Unusual dilemma with my mule deer mount

[Savage Hunter]

Well, it seems I didn't fully realize how big of a mule deer I shot last winter on my daughter's college graduation mule deer hunt.
Hers had tall horns but not as wide or heavy. Mine was old deer, heavier, wider, not as tall.
But, it ain't the horns I'm talking about.

They both seemed to be really big bodies, but I knew nothing of mule deer, just that they were much bigger than Mississippi whitetails.
When we walked up to my deer, the guides were talking about how huge he was. I remember flippantly thinking, "yeah, he seems pretty big".
lol.
My taxidermist just called me and he cannot find a form for a pose like I want that is even close to large enough. He laughed and said the neck was bigger than the form for a medium elk.

Now, We've got to come up with another pose that they make a form big enough for.
Kellie's deer took the largest form they make for the pose she wanted. it was a more typical pose.
Mine was called an "offset sneak" with the horns thrown back some.
I desire to find something similar. I want something unique. He isn't monster horns for a mule deer so I want something unusual.

We will see.

 

[JimP]

I'd find another taxidermist. I have a elk and a mule deer that the taxidermist had to add material to the form to get it right and I didn't pay any extra for it. It is part of the job.

 

[BRICKBURN]

That is a big head and a big body.

Western Mule Deer are certainly not Mississippi Whitetails. That is funny.

They do make forms big enough.

I have a Mule Deer mounted in a Semi Sneak with a large frame like yours. So the sneak forms are out there too.

Send the taxidermist on a quest. He'll get it.

Look forward to seeing the mount.

I just got my latests and greatest back and he is in about the same class as yours.

 

[G Skinner]

Nice problem to have ! Congrats .
Glen

 

[Savage Hunter]

I'd find another taxidermist. I have a elk and a mule deer that the taxidermist had to add material to the form to get it right and I didn't pay any extra for it. It is part of the job.

he's not asking me to pay extra. It's just that the exact pose (form) I want doesn't come in a size large enough for the hide.
Forms from regular to super large don't vary in price (for the same pose) more than about $10 which is a trifling amount.

There are certainly other forms that it will fit and next week he wants me to come in an look thru various poses/forms to pick out the one closet to the one I wanted.
The form I requested has the largest size about 4 inches too small and the length is wrong.

 

[Savage Hunter]

That is a big head and a big body.

Western Mule Deer are certainly not Mississippi Whitetails. That is funny.

They do make forms big enough.

I have a Mule Deer mounted in a Semi Sneak with a large frame like yours. So the sneak forms are out there too.

Send the taxidermist on a quest. He'll get it.

Look forward to seeing the mount.

I just got my latests and greatest back and he is in about the same class as yours.

I said the exact same thing after killing a monster waterbuck with KMG.
They were going on and on about him, guessing on his measurement.
I remember saying "yeah, he's nice".
I had no idea how rare 31 inch waterbucks were, I just knew he was bigger than any waterbuck I had seen in Mississippi. lol.

My taxidermist is a friend. He'll take care of it. Just a matter of me picking out a new form.

He is mostly looking forward to getting his hands on my wife's caracal. He's hoping the hides come to us in good enough shape for
him to use in some taxidermy showings after mounting.

 

[BRICKBURN]

It is always telling if you see genuine surprise and the whole team starts jabbering about it. You know you have a big one.

If a PH screws up, it gets REALLY quiet. (rare as it is)

 

[Diamondhitch]

Any taxidermist can easily alter a form to fit any animal, a 'critter stuffer' needs someone else to make a snap together system in order to mount stuff. If he cant do something as simple as this how will he fair on a lifesize Caracal with VERY limited size/pose options available. Any critter, any pose, no problem, that is a taxidermist. In fact there are anatomical errors in all forms that a good taxi will correct when mounting, that is the difference between someone who puts out mounts that you look at the rack first and ones that you must pry your gaze away from to realize that it has horns.

