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

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!

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

RE: question for you taxidermists
 

Its been done for maybe 8 weeks.

I'm going to call the taxidermist today on it. He's not a top of the line taxidermist, but maybe he can do something with them

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.

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 .............

RE: question for you taxidermists
 

Pics please!!!:D