Spread shrinking 3inches??

[Mxracer532]

Pic

[idahohuntr]

If I had to guess I would say it is not the taxi that did something wrong...but that drying is the culprit.  My dad has a set of moose antlers...measured 42" spread as officially recorded by IDFG when he checked it in...a year later they were down to about 39" as they dried and curled in.  Several years later I want to say they may be down to the mid-30's   

[carpsniperg2]

It always has amazed me how much they can shrink.

[Pathfinder101]

Perhaps its a perfect storm of "all of the above":

Lost 1/4 inch when he sawed it
Shrunk a couple of inches
Put back together a little too upright

 

[MIKEXRAY]

Seems like when he took it apart and declared it was done right that he would of showed it to you before putting it back together to prove to you.  It would be obvious if scull plate was missing or not put back correctly. I could see him showing you and then saying it would cost more.  If he didn't show you he should of taken pics to prove.  Any how good luck with the problem.

[jackelope]

If I had to guess I would say it is not the taxi that did something wrong...but that drying is the culprit.  My dad has a set of moose antlers...measured 42" spread as officially recorded by IDFG when he checked it in...a year later they were down to about 39" as they dried and curled in.  Several years later I want to say they may be down to the mid-30's 

I wonder too if the blood still in the antlers(velvet) makes the shrinkage even more prevalent. They can shrink a lot for sure.

[Jonathan_S]

If I had to guess I would say it is not the taxi that did something wrong...but that drying is the culprit.  My dad has a set of moose antlers...measured 42" spread as officially recorded by IDFG when he checked it in...a year later they were down to about 39" as they dried and curled in.  Several years later I want to say they may be down to the mid-30's 

  and it's a beautiful mount anyway, I wouldn't worry about it that much.

Great deer but it's not like it was a 30" buck or anything     just enjoy the thing.

My dad shot a velvet buck back in the 80s and I've seen pictures hanging in camp where the tips are normal but they dried curled inward and it looks like a different rack now.

[TMortensen]

You said this is a buck you had mounted a few years ago and after you had it home for sometime you noticed that it had shrunk. How can you blame or question the taxi, if you where happy with it when you picked it up? I

[blindluck]

I have quite a few bucks and have only seen 3/4" shrink in out side spread. I always cut a spreader bar while they dry for the first 4 or 5 months though,

[bearkautz]

nice looking  mount !

[rasbo]

sucks but they do shrink,I have a muley that was 29 and now 27...every bear head I have mounted seems smaller also.

[bearpaw]

They definitely all shrink, I have never seen one that doesn't shrink. A couple inches is very common, so all things considered it's easy to see how your head lost 3 inches. I would try to talk to your taxi in a reasonable manner to work something out if that measurement is that important to you.

FYI - It's pretty common to cut skull plates in half to save on shipping costs or to save space flying home from a hunt. If you take a width measurement before hand you can give that measurement to your taxi, but if a skull plate is cut I have always been told it cannot be entered in the books, so if you think you have a potential record book head, do not let anyone cut it in half, buck up and pay the extra shipping.

[buglebuster]

My buddies dad has a muley from colorado that was 37 and now is 32

[rasbo]

I was in the pool,the pool I swear...LOL

[blindluck]

3 inches seems like a lot especially if its a recient kill, I have a couple 23" bucks I got back in the 90's, they are both 22 1/2  now. My dad got a 23incher this year and it still measures 23" only three months later though.