Last update. Picked up the finished mount from Rick and Cole today at Cedar River Taxidermy. They did a fantastic job, couldn't be happier with how it turned out. A great add was Rick's use of the extra bear hide that was cut from the mount. He shaved the guard hairs down to the under fur and used that as the backing of the pedestal form. I loved how that looks and that it was part of my bear. The additional length of the torso also made the hair curl around the back of the form. Cole did an awesome job with the terrain, looks like the place where he was taken during archery elk season. Thanks Rick and Cole for putting up with me taking pictures through this process! You were great to work with.