This 350lb giant is mounted on the largest whitetail form altered to Muley and made even larger yet. It is huge and was no trouble to do.

This is a huge necked buck altered to a pose that there was no form large enough available.

And here he is mounted.

Sorry if I am badmouthing your friend but this BS of "I cant mount it because there is no form available" got old long ago. This stuff is too easy to do.

A real taxi can turn a cougar into a leopard, a bobcat into a caracal, a whitetail into a muley, a cape buffalo into an Australian or south American buffalo, etc etc etc.

 

[JimP]

Adding to and removing pieces of the form should be standard practice for any taxidermist. If yours want you to change your mind on the type of pose and if you are OK with it then go ahead and change, but you shouldn't have to.

The last time that I was into my taxidermist office he was covered in foam from a bear form. He said that he had over 30 h0urs in altering the form to get the skin to fit and the pose that the hunter wanted.

It can be done. That is where I said that if your taxidermist isn't capable of doing it to find someone that can.

 

[Diamondhitch]

Adding to and removing pieces of the form should be standard practice for any taxidermist. If yours want you to change your mind on the type of pose and if you are OK with it then go ahead and change, but you shouldn't have to.

The last time that I was into my taxidermist office he was covered in foam from a bear form. He said that he had over 30 h0urs in altering the form to get the skin to fit and the pose that the hunter wanted.

It can be done. That is where I said that if your taxidermist isn't capable of doing it to find someone that can.

I agree, but will say your taxi was exaggerating a wee bit there. 30 hours maybe on a competition mount or he is unbelievably slow.

I will add this as well, most of the mounts that stick in your memory are on altered forms. Standard poses tend to be quite forgettable.

 

[gizmo]

Man I would suggest calling Denis. He knock that out no sweat and wouldn't charge much for the alteration. It shouldn't take more than an hour to alter a form to fit a neck. That's a super simple thing to do if the taxidermist knows what he's doing. I've had the guy I use to mount my deer alter necks several times and he's never even charged me for it as it's not a complicated process. Not trying to be rude but that's a pretty lame excuse or he doesn't know what he's doing.

 

[Savage Hunter]

as to trusting: When you get your mounts from Africa and they look like crap and your local guy fixes 3 of them at no charge, I think you can trust him.
A couple others there was a charge because he had to completely redo them.

as to his work: it is very good.

as to changing forms: this pose I chose is way much smaller than my hide. it didn't come in a "large" even, much less the crazy neck this deer had.

I appreciate all of the advice you guys have posted, but it isn't necessary. He has already told me he has some very similar options, just wants me to pick.

 

[Big5]

Any taxidermist can easily alter a form to fit any animal, a 'critter stuffer' needs someone else to make a snap together system in order to mount stuff. If he cant do something as simple as this how will he fair on a lifesize Caracal with VERY limited size/pose options available. Any critter, any pose, no problem, that is a taxidermist. In fact there are anatomical errors in all forms that a good taxi will correct when mounting, that is the difference between someone who puts out mounts that you look at the rack first and ones that you must pry your gaze away from to realize that it has horns.

Sorry if I am badmouthing your friend but this BS of "I cant mount it because there is no form available" got old long ago. This stuff is too easy to do.

A real taxi can turn a cougar into a leopard, a bobcat into a caracal, a whitetail into a muley, a cape buffalo into an Australian or south American buffalo, etc etc etc.

Well said . . . . . an experienced and good taxidermist (key word; 'good') would be capable of altering the form to suit your preference.

 

[Mekaniks]

Man I would suggest calling Denis. He knock that out no sweat and wouldn't charge much for the alteration. It shouldn't take more than an hour to alter a form to fit a neck. That's a super simple thing to do if the taxidermist knows what he's doing. I've had the guy I use to mount my deer alter necks several times and he's never even charged me for it as it's not a complicated process. Not trying to be rude but that's a pretty lame excuse or he doesn't know what he's doing.

+1 What gizmo said... Call Dennis and get his advice before making a decision