Just took in my 1st blackbear never have done one he wants a open mouth rug an the real bear jaw set.Well i have never done a bear before what needs to be done to do this ? also how much do i charge for a completed rug 300 lbs bear.also need some info on fleshing an salting any good tapes out there.any help would be greatly appreciated.good tannery and info on putting a backing on this bear.
thanks mike in Iowa
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We get this question about once a year and the answer is still the same. DO NOT USE THE REAL JAWSET. Real teeth are OK for a skull mount by necessity, but for mounting they place a miserable workload on you. The gums have to be rebuilt completely and an artificial tongue has to be added. Real teeth are subject to cracking, and a rug is a prime candidate for a drop kick. For a 300 pound bear, I'd say roughly $750 to $900. I charge $150 a linear foot from nose to tail and that includes in the door/out the door complete pricing that includes an open mouth with artificial teeth and tongue. If he was willing to pay me another $250 for that "real" jawset, I'd let him have it.
You are asking for problems down the road. Real teeth are just about guaranteed to crack eventually. Make sure your customer is aware of that. Write it into the contract and make him sign it. George has the price right on the money, not a penny less.