Why does it take so long?

[Gobble Gobble]

I have yet to have anything mounted and hope to change that next season (bear rug & deer mount) and wanted to know why it takes so long to get a mount back. I know nothing when it comes to the mounting process and only know it is a time consuming task, that and my mount wouldn't be the only one being worked on. From what I have read and have heard from others it could take 8 months or more depending on the type/size of the mount and how busy the taxidermist is to get it back.

Could one of you experts give me an idea of the process and time frame it would take to do a bear rug as it is a mount I have been wanting since I started hunting.

[Gobble]

Backlog, that is why. My brother is getting a full body mount Turkey and a shoulder mount whitetail and he was told a year for each.

[509er]

So you can save up the money.

[Michelle_Nelson]

Well just to break it down for you a little on a Bear Rug.

First you bring me the Bear.  Than I usually have to skin the paws and head out of the hide.  Split the Lips, eyes, nose, and turn the ears and than I have to completely flesh all the Fat and meat off the hide.  Than I need to salt the hide.  After 24 hours I change the salt and after another 48 hours I shake the salt off and hang the hide up with a fan to air dry.  this will take atleast a week or  little longer because of the grease in a Bear hide.

Than the hide is either driven or shipped to the tannery.  The tannery can take anywhere from 6 weeks to 2 1/2 months (at my tannery) to get the hide back.  Some tanneries can take up to 6 months befor taxidermists get their capes and hides back.  You have to remember my customer hides are not the only ones the tannerues have to work on.

Once I get it back I have to wet the head up over night.  Than mount the rug shell into the hide.  That can take a couple hours depending on the repairs to the face and such.  Than the head is left to dry.  I usually leave it for atleast 2 weeks to make sure it is good and dry. 

After that I will wet up the entire bear hide except for the head area.  This usually takes over night.  The next day sew all the holes up and repair any wrong cuts made by the hunter that skinned it.  Than I lay the hide on my stretching table and stretch it.  First I secure the head and than stretch it from nose to tail and staple it.  Than I pull it width wise to square it off.  It usually involves a pair of pliers and a T-50 staple gun.  I will use around 200 - 300 staples.  This can take 2 or 3 hours.  the hide gets staples every inch all the way around.

I let it dry for atleast a week and than go and even it out and trim the edges and pull all the staples out of the stretching board.  This can take an hour on average bear.

Now I will cut the felt into 3" wide strips and edge them, by hand.  Than I will sew the felt together and make my ruffles.  Than I will sew the felt on to the hide.  Their are areas that will need to be sewed by hand.  Once the felt is done you will need to glue the badding on the skin side and trim.  Than lay the backing out and trim it.  Than pin it all the way around.  The backing is sewen on by hand.  This will take most of the day.  Than I make my hangers and install the hangers on each paw head and tail.

Than I take it out to the shop and do all the epoxy work on the face and recreate the lips.  This will set up over night and than I will paint and seal it.  Than install the tounge.

At this point the rug should be complete.

You also need to take into consideration that yours is not the only mount that is being worked on.  I may do one step and not get back to it for a couple weeks.  I try to work on a batch of Bear Rugs at a time.  Because when I am set up for one step, wether it be stretching, trimming, sewing, or finnishing, I can get a lot more done. 

[Michelle_Nelson]

Here is a link to decribe what all goes into a deer shoulder mount.  Though it will vary from one Taxidermist to another.  These are just the basics!

http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,299.0.html

[Gobble Gobble]

WOW Thanks for the long write up.

I know it takes time and it is a tedious process and that the world doesn't revolve around my mount (although it should  ) I didn't know that the hide went to a tannery, just thought it was all done in house.

Again thanks for the info.

A side note and probably TMI but I have always had a fantasy of getting jiggly with it on a Polar Bear skin rug.  Anyone know where I could get one? My wife says a black bear will do for now.

[robodad]

A side note and probably TMI but I have always had a fantasy of getting jiggly with it on a Polar Bear skin rug.  Anyone know where I could get one? My wife says a black bear will do for now.

I thought this thread was very informative and educational up until that visual !! 

[bucklucky]

Not every Taxidermist will use a tannery, I would highly recommend useing one that does. In house tanning if not done correctly can result in a cape that may acid rot and fall apart in the long run. I have 4 mounts of mine that all need redone because of crappy tanning. Those were from before I was foing taxidermy.  Not every Taxi knows how to correctly tan a cape.

[Gobble Gobble]

I suppose word of mouth is the best way to find a great taxidermist? There is one here in Kennewick but I know nothing about them and from what I have seen of their work I didn't think much of it.

[Michelle_Nelson]

Most taxidermists send out their Capes/Skins/Hides to be tanned.  It saves the taxidermist time and money, IMO.  When I first started doing taxidermy I use to tan all my own capes for mounting.  I've never had a problem with it and still have the first deer I've ever mounted and first hide I ever tanned.  I may send my capes off to be tanned but I still know what is involved and the entire process.  That way I can tell if a tannery is trying to BS me.

Plus tannery's specialize in tanning.  That is what they do and that is how they make their money.  They have all the equipment necessary to do the job right. 

You do have to be careful with in home tanning because some people just don't know the process and it can lead to a mount that will deteriorate quickly and acid rot.

If you have seen the dudes work and don't like it than don't take anything to him. 

[saylean]

Plus...Michelle/Bucklucky are on the board all the time, so it does take a little time there too... Just kidding guys!

[rasbo]

as long as two years on some

[Michelle_Nelson]

Ohh yeah, 8 months is a good time.  You should expect to wait a year.  That is average.  I know taxidermists with a 2 and 3 year waiting list.

[Gobble Gobble]

Ohh yeah, 8 months is a good time.  You should expect to wait a year.  That is average.  I know taxidermists with a 2 and 3 year waiting list.

And they had better be charging 2 to 3 times less. I've got a trophy I'm not going to wait that long to get it back I don't care how good you are. Its a shoulder mount or rug not a full body elephant.

[boneaddict]

one year is a respectable wait,  after that I thinkit becomes excesssive and if its 3 years, well the taxi shlould thlink about declining some bizz