Find it hard to believe that deer is 9 yrs old in Northern WI. It looks real good, it's to bad all the good taxis take so long, I asked one once how long if they were able to sit down and just do one wich we know they can'thow long would it take he said about 17hrs. 1.5yrs later there done

I was surprised when he told us how old the buck was too but I'll believe him. I've seen some really old deer up here.Gery faces , sway backs , stiff legged walk. All the earmarks of old deer. Those are the ones that usually get away too!Most of the bucks we take are in the 3-5yr age group. Yes,9 is very old up here but not unthinkable. The area we hunt although public land is HUGE.Lots of cover and some real nasty thick stuff. I'm sure alot of our deer if they can live through that 5yr window die of old age( or wolves now).[:'(]
I only got this one because I got lucky. I was sneaking up a runway in some thick scruboaks.He and a doe came up over a little rise about 25yrds away and stoped facing me. He shouldn't have stoped. It was over in a couple seconds. I put the crosshairs under the white pach on his throat and pulled the trigger. He would still be alive and another year olderif he wouldn't have stopped.
If you look at this ones bases they are bigger in mass than the rest of his rack. He was on his decline.
April

Well I'm going to give you my honest opinion. I'm a taxidermist, been doing it for least 20yrs. Its not a bad mount, but I've seen alot better. Maybe its just the pic, and lighting. So I'm strictly going by the pic here. But from the looks in the pic he could've been groomed better, and I'm not surewhats up with that ring around his neck. Its hard to tell if thats from a rope, or the hides bunched up, and wasn't tight to the form. The eyes also look odd, but thats hard to tell from the pic. I do like the detail of the nose. Of course alot also depends on the shape of the hide on how a mount turns out. Being a real old buck the hide might've been tough to work with.
But you did wait a very long time to get him back. Most taxidermists send their hides out to a tannery, and thats where the wait is. But over a yr seems exceptionally long to me.
But hey long as your happy with it, thats all that matters. Def. a nice buck, and one to be proud of.

Nice buck. You should be proud.

nice mount

I appreciate your input.Heres a side pic.No rope mark just the lighting. The fur is real soft. It's still a bit ruffled from putting it on the wall.And on the wait, he had surgery this summer it pushed all his work back a bit. It's on my wall and thats what matters most to me!

Nice looking mount.I like the hair on top of his head.

Nice mount. Congrats.

Great looking mount.

You can def. see alot of difference in the 2nd pic. Amazing actually. Looks a world of difference better with more light on it. Its not hard to ruffle the hair on mounts. But looks better, and the eyes look good. I can see alot more detail in it. He did a fine job for you. Nice mount.