did i do alright

[hoosierhunter_06]

I want to know if i did a decenct job on this buck i hope to have my second one done soon i have mounted a doe.

[Alex The Hawk]

Link does not work

[rgswildlife]

I am sorry to say that your mount looks like a road kill. The ears are too far down the neck, the mouth is too long and the inside of the lip is visible. There is nothing right with it. I am sorry but you need to go back and practice some more before you get into the business.If I told you it looked OK I only would be hurting you. Keep trying, it will come around but it takes time and much more education and practice.

Rich

[livbucks]

I wish I could see it!
If somebody can fix the link, please do.
I've tried to copy/paste the thing several times but get nothing.
It says the picture was deleted.
Why delete it? Nothing to be ashamed of. Anything can happen for a first try and I would be interested to see it.
A good friend (and good taxidermist) told me that one can expect to junk their first several tries at least before the get enough experience to get even a passable mount. He told me the first one almost always looks exactly like a sick burro with horns, if one existed.

[livbucks]

OK, I finally got it to work. Yes, Rich is right. Not good...YET.
Nobody can fault you for trying and you learn from trying, so you are on the right path. Keep your chin up and keep trying and don't ever be so proud of a mount that you won't accept constructive criticism from the pro's. There is always room for improvement and yours has plenty.

[Alex The Hawk]

Hoosierhunter; First don't give up , we all started somewhere, you should have seen my first racoon it looked like a dachtsun dog ,lol.

The most important thing in taxidermy is to develop your power of observation, either by watching live animals, films and or books.

Pay attention to ear placement, you can see that a deer ears are place on the skull, because that is where the ear canal is which goes to the brain, a deer can't hear through his neck, but that is usually the first mistake beginners make.

Second all ruminents have eyes slightly forward at about 45 degrees forward and about 9 d. downward, they also have eyebrows in top so they can blink.

If you buy a good mannikin such as mckenzies all you have to do is place the eyes in the eye slots and they will be almost correct.

Also observe the mouth as someothers have told you a deer doesn't have long mouths like that, you have to create a slot on the mannikin to insert the lip skins in the slot, if you follow the manikin's mouth and carve the slot you will have a good mouth, the top lip is tucked in first then the bottom.

Also a deer needs to breath so you want to carve out the nostrils, either with a thin knife or small instrument if you don't have a rotto tool with a round file tip.

You also need to carve out the slots right in front of the eyes slightly deeper than as they come in the mold, which are for two small glands that deer have, you want to use glue to hold these slots in place after it is dried , meanwhile use pins to hold it in the slots.
And I recommend you get a few videos that show all these procedures.

Now that you have taken the first step get the instructional videos and go for the second one.

[Alex The Hawk]

This is his first mount

[rgswildlife]

Hoosierhunter as I said before keep practicing and get some really good reference to compare with. My first mount of a deer was better than the one I paid to have mounted by a professional taxidermist, thats why I went into the business, it will take time, but don't give up.

Rich

[squirrelkilla23]

that things ears do look like it's trying to fly off the wall. keep practicing and Dont do any work for people till you get it right. i'd knock you up the wall if my first buck came out like that.[&:]

[gamehunter1269]

Ears to far back. rack not placed at right depth. But its still better then al holmes lol if anyone gets that one?