Couple Concerns With Recent Elk Shoulder Mount, Looking For Advice

I agree! I've done removable antlers on much larger antlers. One was a 440" elk that was the SCI record holder at the time for a handgun kill! Your price is spot on!

 

The taxidermist who mounted it will just make it worse. He doesn't have the skill to pull it off. I would cancel his coming over and I would take it to a competent taxidermist to do fix it and do removable antlers.

 

It does not really matter when you do it.
We have to drill the antler and the skull plate. We epoxy a hollow square metal dow down in the skull plate.
Then drill the antler and epoxy a solid smaller square metal dow into it.
It's not the easiest job in the world. Every thing has to be lined up perfectly is the hard part.
It ussually takes four hands.
I'm not sure, but I don't think you can get a record book certification after it has been done.
So you'll want to get the certification done first.

 

if you remove the antlers from the skull plate or split the skull or cut off and rebuild points, they can not be officially scored or entered into the books.

 

I can tell you, depending on the camera/cameras used will definitely change the color.it can be from flash/no flash or/and amount of light casting on your animal. The detach antler is totally possible.if he won't do it....take it elsewhere or if you're
Mechanically inclined, it's not that hard of a task.just be sure to mark things first

 

Tubing a elk cape isn't worth the extra work and time. A good sew job doesn't show. But your taxidermist is lying to you on several issues. Cutting off points is ridiculous and stupid. Soaking up the top of the head removing the antlers and doing square stock detachable job is very doable especially on a new mount. I personally would just take the mount to a more experienced taxidermist that doesn't lie and pay the 4 or 5 hundred bucks it will take to make a nice mount of it. The cape being yours is debatable. If he doesn't mount many elk it probably is yours. Just stop your stress, delete that guy from your life and contact a good reliable shop. Keep the gossip down for your own peace of mind and end up with a mount you can look at and be happy with for years to come.

 

Keep it from getting infested by months, carpet beetles and mice.

 

A small amout of little Borax will ""Keep it from getting infested by months, carpet beetles and mice.""

Then just use a damp cloth to keep the antlers clean of dust. The hair can be shaken , lightly brushed or lightly vacuumed. Avoid putting it near wood stoves.

 

And direct sun light. Also keep from really high or really low humidity.