question for you taxidermists
03-09-2005, 10:01 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location:
Posts: 2,678
question for you taxidermists
I killed a really nice buck in Kansas last fall. I got the mount back and its in a sneak position. The ears stick straight out on the mount - and a bit crooked even.
Can ears be changed after the mount is "completed" ?? If those ears were back this deer would look SOOOOOOOOOOO much better
Can ears be changed after the mount is "completed" ?? If those ears were back this deer would look SOOOOOOOOOOO much better
03-09-2005, 10:18 PM
#2
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Bradford, Ontario
Posts: 2,205
RE: question for you taxidermists
A friend of mine is a professional taxidermist and he routinely rebuilds and repairs older mounts. Deer forms do not have ears on them, they are seperate. A good taxidermist can do it easily, but its not free!
03-09-2005, 10:31 PM
#3
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: NW Montana / SW Alberta Rockies
Posts: 3,258
RE: question for you taxidermists
The deer is usually mounted with the ears set in clay with ear liners set in the ear and if the clay has been set too long then resin will have to be shot in. If the skin is too dry, the skin will tear. It actually depends on how long its been since its been mounted. You may just want to leave it the way it is and position it where it may not be that noticable, good luck, Bobby
03-10-2005, 08:46 AM
#5
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Logan Ia USA
Posts: 678
RE: question for you taxidermists
when you mount with the ears forward you leave much more of the ear butt in so to move it ears back you would have to cut stitches in hide and if hide was not flexable enough (which depends on the tanning method) rehydrate the hide to a point that it is flexable, then you would have to remove more of the ear butt and reset new clay with the ear liners.
Worst case senario you would have to remount the deer with new cape. Best case is the cape is flexable enough or could be made to be and you would be able to just pull it back enough to rework the ears.
Good Luck, I would suggest next time to ask to see pics of ears both ways so it is easier to decide. You are right to catch it now where there may be a better chance to change it than later. But it will likely be a major operation.
Worst case senario you would have to remount the deer with new cape. Best case is the cape is flexable enough or could be made to be and you would be able to just pull it back enough to rework the ears.
Good Luck, I would suggest next time to ask to see pics of ears both ways so it is easier to decide. You are right to catch it now where there may be a better chance to change it than later. But it will likely be a major operation.
03-10-2005, 09:23 AM
#6
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location:
Posts: 2,678
RE: question for you taxidermists
SW Iowa Hunter - the head/cape on this deer is huge. I picked the pose of sneaking, head down for something different. I had no idea that it would come back the ears straight out with one ear a bit cockeyed from the other - looks weird. I didn't pick it up, my wife did, and the more i look at it the more I think - damn, what a nice rack, but with the way the ears are it just looks too funky ! The face/cape etc all look pretty good, but those ears .............
