Deer mounting in process.. By Walter...Finished Product....

[Raquettedacker]

This is tucking the lips in the slot I carved on the form...

[upstatehunter]

I'm told those are the two hard parts, the ears and the lips. I know my brothers mount, the lips keep falling out and the nose peeled. One ear is loose...
But it was cheap...LOL
Thanks for sharing this with us, has to double the work!!

[bogmanjr]

This is probably a PITA to post the thread but it's amazing to me. Definatelt an art.

[drobertsinMaryland]

Very cool definitely a science to it. I too thank you for doing this thread.

[stka]

Thanks for showing us the process, it's really interesting and obviously takes quite a bit of experience and skilled hands. I do have a quick question, what can I use to cure a hide at home. I was thinking of using a few pieces of fur on hide in place of felt for my antler mounts.

[Raquettedacker]

Thanks guys glad you are enjoying this...  I was trying to post most of the pictures as I was going along, instead of taking them and posting them all at once..   
 As for doing a deer head I think as long as you have a good eye for what its supposed to look like its more of a step by step process than it is an art...  Some guys just have a better eye than others..

STKA, I'm really not sure.. That's something I will have to find out for you..     You would still have to flesh it as thin as you can and salt it and wash it..  After that you may get away just rubbing 20 Mule Team  Borax on it..

[stka]

Thanks Raquettedacker, If I manage a doe this year I'm going to try it. A buck will get a full fur on tanning. I have a hide in the freezer, but it's been there for two years and I didn't salt it, just froze it quick so it might not be worth messing with by now. I figured I'd cure it in 10" wide strips, then I can use my 12" fillet knife to scrape it, it's the longest sharp knife I've got.

[huntny30]

Walter you da man, awesome thread!  I always wanted to see how this was done, maybe someday I'll learn how...Thanks!

[fowl mood]

This definitely gets my vote for coolest thread ever!  Thanks for posting the pics and talking us thru the process.  I am just seeing this thread, but I will now check it everyday.

[maaco321.]

Ive always wanted to get into taxidermy but never took the time to do it. Thanks for posting!

[Cheeks13]

This is cool. Thanks Walter! Maybe Hunt and I will have you do the big bucks we are going to kill this weekend!!! Cheeks out!!!

[huntny30]

Everything was going good and Cheeks just Jinxed us...   Can't wait to see the finished product...how long does it normally take start to finish?

[Raquettedacker]

Everything was going good and Cheeks just Jinxed us...   Can't wait to see the finished product...how long does it normally take start to finish?

  That's hard to say, cus what would you call the start??   I guess If I was doing it as a business a customer would bring a deer skin with the head still in it and antlers attached... You would than cut the skin all the way up the back to the middle of the antlers...  From there you would cut to one antler bur, and than to the other, making a Y. Than skin around the antlers and the rest of the skull...  This alone can take me about 2 hours...  But remember I don't do this every day.. The pros can do it in about 1/2 hr...   From there you have to split the ears, eye lids, lips and nose...This can take me another 2 to 2 1/2 hrs.   Than salt for one day, remove all that salt and resalt for two more days.....  After that I soak it in cold salt water for 1 hr.  Than it is washed and rinsed several times till clean...  Next would be fleshing , another 1hr...  Than wash/rinse towel dry and lay flat and rub tanning oil in to it..Allow tanning oil to soak in for 3 days and either proceed with mounting or freeze for later....

[TR19]

Dacker, I have to second the motion to mark this as THE COOLEST THREAD EVER!!!!!. Fantastic job of talking through every step of the way & showing it.
AMAZING !!!!  Thanks again.

[Raquettedacker]

Now all you guys can do your own mounts this season...