to learn to do better work by attending seminars and entering competitions.
All should be gathering reference materials and buying great camera equipment. Cutting photos out of Outdoor magazines, making death mask and casting fish halves. These are the ones that get better and can make it seem easy. But believe me few ever had it easy learning.
Some say this is not an art. Some say it is. It takes a far better artist to do this work than to be a mortician. Taxidermist must know how the lips, eyes, nose, ears, feet and skin alihnments should look like on every species of animal in the world.
Good luck and remember this will not happen over night for you.
I've said this for years that the most difficult animal in the world to mount and get a good looking job is a tree rat. The animal has so many physiological intricacies that doing a presentable job is difficult. The tail and the muzzle will make or break you. It's a ideal skinning animal, but proper fleshing takes a tedious effort. For years, good mannikins were impossible to find and todays Bellucci and Ellzey forms give you a better chance, but the squirrel can be a real ego buster. Stick with it. You aren't alone in your problems.
Shon, I agree with George on this. A squirrel is not easy to mount- just common and easy to get. Deer are not easy but since they are larger there are advantages. My personal favorite for a "first" is a racoon. It's larger, and the longer hair is more forgiving of the many mistakes most of us will make learning. Still not easy by a long shot. A young smaller coon is easier to prepare than an old one as there is a little less fat to deal with. Don't get discouraged, every one of us can remember some less than beautiful work and I can claim some down right UGLY attempts. Collect photos of all sorts of critters and store in file folders. These references are vital to success. Every chance you get to attend seminars go.John said it-"the best work you can do, will never be good enough!" The more I do the more I see wrong with what I do. Good luck, Aaron H.
Thanks for the help guys I appreciate it. Your right squirrels are pretty damn hard, but they are easy to get. Maybe the best thing for a little squirrel would be just freeze drying. Maybe I will have a little more luck on a deer since it is bigger to handle and possibly a little more forgiving. Thanks.