Nice buck you got there.

Most taxidermists and tanneries do not break a hide if it is used for taxidermy purposes; however, they do shave it thin. Breaking the hide works the fibers open so it always stays soft (like for making clothing, etc). However, you do not want your hide to have too much shrinkage. One of the major problems due to shrinkage is drumming of the ears. That is where the hide lifts off of the ear liners and can be "tapped" like a drum.

It would still be interesting to know what tanning method he uses ... dry preservatives or a wet tan. Just like taxidermists, not all commercial tanneries use the same methods.

I do agree with the Pledge to keep dust off of mounts. Personally, I spray a little bit into a clean cloth and wipe down the mount with it.

The first thing I noticed was that the buck is "smiling". Deer don't smile. Also, that swelled neck is huge. I'll take your word for it that you shot him like that though.

If you get a chance, lookup some photos of real deer and compare them to yours. Close-up photos. That's the true test ... how much it looks like a real deer.

By the way, I don't want to take anything away from the nice trophy you harvested. He's a dandy and I would be proud also!

I think it is a nice looking mount. It is true that the test of time tells the story. I have a mount from 97 and one from 98 done the same taxidermist. They already have cracks around the eyes and one is showing shrinkage around the mouth. Needless to say I switched taxidermist last year after first noticing the problems. I am not so sure if price is always indicative of quality. I suppose the best way is to look at mounts the guy did in the past and see how they are holding out. If he has one that is over twenty years old and still looking great, than you should be ok.........dabow

I hate for you to post this question. IF someone posts something about your deer. Even if it is not true. You will be looking at that one particular detail every time you look at your mount. And he is too nice of a deer and mount for you to worry what someone else thinks. The guy did a good job. Don't aks for critiques though. Go to taxidermy shows. Go to any event that displays buck mounts. If you see something ther e that looks better than what you believe you have then worry about it. Switch taxidermists then.Until then, your questioning is just going to upset your taxidermist who seems to be a pretty good one. And leaving you with doubt and unneeded anxiety. But you can order catologues from any of the manufacturers. Heck you can probably order everything you need to mount them. But look at the photos of the mounts. You can see realism and detail differences in them. Done by top-notch worldclass taxidermists. If they can't make them look any better. your taxidermist or the next one cant either.
ps you might be able to access some of the comapies by websites. I never have tried so i am not sure but look up some of them.

RATDAWG,

I noticed the upturn on the left side of the jaw too. The other side of the jaw is more natural. I don't look for absolute perfection because as you know every deer is diifferent and therefore no form will fit all deer perfectly. Being in the industry you know that the eyes, nose, and ears take a lot of attention to get right. I attribute my bucks "smile" to the fact that he had a "Roman" nose and that made the his face a little different than the form. No big deal to me.

I helped a friend of mine mount one of my bucks and got to see the whole process. He showed me a lot of little tips and what to look for in a mount. I give you guys so much credit for your skills and abilities. Most people have no idea how much time and technique it takes to do a really nice mount. If they did they would never ever try it themselves or complain about a fair price for a good mount.

When I talked to my taxidermist about tanning he said something about "wet" tanning and formic acid. Not sure what that means but hope it is "right" way because I don't know how I would find a cape big enough to redo the mount some day.

I hear what you are saying about soliciting criticism of a mount. A friend asked me about his mounts just last weekend and I about had to bite through my tounge. They were terrible. Bad ears, bad eyes, terrible form, etc. They looked like the kind you see in backwoods dive bars that are 30 years old but he had just picked them up days prior. All I said was, "nice racks". At least that was the truth.

just picked one up from the Tax. a little while ago, tried a new guy looks like he did good