All, I have a eight point buck that I shot back in 96, got it mounted and thought it was great. Just yesterday I was looking at it real close and its kinda like shrinking up and starting to look bad in a way. Asked a guy at work about it and he said the taxidermist probally used a "quick tan" rather than taking the time to truely tan the hide. Do you guys know whats going on with my head? And what are the "proper" ways to do a head hide right? Like what chemicals or techniques should I ask about befor I leave a head with someone? Thanks All
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Hunting is like Marriage, you get out of it what you put in it. Sometimes you score and sometimes you don't, but its always fun going out!
Most Taxidermists like myself , do not tan personally due to the amount of time and work required to tan 300 deers plus other animals, so we send it out to be professionally tanned, either a wet tanned or dry tanned.
This makes for a better and lasting mount.
Someone with experience such as Bill Yox or myself can probably spot a none tanned hide easily, while amateurs can't seem to tell the difference.
Shrinking around the eyes, muzzle, or mouth pulling open, is sign of dry preserve or just a pickled hide.
This is a very cheap way of doing deers, there are ways of reducing the shrinking by using a strong hide glue and plenty of pins to hold the eyes and nose and mouth in place until thoroughly dry.
Post a few pics and I will be able to tell you more.
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"Blessed is He who Comes in The Name of The Lord"
Here is one pic I posted a while back before I noticed it. I can get more close up pics later but not tonight. Not sure how much you can tell from this pic. Thanks for the help alex.
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Hunting is like Marriage, you get out of it what you put in it. Sometimes you score and sometimes you don't, but its always fun going out!
Hotburn my Friend , what you have is an amateurish mount, whomever mounted that lacked the skills of a professional taxidermist.
The era position to the look of the face and hair tells me ,it was not tanned but dry preserve.
But now remember the skin is not the trophy but the antlers, I would get a cape from the area you shot that and have it remounted professionally , it is not everday one shoots a pretty deer.
There is not much it can be done with that head as it is shrinking and perhaps even dry rotting.
If I were closer to you , i would remount it for you at only the cost of materials.
Iam sorry my friend.
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"Blessed is He who Comes in The Name of The Lord"
Hotburn my Friend , what you have is an amateurish mount, whomever mounted that lacked the skills of a professional taxidermist.
As usual Alex is dead on! Its a great buck, hope you one day have the time or $ to get it remounted. Here is a picture of a buck that was done by a proffesional taxidermist:
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" We do not inherit our wildlife from our fathers, we only borrow it from our children."
It looks similiar to the first deer I've ever mounted. But it's neat to look back at those learning mounts to see how far you've come in learning taxidermy.
I was so dissapointed with my first deer back in 1965 that I used it as a bow and arrow target, then after it was full of holes I took it apart and remounted it, I still have it ,in a room where customers can't see it, LOL
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"Blessed is He who Comes in The Name of The Lord"
My best friend shot a nice 6 pointer in NY this past November, and got his deer back about 3 weeks ago. I was curiuos as to why he got it back so quick, my 9 pointer I got here in NJ in November will be done sometime this November or early December.
My friend called the taxidermist up, and asked him how he tans his hides, and he uses a dry tan, his mount looks good and cost $280. I called my taxidermist WILDLIFE PRESERVATIONS and asked George how he does his tans, and he told me he sends them out to be done professionally. I told him about my friends deer and the dry tan used. George told me he has never used and never will use any dry tan, or pickle tan, he will only use a professional tan. He went on to say that the dry tan or pickle may hold up for a very long time, but he wouldn't bet on it, plus he added that when tanned either way the hide can start smelling, bugs getting into it, and humdity is your worst enemy. Cracking around the eyes, ears, nose, and mouth is common with a dry or pickle tan. He ended the conversation with this: If a hide is done this way, cutting corners are being done lowing the cost for the mount, thats why your friend payed $280 for a full shoulder mount. I will stick with WILDLIFE PRESERVATIONS ,as George is 100% honest, and up front, plus he has done a few mounts for me and other friends, he did a wonderful job on my full body NJ black bear
The form was probably sized wrong..looks too small for the cape.
He used up excess skin by moving the ears down too far. No earbutts
to speak of. Not a very well sculpted form either. I bet the seam runs the length of the cape, huh? Probably even trimmed some hide off there too to make it fit. My Dad has one that looks similar..done around 1972.
My best friend shot a nice 6 pointer in NY this past November, and got his deer back about 3 weeks ago. I was curiuos as to why he got it back so quick, my 9 pointer I got here in NJ in November will be done sometime this November or early December.
My friend called the taxidermist up, and asked him how he tans his hides, and he uses a dry tan, his mount looks good and cost $280. I called my taxidermist WILDLIFE PRESERVATIONS and asked George how he does his tans, and he told me he sends them out to be done professionally. I told him about my friends deer and the dry tan used. George told me he has never used and never will use any dry tan, or pickle tan, he will only use a professional tan. He went on to say that the dry tan or pickle may hold up for a very long time, but he wouldn't bet on it, plus he added that when tanned either way the hide can start smelling, bugs getting into it, and humdity is your worst enemy. Cracking around the eyes, ears, nose, and mouth is common with a dry or pickle tan. He ended the conversation with this: If a hide is done this way, cutting corners are being done lowing the cost for the mount, thats why your friend payed $280 for a full shoulder mount. I will stick with WILDLIFE PRESERVATIONS ,as George is 100% honest, and up front, plus he has done a few mounts for me and other friends, he did a wonderful job on my full body NJ black bear
Let me correct you here for learning purposes.
A dry tan is what tanneries do, they chemically turn green hide to leather with the hair on, then it is return to the customers nice and supple like but dry, this is called dry tan.The taxidermist will hydrate the skin to get back the softness and stretch needed to mount, then the skin can be mounted and glued, the skin will dry once again a little harder than when received, but it will have little if any shrinkage, the hair will also be nice and shiny and will settle better on the mount smooth.
A wet tanned is put through the same chemical pickles and shaved but not dried and it must be kept frozen, this saves time for the taxidermist not having to hydrate the skin, the same results as above can be expected.
Dry preservative is what I think you are confusing with dry tan, this is a powder which is applied to the raw skin after it has being shaved down and fleshed and washed and treated with alcohol, then the skin is mounted and hope it will last.
Dry preserve is quick way to mount something to save time and money, I only recommend it in very small animalls such as squirrels.
I have yet to see a dry preserve mount that looks good and without shrinkage. It is just not professional to do this to a trophy deer.
Hope that clears some of the confussion.
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"Blessed is He who Comes in The Name of The Lord"
shrinking deer head!!!
