New/old project Pintail

[boneaddict]

Here is todays project.  I've had this duck hanging in my garage for forever it seems.  The last time I had a license to hunt waterfowl I guess was about 5 years ago.  He sat tagged in my freezer for 2 years, then I pulled him and mounted him.  Some freezer burn problems, but it worked.  He then hung in my garage for 2 years waiting for me to find a background for him.  This last fall while looking for moose, I found the perffect sticks  Well, today he is mounted and hung in the house.

[Michelle_Nelson]

SWEET!

[hogsniper]

Bone that is a great job... I still am gonna have to learn one of these days...Is it pretty easy to start out?

[boneaddict]

I would say, no not real easy.  Its challenging and offers alot of satisfaction.  Today stunk.  I had great plans for a mink I was going to do, but hte hair slipped.  It was a project I traded for, and apparantly got too warm on the other end, or something happened in my freezer.  This kind of stuff is what would keep me form being a professional.  What happens when someones stuff is ruined.  I got all the stuff to do it, skinned it and scraped it.  Stripped the tail, skinned out the toes which is VERY monotonaeos, then noticed the hair slipping.  CRAP!

Birds are a little easier than mammals in my opinion, but they come with their own issues.

I really enjoy the imagination part.  Thats what bothers me most about my mink.  I had been dreaming about the mount for several days now and had the perfect one in my mind.....dang

[jackelope]

looks good bone.
way to go.

[Slider]

Wow!!! It looks Very Nice!!!

[Slider]

Forget the mount!!! I want to see a Pic of them BACKSTRAPS!!! ...........lol

[Michelle_Nelson]

I still am gonna have to learn one of these days...Is it pretty easy to start out?

Well I would have to say it is not all that easy and it can get spendy.  If I were going to start I would start with birds.  They are the cheapest to mount.  Get some GOOD videos from either McKenzie or WASCO.  You can probably get them from Reaserch Manakin but I have never seen their videos so I can't vouch for the quality.  Actually I lied I ordered a newer one on Elk and it was top notch.

I got all the stuff to do it, skinned it and scraped it.  Stripped the tail, skinned out the toes which is VERY monotonaeos, then noticed the hair slipping.  CRAP!

Boneaddict tell me about the slippage!  How bad was it and wear was it?  Is the epidermis coming off too?  I have a couple tricks I can tell you about if it's not bad.

  This kind of stuff is what would keep me form being a professional.  What happens when someones stuff is ruined. 

You just have to roll with the punches when this kinda stuff happens.  When it does you tell the customer how it is.  If it's you fault tell them.  If it's their falt tell them.  I would have to say that 90% of the slippage cases are due to poor field care and miss handling befor you even get the animal.

Some animals are just prone to slipping.  Like small mammals and predators.  Small mammals because their hair roots are so tiny it takes very little time for the bacteria to eat away at the hair root.  Predator because most tend to carry a lot of fat and take a little longer to cool.  They also eat meat and who knows what else.  They have more bacteria on their skin to begin with.

 

[boneaddict]

I first initially noticed it along the back leg up front of it.  It was coming off clean in sheet.  I tugged on it and had it localized to a spot where I felt I could continue with it, and hide it with wood or snow.  The I notied up near the head and it was the neck and under the chin.  It was a large patch.  I thought no way.  I’ll just get another one.  I traded a pheasant for this one, so wasn’t like it was one of mine.  I was just enjoying the art of it.  I tired with a weasel and had the same thing happen.  That one spoiled in the mail.  They are small enough that they thaw fast.  This one I thought was fine, but maybe been in my freezer too long.  On to the next project.  I hope it doesn’t happen with it.  Then I will be sick as its my fox and they are a little harder to come by in this state.

[Michelle_Nelson]

If the hair in coming of in sheets than it is epidermal slippage.  basically it is the first layer of skin sluffing off.  That is not good, some times it will only be localized like on the ear, around trauma, or mouth.  Blood, saliva, gut juice, etc, etc attract and promote rapid bacteria growth.  Basically ANY bodily fluid promotes rapid bacteria growth.  The skin on the back of ears is basically the thinnest skin on any animal.  That usually goes first, second would be around bullet holes.  I have an extra cape at the tanner that is slipping around a bullet hole.  I believe it has done all it's going to do but you never know.

Their are ways to disguise hair loss on most animals with different methods.  Some times you have to get inventive.

[boneaddict]

He was nailed in a leg hold(not in Washington), so that would make sense.  I would bet that was the leg.