What can you do with a Crocodile?

[MarkB]

Crocodiles are awesome! Just understand when you go down that road that the taxidermy on crocs and alligators is extremely expensive. Like to the tune of 650-800 per linear foot. For garments or leatherwork the belly leather is typically used. You need a smaller animal for that say 8-10 ft. Boots are made from little 3-4 foot guys up to maybe 6 tops. Again the tanning is very expensive.
long story short, and you are welcome to call me if you’d like to have a more in-depth conversation about it, is that the animals are very very labor intensive and difficult to work with. The leather is also the same for the tanneries. I have worked with a few alligators doing various things. I enjoy working with them but if I (and I mean this as any taxidermist not just specifically me) are going to work on them I have to make money off of the project and between the tanning and labor cost that comes to the tune of about $9600 plus tax to mount a 12ft croc and that doesn’t include tax, shipping, etc…. The taxi’s in Africa will sell you a mine on how much cheaper it will be for them to do it. I can guarantee that the volumetric weight of shipping it from there to here and from a port of entry to your home will easily about double or more whatever they charge you for it and it will look like crap.
I only mention this so it does t come as a huge shock after the fact. I as well as many other taxidermists enjoy Working with them but there is a lot that goes with it as a whole. One needs to know and be prepared for it if they commit to hinting one.

I see this old thread has been revived or mixed up with the other current similar thread. I have a SA croc on this summers hunt. Cannot imagine not mounting it in some way. Leaning towards flat rug with open mouth head, likely use the $500 replica head in RM, McKenzie or hopefully a Canadian Taxi supplier catalogue. This allows real skull to be displayed. I have had some push back from dip and pack companies stating shipping is difficult and expensive as they do not fold or roll tight. No idea of Canadian tannery costs yet? Don't think a pickle will work?

No real experience with croc, did assist with Mr Shockey's but was not my job. Looking forward to the challenge. Of course labor is mine and "free". Thinking lots or research will happen before I tackle. Too bad I do not have a "Gizmo" down the road to pick his brains. Will also have the other 28 animals from hunt to complete.

MB

 

[gizmo]

I see this old thread has been revived or mixed up with the other current similar thread. I have a SA croc on this summers hunt. Cannot imagine not mounting it in some way. Leaning towards flat rug with open mouth head, likely use the $500 replica head in RM, McKenzie or hopefully a Canadian Taxi supplier catalogue. This allows real skull to be displayed. I have had some push back from dip and pack companies stating shipping is difficult and expensive as they do not fold or roll tight. No idea of Canadian tannery costs yet? Don't think a pickle will work?

No real experience with croc, did assist with Mr Shockey's but was not my job. Looking forward to the challenge. Of course labor is mine and "free". Thinking lots or research will happen before I tackle. Too bad I do not have a "Gizmo" down the road to pick his brains. Will also have the other 28 animals from hunt to complete.

MB

You are more than welcome to call or pm me anytime. I actually bought a video which sortA ish helped to give me at least a starting point. I’ll look and get the name of it for you. It covered skinning, tanning, and mounting. It’s certainly not the know all end all but it covers the basics. The rest of it I just Youtube’d, asked other taxidermists, or figured out.

 

[MarkB]

You are more than welcome to call or pm me anytime. I actually bought a video which sortA ish helped to give me at least a starting point. I’ll look and get the name of it for you. It covered skinning, tanning, and mounting. It’s certainly not the know all end all but it covers the basics. The rest of it I just Youtube’d, asked other taxidermists, or figured out.

Thanks for the offer, just might do that if I get "stuck" when it arrives. Don't have too many lizards for practice up here. I agree videos and YouTube are my friends. I get the Matuska Taxidermy videos on a regular basis, always something good to learn, taxidermy is really the ability to figure out one problem after another. Something I fully enjoy.

MB

 

[WyatBaker]

I am thinking now that I would like to hunt a crocodile. I would like to use the skin for boots, belts, purses etc., and was looking for ideas and info from other hunters who had been there and done it.
Has anyone got pics or recommendations of what they did with their croc after they got it?

Alligators and crocodiles are one of the oldest creatures on this planet - they evolved as far back as 60 million years ago, and the fossils of their immediate ancestors date back to 220,000,000 b.c. These reptiles are wonderfully adapted to their environment, and perform an essential ecological function.

Why hunt Crocodile?​

Crocodiles evolved before animals developed the portions of the brain that are used to process complex emotions and imagination. Knowing neither pity nor cruelty, “a mindless killing machine” is perhaps an accurate description of the creature. It’s hard for us humans to associate with reptiles in the same way we associate with other mammals. As a result, many of the people who find killing of a lion or leopard appalling will feel no remorse about killing a crocodile. A pursuit of the Nile Crocodile will immerse you in the past - as distant as the dinosaurs, and as recent as the early explorers who had to face man-eating beasts (it’s said that every crocodile over 15 feet almost definitely tasted human flesh). With an element of danger, especially when stalking or hunting from a canoe, this makes Nile Crocodile hunting a classic African safari.

 

[HWL]

Has anyone got pics or recommendations of what they did with their croc after they got it?

You can eat it,... to demonstrate, that you are at the end of the food chain..... tastes like chicken....



HWL

 

[Rick Seifert]

Thanks for the offer, just might do that if I get "stuck" when it arrives. Don't have too many lizards for practice up here. I agree videos and YouTube are my friends. I get the Matuska Taxidermy videos on a regular basis, always something good to learn, taxidermy is really the ability to figure out one problem after another. Something I fully enjoy.

MB

Mark, make sure the hunting outfit knows how to prep them after skinning. I am sure your research has shown that the skin cannot be removed from the skull, too thin, the entire skin and skull will have to be put in a huge tub of brine. I was going to have the local dip and pack do the "natural" tan on mine before shipping, but after talking to them, and my taxidermist here, to do the tan then ship would likely stress areas of the hide too much, and could result in damage, so they are just doing the ship on the salted/brined hide and head, and the taxidermist here, who does about three a year, told me his tannery has a special process for them, and knows what they are doing. Good luck, it was wicked exciting hunt, shot placement has to be right on with a pretty tough bullet.

 

[MarkB]

I was thinking skinners would cut hide behind skull and remove? Boil skull and salt hide. I will make use of a replica skull for the rug mount. Like the rug pic in other thread. I have no real experience with croc so will be researching when time comes. 375 H&H 300 gr partitions are what I plan to use. Shaking excited starts, 6 weeks till wheels up.

MB

 

[Sarg]

You can eat it,... to demonstrate, that you are at the end of the food chain..... tastes like chicken....



HWL

No it does not, trophy/big Crocs taste awful & not even the boys eat them, nor most animals .

I think this false hood came from people trying some small crocs from Croc farms where the Crocs are feed Chickens or Chicken food/pellets .

Maybe they are mixed up with Alligator.

Smaller wild crocs taste a bit Fishy as I suppose a lot of their diets are made up of fish, as they get bigger more mammals & a lot of carrion, some of that human, eat the Beef Steak !

 

[BWANANELSON1]

Not crocs but alligator ,13.5 feet I had a lifesize done , I have 2 vests and a sport coat made. If your doing a lifesize I reccomend a vertical mount. A head and neck mount works nice on wall .