We've tossed around ideas from pedestal mounts, to lip curls and a bunch of other things. The guy does great work and has won some awards for his efforts. I'm looking for ideas because he wants me to be happy with it and do what I want to do and not what he wants.
Personally I think I want to stay away from poses like head down rubbing a tree or head up and tilted back licking a branch. While these are definitely unique they take away from the deer (horns). I also think, just my opinion, that keeping his head more parallel to the floor shows off his horns better.
I like the muscular look in the neck that can be done. Not sure what forms are out there for this or if it's all custom work done by the taxidermist. Currently I'm leaning towards a semi-sneak, head somewhat up, with a slight turn to the right. I also like the lip curl idea with maybe the ears pinned back or partially pinned back.
His measurements around the meat at the ears was almost 20". I don't have an around the meat measurement at the chest but over the hide it was 36"-37". So I might be limited in form selection?
Any info,direction or links to specific mount forms would be great. Or better yet pics of a variety of mounts. We have to get this nailed down pretty quick as he'd like to enter it here at the midwestern deer expo.
Thanks for any help or input. Here's a pic of the deer again even though I did post it under the harvest thread.
I get my clients to do either an semisneak or semi upright.
The musculature that can be dramatic on a mount will only show up on short haired deer. Long haired deer don't have the Hulk look, the hair covers up the contour.
Lip curls on a once in a lifetime buck are a mistake, again in my opinion.
Go to taxidermy.net and then click to the taxidermist's webpages. Youll see all kinds of options availabe for you.
Remember you will live with this thing for close to the rest of your life, so pick out one that jumps out to you.
A pedistal mount makes a beautiful piece if you have the room and the budget.
Hugh
OK so I agree after seeing numerous mounts with the mouth open. Probably not a good idea. If I were to do a sneak it would be a semi as I don't like the looks of the deer head and neck coming straight out of the wall like that pose.
Travis@work, i like the looks of the mount on the far right. It seems to show more shoulder unless the pic is deceiving. I could see that same look but with a little more sneak put in it. Do you know what type of form that was? I'll check out there website.
This deer did have a real thick heavy winter coat already being from WI and shot in November. So it's probably going to be hard to get any muscular look to it and quite honestly might make things look out of place. I'd like to keep it natural to the time of year.
Thanks guys great stuff so far.
Herd Bull
Herd Bull...when possible I like to have a buck mounted in a pose of something he was doing before I shot him. i.e. if he came in with his ears laid back, looking for a fight, then I have the taxidermist put his ears back. I never get tired of looking at my mounts, and re-living those hunts. Good luck with your decision.
That is the exact pose that I had agreed on with my taxidermist for the 1st WT I took that I considered "mount-worthy',a 140 class 10 pt.When I shot the deer at 30 yards(rifle)he was Flehming,neck stretched etc.,and that is how I wanted to remember him.Unfortunately,I was working out of province for several months while the taxidermy was being completed and had not stayed in contact with the taxidermist.When he called to have me pick up my finished mount,he explained that he could not find a mannequin big enough to fit my deer in that pose from his sources,and he went ahead with another pose.It was not at all what I had ordered or paid for.Needless to say I was somewhat dissapointed.
That's very similar to another pose I found. I'd post the pic but I don't think it would be right to do that.
Thanks everyone so far, this is going easier than I thought it would.
Thanks guys for the photos, web links and insight.
For what you are talking about minus the lip curl I would be looking at Van Dykes Jody Green series. If the eye X nose measurement is right, I would highly recommend it.
Here is a customer's deer with that form.
It will go on a pedestal but we're working on something unique but not corny for that. I had some of my measurements wrong earlier. I found out the "A" measurement is right between 7.5 and 7.75. If I remember right the "B" measurement was 21.5". He was pretty big in the neck.
The buck or pose I really liked was the Gene Wenzel double drop time buck done with this #881 form. It's amazing what a phone can do. It does appear the Wenzel buck pose is a cross brtween the #881 and I think the #981 with the head tilted up a little.
My taxidermist says no problem we can alter the form and tilt the head back a little. I have quite a bit of spare time on my hands which has allowed me to do a lot of investigative work, otherwise I probably wouldn't take it quite to this level.
