Do you use anything to hold down the hair during the drying process ? I've been using pantyhose and pinning it tight around the front of the deer. My only problem is once in a while it seems to push the gray hairs through on the throat patch. Once it's dry I try to brush the hair and get the gray to lay underneath, but it won't. Any suggestions on ways to improve ? How long would you pin the hose on for. I usually leave it on for 3-4 weeks. Thanks.
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The ACE bandage should be flatter than the pantyhose as you wrap it. This would allow the hair to stay in place better. Overlap it slightly as you wrap.
Try that and leave the panty hose where they belong. Good hide paste should take NO PINNING or support.
J, If you are seeing hair 'stick up" or lay crooked after mounting it is normaly caused by the skin itself being too tight or even twisted a little on the manikin. Always groom the mount imediatly after mounting and any spot that looks a little wild can be fixed by taxiing the skin around a little. The cape needs to fit comfortably- not streetched over the form. Much easier to move the skin around to let the hair lay as it wants to than to force it to lay against it's will. Now, if you do all of this you may still miss something once in a while and have to use a bit of hair spray and screen wire but normaly you should not need to hold the hair till dry. Enjoy, Aaron H.
I dont mount alot of deer....around 25 to 30 a year, but far as getting ALL the hairs to lay perfect just remember there are few "perfect" capes out there. I do have a few hairs stick up where there may be the occasional scab, wound, tick bite, etc. I just deal with it.
If you don't move the skin and align it and stretch it before you mount it you will get those problems.
You need to stretch it before you place it over the manikin and use hide glue, I never get that problem, but I did when I was an amateur.
Also as you being told use the proper size manikin.