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For those that have never had the experience of taking their first trophy to the Taxidermist, get ready for a few "surprises...
First thing to do when considering having an animal mounted is to prepare BEFORE the hunt begins.
Visit the Taxidermist's in your area and find the one your going to be dealing with. Ask question! Find out their policies, recommendation for handling the skin in preparation of getting it to them, skinning recommendations (if you are unfamiliar with the species you'll be hunting), these can make the difference in a good mount that will bring a lifetime of memories. Not doing your home work may and often does, result in a less than satisfactory mount, no matter what the quality of the Taxidermist.
The Taxidermist is an Artist! But he is limited to the medium he receives from the client. If it is in good condition upon
arrival to his shop, chances are, you'll be happy with the outcome if you've selected a reputable business. Make sure you take the recommendation you've received seriously and plan to get the hide to their
shop as soon as possible.
Be prepared to make some type of down payment.
Most Taxidermist's require at least a 50% down payment before they will accept work. The remainder is usually due upon delivery of your trophy but check the taxidermy shops policies. Know what your getting into. Then be prepared to describe to them "what you want." Spend some time deciding where you'll be placing your mount, how you feel you would like it positioned. Facial expression, angle of head, the more detail you can give them, the more happy you'll be with the final mount.
THEN......... be ready for a long wait.
I think this has to be the hardest part of the entire process. It takes a considerable time to get most mounts down. Many factors affect deliver time from work load of the business your working with, to if they tan their own hides or ship them out. Custom settings and poses can also add time to the delivery date. Each step off the process is a slow, time consuming, and in most cases, hand done process.
We have compiled a procession of pictures as I had the mount of my full body cougar mount done.
I invite you to take a few moments and visit the series of pictures for a detailed over view of what is involved.
WARNING:
Some of these pictures are very graphic and may not be suitable for the very young audience without an Adult explaining the process to them. Use judgment when exposing your children to
pictures of this nature. These are placed here as an educational tool only.
Follow the process of full body mounting a cougar.
CLICK HERE
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