What can I do better

ear shape , ear butt shape, eye shape , antlers look to be tipped forward a bit hair. patterns need work.

 

So why are you avoiding advanced lessons instead of guessing over and over?

 

Like T said, get some formal training, especially someone who gives one on whitetails, if that will be the bulk of your business. It is worth the time and money, tenfold.

 

WASCO has a lot of DVDs on mounting deer ; seminars and instructional .

 

Check out Mr Rick Carter's dvd if you havent yet. It's worth every cent.

 

Maybe its the picture but your Apex opening looks to far away.

 

I know this isn't what you want to hear but to answer your question, everything. From what I can tell they aren't horrible but have pretty much all of the beginner mistakes. I have to ask, if you are poor as hell, how can you afford to keep buying forms and eyes? It has been said many times take some lessons and quit practicing your mistakes. I too was self taught, I thought I was doing pretty good and knew plenty about mounting deer, I took lessons and instantly realized I didn't know chit.

 

Not to mention that $65 dollar mouth piece plus shipping charges. Good schooling is not always expensive. For the cost of materials on 4 of those mounts you just did, you could spend 2 days here with me. If you mount 3 more like that without instruction you'd only be teaching yourself more bad habits.

So, your question is " what can I do better " ?

1. Quit making excuses not to succeed.

2. "poor as hell" has got nothing to do with it. Become more determined and make it happen. Sell, save and work to earn the money to attend a class with someone reputable, it will cut your learning curve in half saving you and making you money instantly, plus paying for your class on top the rest.

3. After class, start mounting professional deerheads, go up in price considerably, do less deerheads for more money, become king of the universe. Well, maybe not king of the universe but everything else is possible. It's really up to you on how long you want to wait to achieve it.

 

If you are too poor to buy a dvd, then you are too poor to buy a form,hide paste, ear liners, Bondo, tanning, needles, thread, eyes, etc,etc. If you don't have several hundreds too spend on formal training, you surely have 40 bucks to get a dvd. I would stop spending money on mounting and use that money to learn HOW to do it. When I woke up and started learning every thing fell into place. Before was a lot of spinning my wheels.

 

Exactly. I could use some lessons myself, I have personal goals that someday need to get met, but they won't come to me if I do not pursue them.

 

Bucknasty don't know how to explain hair patterns on a key board. Get a good photo of a buck look at the forehead, between the eyes the ears edges ,lip line, chin, brisket . Note the hair on the shoulders , neck shouldn't be brushed stright back You 'll will see what I'm talking about. Take the advice you were given and take some sort of work shop or at a minimum take your mount to the state taxidermy comp. And ask them to go over it with you after they judge it. Lots of good people who are willing to help you there. Good luck

 

Good ,frank advice from everyone. There is another factor that needs to be emphasized...IMO. and that is REFERENCE. It is common for beginners to not realize the importance of having and interpretating reference. I'm sure that all the accomplished artist on this site will agree that without it you will be spinning your wheels for a long time..despite all the technical experience you gain. Bucknasty, reference is cheap and widely available,so don't mount without it. Best of luck.

 

We'll make a taxidermist out of you yet!! Keep putting the effort in though..