Since I don't see doing another bear in the near....or distant future....I only used a couple of reference pictures when mounting my first mount (a black bear shoulder mount).
Since finishing the mount, I have finally received a few catalogs which have good examples of bear mounts in it. One thing that seems constant is the fact that most of the open mouth bear mounts have the ears turned back. I mounted mine "up".
My question to the "experts", is "ears up" wrong with the open mouth mount? If so, how can I move the ears? They have earliners in them secured with hide paste and the ear butts were built up with "all game".
thanks
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The farthest thing from an "expert" is me, but I think that the ears being back on a "mad" bear would be the normal. If your bear is eating marshmallows, maybe they'd be erect listening for a bigger bear to come by and kick their butt, but the ears on wild animals almost always follow set patterns. It's like holding your eyes open while you sneeze. You can't do it.
As for the ears, I think you're stuck. All Game is an epoxy putty that's impervious to all chemicals when it hardens. You're not going to move them without cutting the hide and replacing them.
Is it a panting open mouth or does it look agressive? (growling) Panting mouth the ears are fine. Agressive bears usually have the ears back. It doesn't mean they can't have them up. It just isn't as common for them to do with that attitude.
Watch the bears at the zoo, you will see the ears are very much part of thier communication tool. A growling bear may have his ear back, but the next second he may have them forward. Since all the wild animal have very mobile ears, watch them you will see them do everything, every position. Bears, Cats, Canine, Deer they all move thier ears as part of thier communication tools. One second they pin them bad as a display of "dont mess with me" then they will listen to whats going on in a second, while still growling.
Way to many times we as taxidermist miss the tree because of the forest so to speak, we say it is only one way, when in fact if we stop and look, stop and listen we will see there is far more details in the picture.
I will leave the ears "up" and put a puffy marshmallow in his mouth.
I will treat this as "lessons learned"....
#1. use clay instead of epoxy on the ear butts
#2. refer to more reference material before jumping in
#3. continue to seek help on taxidermy.net
#4. keep having fun
John is absolutely right. The ear position of any animal depends on at what point in time you choose to freeze them. A bear may pin his ears and them open his mouth to roar, or growl. He may also very well open his mouth and growl, if he feels the initial growl did not sufficiently get his point across, he may pin his ears to accentuate it. I have seen mother bears simply pin their ears at their young. As to say don't get pushy. the range pattern, and sequence of animal expression is wide, and varied what they are doing when mounted depends on what moment in time you halted their motion. Open mouth ears forward. Would indicate a bear is stretching, yawning, about to take a bite of something wile the bear is calm, relaxed, and in no threat of loosing out. Open mouth ears back would indicate aggression. Be it to warn a competitor, or intruder. open mouth ears loped gives the impression of a totally subdued animal. One who is relaxed, tired, or comfortable. Your ear position is a totally acceptable one. However if you have added wrinkles to the upper muzzle, and brow of the bear. to show the scowl of aggression it may not be as believable.