Well folks I had to take my 2002 8 point mount into the taxidermist who worked on my deer. Over time the mouth had dropped open slightly. When I took it to him, he exaplained what had happend. When his apprentice worked on my mount he cut the lips too far back and over time with changes in humidity, the leather will stretch and shink, thus pulling on the foam and when it expands too far the foam will pop. Thus causing the mouth to drop open slightly. He said he will have it fixed by this weekend and give it a good cleaning as well. All this at no cost. I have embeded a picture of my mount with a red circle around the mouth so you can clearly see what happend.

I had that happen on one of my earlier mounts as well. I didn't get it tucked quite enough. And when it dried it left a little gap. But I rehydrated it, and retucked it just enough to cover the gap, and then pinned it. Once it dried, and built the lip with a little epoxy sculpt, and it looked like I wanted.

Sounds like alls well that ends well. Let me give you guys some advice...the distributors who supply foam for the form companies had to switch foam recently, due to CFCs as the propellent for the foam being banned. The resulting foam product is a bit softer with less "rind" or hard surface. So, when the average, unsuspecting taxidermist slots the lip line to receive the skin, he cuts deep like he always has. Then the skin pulls at the form, like usual, only this time, the softer foam gives a little more, and exposes a little more. You taxidermists might try cutting the lip slot tighter and less deep. Also, you can run some strong epoxie into the slot if it DOES get a bit too deep, or run a drywall screw through the chin, going back behind the nostril work, just to keep it from spreading. All this is BEFORE applying the cape, of course. Hope that helps ahead of time!