rodclop

i got a nice 8 point i had mounted about 4 or 5 years ago when i moved a year ago i noticed his horns was loose when i took him off the wall. what would cause this and do i need to take it to the taxidermist to get it fixed plus how much u think it would be to get it fixed.
THANKS FOR ANY INFO

excalibur43

If the antlers were intact with the skull plate ( not sheds) when you dropped him off at the taxi, it sounds like the skull plate was broken somehow. Antlers that are from a healthy buck usuallydon't just come loose from the skull plate. I haveseen a few bucks that were ready to shed their antlers, come off when the hunter was dragging the deer. In any case, it sounds like it will have to be remounted to correct this problem. Most likely, you have to pay full price for another complete mount, possibly more depending on what it takes to fix the problem, and if you supply a new cape or you want the taxi to supply it.

zubba

It sounds to me that the skull plate cracked...therefore making the anters two seperate peices....probably from handling the mount by the antlers. Depending on what method was used to preserve the skin, your taxi might (should)be able to rehydrate the area, cut the stitches, secure the antlers, sew back up, and let dry. I highly doubt the whole mount will have to be redone, but it might cost you some bucks $$$.

excalibur43

This mount has dried for 5 years! You wont get just that area re-hydrated in this lifetime, you'll have the whole mount ruined and wet. Trust me, get it remounted.

M.Magis

I’m not sure why everyone is assuming the worst, or why I’m not. But, I’m guess it’s just the way the antlers were secured to the form. Perhaps a screw popped loose, or the taxidermist used drywall screws and one broke, as they like to do. There’s no reason it couldn’t be fixed, but a taxidermist would have to look at it to determine what needs to be done and what it would cost. Again, I’m just guessing, as we all are.

Ozwalt

I just registered to have the opportunity to answer this question. Everyone's making this too difficult.

The skull plate issitting on a piece of lumber embedded in the mount's head. To attach it during the mounting process, we taxidermist's typically drill 3 holes through the skull plate in a triangular pattern, place the skull plate how we like it, and run 3 long decking screws through the skull and into the lumber. What's probably happened is that one or more of the screws has pulled loose -- your taxidermist probably used a screw that just wasn't long enough to really grab into the wood. Easy fix.

An inch or sobehind each antler, pull a patch of hair forward and drill a small hole through the leather, through the paper mache, and through the skull plate. Then put a self-tapping deck screw through the hole and into the lumber. The hole should be large enough so the screw will slip through, but no bigger than that. Oncea screw issnug, stop screwing (you know what I mean). If you really torque it down hard, you can crack the skull plate. Lay the hair back down over the screws, maybe dab a bit of hair gel, hang it back up on the wall and forget about it. No one will ever notice. If it's still wobbly after that, they you just MIGHT have a cracked skull plate. Just repeat the process again an inch or so behind each of the first two screws.

That will be $200 please!

excalibur43

That could be the only problem. But if it IS a cracked skull plate, adding more screws will only make it worse by pulling the the skull down in places where it shouldn't be, which will result if the antlers pulling together unnaturally.

Ozwalt

ex43,

That is potentially true, so let me clarify just a bit. When I attach antlers, I put them on a bed of paper mache, so even if the skull plate were to crack, adding additional screws wouldn't pull them inward. It would instead just settle them back onto the mache bed nice and snug. HOWEVER, if this taxidermist didn't use a mache bed, then there is nothing but air under the skull plate, and the additional screws would collapse the skull plate in the center. The way to test would be to try to wriggle the two antlers in opposite directions. It should be easy to see if the skull plate is still whole or not. Incidentally, I've had tons of old mounts come in the shop with this problem (okay, actually maybe a dozen or so), including a real whopper of a bull elk. In every circumstance, it was just that a screw or two pulled free of the wood -- no broken skull plates. I think it would have to drop off the wall for that kind of damage to occur.

rgswildlife

Ozwalt has hit the solution on the head, this is not a big deal.

rodclop

Thanks for the infoon my 8 point!
I had my 18 point in the living room with a wood burning stove and it gets real hot around 105 and i noticed my mount had crackedhad it remounted was that from the heator bad taxidermy done it?