This is my second year doing taxidermy on WT. A local female taxidermist has done 2 of my buddies deer in the past. And when she does them they have taken a wt with say the B measurment of 20". When they get it back the B measurement will be 24". I have thinned my capes down so much I can start to see the hair folicles. I have to order my form 1-1 1/2" smaller than my meat measurement to get it to go on the form. Can anyone let me in on the secret to how she is doing this. I turn everything/salt24 hrs then resalt till dry/pickle/shave/pickle/neutralize/ tan lutan F/oil/tumble/rehydrate/mount. I follow WASCO A-Z Deer mounting all the way. Just cant get the extra size that she is getting. I would appreciate any help to get the same results. I have questioned her a bit but will not answer anything. Im not competition, its just a hobby. 5-7 heads a year. Thx Eddie
Return to Deer Taxidermy Category Menu
Could be the tan she is using. Does she have an auto tanner? this would be posible with one of them. I still can't see the logic in making a deer biger after mounting then it was in real life. It will get you a few customers I guess. I would keep the measurments at what they are and leave well enough alone. You could end up with a bug eyed deer if you over stretch the hide. Also the skin could and I have seen it pull away from the antler burrs after drying. Also the chance of druming under the chin there are alot of things that could happen. I think you ask for big trouble over stretching the hide when mounting. I could be wrong but I have seen mounts done by others this way and they looked very bad. Well my opinion. Merry Christmas be safe Jack F
dry preservative. It could possibly be Ben Mears Spray tan. I doubt if it has been fully tanned. Like Jack, I would stick to the actual measurements.
My guess would be that they are measuring the flesh side of the cape when they take it in and then they are measuring over the hair side when they get it back. How are they measuring the cape after it has been mounted?
In my opinion, a cape that has been strecthed too much produces a poor mount.
What part of the country are you in? Are 24" necks common?
Maybe you are not getting the correct measurment?
Maybe she knows how to stack and taxi the hide! (this could be the hole problem as you see it)
Then maybe she is doing all of the above and is truley putting out a great product with the individual care many claim, not just throwing the mount together.
She is probley using the best products, forms eyes, glues and all this adds up to experience. NOTHING can SHORT CUT EXPERIENCE>
You brought up some very good points. I forgot about the stacking thing you spoke of this in another post. I have done this myself with a auto tanned cape but can't get it to work as well with a pickled liqua tan cape. I was wondering what you think is the cause of this. I think its the salt dry process that makes the cape more stiff. Not saying its not a good process because it is. I think that diferent tanning methods require diferent methods of taxying the skin on the form to achieve the proper fit and look. Well my thoughts for what they are worth. Jack F
Maybe a bit longer.
Anywho, It could be the tan or maybe its the tumbling.
I have never salt dried capes on a regular basis.
We all know there are limits to what a skin will strech, either long or wide but never both. Yea there is a happy medium. But you can go extreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeme one of two ways.
Also the tale of the tape dont mean anything. A 24 inch neck but where is the measurement. I know a couple hax. that always whip the tape around at the shoulder and he tells his customers see its 30-32.
So what to do, instead of pulling the cape off the back as I see many many do. Work the extra cape onto the form. Put the taxi back into taxidermy.
Mike I think you hit the nail on the head. And I also think some times its the kind of forms you use. Meaning if you use a swelled neck form that has the same measurments it will also give a bigger apperaence than a pre- rut form. Just a guess you might need to ask her what she is doing so we will all learn something. LOL Dean
Well john, I am in central-southern Indiana. 24" neck is not common but it is a usual occurrance. The measurement has been taken over the hide before and after mounting. And this is not deducting 1-1 1/2" for the hide. They look good but she has taken short cuts. My buddies 1st deer did not have the lips tucked but pinned. They have started to pull. The nose is not textured at all. So to me it is not a quality mount to take to the Deer & Turkey Classic and display. Hopefully one day with me keeping to my guidline of trying to do it right, I will have a customer take one to the Classic for display and be proud of my work. I have had 2 return customers from my 1st year. 2 of the 7 deer I am mounting this year are 160 class bucks. I have never mounted deer of this magnatude and was honored to do the work on these big boys. Looks like I will be sticking with what I have done in the past. Both deer were return customers from last year. And to me, return customers speak for themselves. Thx to all of you. Eddie
Info