Client picked up deer shoulder mount last week,said mount looks good you did a nice job, He was very happy when he left.Today he calls and said how come the bottom lip is showing? I replied the bottom lip should be showing.He said a couple of his friends looked at the mount and said it is wrong,the bottom lip should not be showing. The nose and bottom lip is finished very, much like Bill Yox article in Breakthrough #59.
I don't think they have seen a mount that is done without the bottom lip shrunken and painted black. Just wondering if any one has any thoughts on this matter? Doug
Return to Gamehead Taxidermy Category Menu
Doug, Just have the guy come over to your shop and look at a reference photo of a LIVE deer. Tell him not to compare your mount to other mounts that were done incorrectly! I had a guy ask me once how come the inside of my deer mount nostrils were pink, he had never seen that before. His other mount at home had black nostrils!
Bruce
Like bruce said call him up, and invite him over to look at some reference of live deer. Most deer hunters, and that includes many veteran hunters do not know what a live whitetail is supposed to look like. There is a lot of difference in a closeup live whitetail, than one laying in the back of a pickup. If he still insist your wrong tell him to give you some lessons to show you how to properly mount a buck. Remember if he knew he wouldnt have brought it to you in the first place.
I show the lower lip on my mounts. I would show him the reference photos. Many of my r.p.'s are photos from the leading outdoor magazines and they show the lower lip also.
Its impossible to have 100% customer satisfaction, just explain you do what you see in live deer. Show him what you did right!
on whitetails i leave as much bottom lip showing as the width of the nose pad. on muledeer i tuck to the hairline. these recipes are according to reference, but by no means set in stone. i dont think your customer knows for sure what hes looking for .