I have successfully mounted two lifesize coyotes. I used a dorsal incision on both. The problem is when attempting to fit the tanned hides I have difficulty getting the skin over the head (if I have the feet inserted already)and on my first the head actually broke off the form where I had glued it on to the body.
Should I wait to glue the head onto the body after I begin mounting?
If so will this method work when one has skinned using a case incision? I do hate stitching and would like to try with a case incision but am not sure what else I may have to do different.
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Put the head into the head skin and after you have the skin on the legs(you may have to cut off a leg or two on some forms) glue or bondo it in place. Don't be afraid to make cuts in the forms. You can always put it back together!
Later
I thought it was going on a little harder than it ought to.
One more question. Rather than split the tail (& having to sew it up later) does removing the tail with one of those tail skinners completely invert the skin so it can be fleshed, salted, & tanned?
I would be willing to purchase a tail skinner if it meant I no longer had to sew slpit tails.
I mean split tails...not slpit tails. Sorry.
I use a tail stripper only on critters like bobcats, ringtails and raccoon. On foxes and coyotes I still split the tail all the way. Both foxes and coyotes are well known for hairslippage, especially on the tail and the ears. Even if you do everything right on a fox the risk for hairslippage is great. A tailstripper will not invert the tail, it will just strip it of the bone. Most animals do not need to have the inside of the tail fleshed. I flesh the top of the tail about one inch down into it on a coon but that is all. Salt can easily be pushed into the tail with a thin wire. Works pretty good especially on cats.
Cut the head off the form with a v cut,then slide the hide onto the form.Once you get the hide in place pin the head skin back onto the neck of the form with upholstry pins.Bondo the head back on then the head skin will slide over the form into place.This will work on foxes, bobcats & coyotes,but will not work on raccoons.
tails up, but that's ok. I do appreciate all the good advice on this. The v-cut sounds like an excellent idea - probably enables easier setting of the head back into place. Just curious as to why it doesn't work for raccons. How about skunks? As soon as the form comes in I will be mounting the skunk I salvaged from the side of the road last bow season.
One more question if I may. What is the best method for removing ear cartilage on deer after capes are tanned? I have a very difficult (& long) time when using a scalpel and making small painstaking slices to remove it. I end up with cuts in the ear. There must be a better way.
The v cut won't work on a raccoon because the head will not fit back through the mouth of a raccoon.Don,t know on skunks, don't have many in south GA. Split cart.in half from side to side&peel up & down.MAY have to cut some along the way.Good luck.
so the coyote head actually fits through the mouth of the hide. I guess I didn't pick that up initially. I'll give it a try on my next one.
Thanks for the tip on the cartilage removal!