Moose Mounts

[boneaddict]

Here is my first moose and the first moose I taxidermied.  Talk about hard work HOLY!

[Ray]

Wow you did that all yourself eh? It looks great. I know who to call up if I shoot a moose and need it mounted. 

[Buckblaster]

That looks good. I've always thought that a euro on a moose would look pretty cool too.

[Michelle_Nelson]

Bone,

Did you tan that yourself or did you send it to a tannery? 

[boneaddict]

I tanned it myself.  Nothing like pulling a soaking wet moose hide out of the container, and try to slap it onto a form without getting hide paste all over everything, then have the frame that is holding the form and mounted antlers pull out of the counter it is mounted on because of the weight.  I sat there  and held it ALL until I could pull over a 55 gallon drum filled with traps with my outstretched arm over to stick his nose in it.  Basically what it boils down to is there is nothing small  about a moose.  I was happy it "turned out" ok.  I was very disappointed in the ears.  Not in their position as that was what I was sort of going for, but it was the first time I used the bondo ear method, and I had a slit or two in the ears and the bondo leaked out into the hair. 
   There was a ton of shaving to do.  That was also a HUGE job.  I had never dreamed their hide was so thick.  I'll try to get pics of my next moose that I did.  I think it turned out way better.  It was also a Shiras, but I had to mount it on an alaskan form it was so cottin pickin big.  They don't even have the same look.  Its like you pulled a moose out of the Yukon and placed him in the North woods of Idaho.     

[Michelle_Nelson]

Well you deffinatly had your work cut out for you.  Why didn't you send your moose and Elk Capes to the tannery?  Their is a real good one in California I hear.  I can get you their contact info if you like.  All you have to do is rough flesh the cape and salt it and send it to them and they do the rest.  When you get it back it is ready to mount.

I use Bondo in all of my deer ears.  Keep at it and it will get easier.  If done right it looks just as good as ear linners.

[boneaddict]

Just part of the experience I guess.  Sort of like tieing your own flies or handloading your own bullets.  It also might be cheaper, though I'm not sure about that, those chemicals aren't that cheap.  If you know of a good tannery, I'd certainly like to look into it.  I would like to do a bear and they aren't the funnest of all hides to mess with.

[Michelle_Nelson]

Do you have any extra capes and or hides you could send them?  I personaly have never used this tannery but I hear it is good.  Send them a practice cape if you can.  I will get back to you with this information. 

[boneaddict]

Hey Michelle, finally found the pics for you.  He still needs to be painted, but this is him hanging....

[boneaddict]

[boneaddict]

[boneaddict]

[boneaddict]

You can see how different the looks are on this bull and the washington bull.  I had to use an alaskan form on this fellow.  His snout is aout a mile longer than the average shiras.

[jackelope]

awesome...i need to get me one of them one of these days.
oh yeah by the way...i found this one just for you, bone

i have 1 point now, so by the time i'm like 90, i'll be a shoe-in.

[Michelle_Nelson]

From what I can see in the pic thats a pretty good looking Moose.  I like em when they are almost jet black.

Did you tan this one in shop?