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Is this possible? (Ticks on a pelt/mount)

Discussion in 'Beginners' started by Nightweaver, Aug 4, 2012.

  1. Aug 4, 2012 #1
    Nightweaver

    Nightweaver Member

    419
    2
    Dunno which category this would fall under if it needs to be moved I am sorry.

    I read someone saying they found ticks on a coyote mount, they said it came from a shoddy artist. I was told a pest such as fleas and ticks only survive on living hosts, this person claimed and showed pictures of fat full ticks in the box with the mount.

    So. My question is, possible for a mount? Freak thing from the artist' pet or what?
     
  3. Aug 4, 2012 #2
    3bears

    3bears Well-Known Member

    7,072
    3,794
    MN
    Was the tick alive? Doubtful. They are still stuck to skins even after going through the tanning process. Most are likely brushed out during the grooming but not always. 3bears
     

  5. Aug 4, 2012 #3
    Old Fart

    Old Fart Active Member

    4,947
    6
    Minnesota
    I find "dead" ticks still on capes that come back from the tanner ALL THE TIME. If they are thick enough on our heavy haired northern deer, I think that it would be nearly impossible to get them all combed or brushed out. That would certainly apply to any other heavily furred animal. Like 3bears, I really doubt that they were "live" ticks. It they were live, then a household pet is the likely source.........even then.......
     
  6. Aug 4, 2012 #4
    Nightweaver

    Nightweaver Member

    419
    2
    I figured on a wild animal they could've just stuck on through the process. The person never mentioned if it was dead or alive. I just found it a bit odd. They were saying the person was lazy and didn't mount it properly with right materials and said it had ticks and was shedding fur/slipping like no tomorrow.

    Thanks you guys for telling me about it, I personally buy ranched animals for stuff so I never have seen a hair out of place on one of my specimens. Now I at least know not to freak out if I bought something wild and it has a few bonus attatchments.
     
  7. Aug 4, 2012 #5
    PLTannery

    PLTannery New Member

    6,587
    4
    Okanogan Washington
    Sounds like someone Skinned it washed the raw hide and DPed it improperly. That would leave the ticks on the hide to die or fall off.

    But yes Even dead ticks can stay on a hide all the way thru the tanning process.
     
  8. Aug 4, 2012 #6
    joeym

    joeym Old Murphey

    14,559
    10,588
    Chunky, Mississippi
    A tick would not be attracted to a mounted animal. Their sensory mechanism attracts them to subcutaneous veins with good blood flow. They are masters at finding areas that the host animal cannot reach easily. A tick on a mounted animal was there when the animal died. Both good and bad taxidermists often fail to remove them all.
     
  9. Aug 5, 2012 #7
    Matt

    Matt Active Member

    10,839
    3
    Nothing to do with poor quality work. I see them all the time on cape that come back from the tannery. I do my best to comb them out, but I am sure I don't get all of them on some animals. One things for sure, they are dead.
     
  10. Aug 8, 2012 #8
    vengeofthestars

    vengeofthestars New Member

    19
    0
    Oklahoma
    I think I know who you are talking about.
    I can say ive seen the pictures of this pelt with tics (assuming its the same shoddy, shedding pelt) and it looked AWEFUL. the same person has scammed other people too.
     
  11. Aug 11, 2012 #9
    west1542

    west1542 Member

    472
    0
    Mayfield kentucky
    I just recently switched to a pet grommer slicker brush from a regular comb for my deer mounts and on the first time brushing I brushed 17 out of one deer alone all were dead. I don't see how you could get all of them out unless you brushed for a very long time. And all these capes made it back from a commercial tannery, every cape had at least a few on them.