Another rug or simply tan the hide?
Contributors to this thread:Bears
From: Bwana
15-Jun-22
A week or so ago I took a decent black bear in west-central Manitoba and am now wondering what to do with the hide.
I was planning to do a shoulder mount but the fur on the underside of this bear, including the upper part of the chest/neck area, is very sparse (think your dog's belly). The topside is very well furred and quite long, so it would make a nice rug, but I already have a rug so am thinking about just having the hide tanned.
Has anyone else ever run into such sparse fur cover on the underside? If so, what did you do with the hide? What causes this?
If I do decide to have another rug made, are there any suggestions on where to send it? What do they charge?
From: Shug
15-Jun-22
I had a big fall bear that was thin haired throughout…I did a shoulder mount… it came out pretty good I think anyway…
On the opposite end look at the hide on this Manitoba bear from last week… pretty amazing
From: Shug
15-Jun-22
From: Shug
15-Jun-22
Not sure what happens to pics…
From: maxracx
15-Jun-22
I just do tanned hides going forward. Unless he is a giant with great hair, then a full mount. JMO
From: CFMuley
15-Jun-22
I rugged my first bear, a 5 and a half footer, and then I’ve tanned the following 3, all 6’+ boars with great hair. Now that I’ve killed a 7’+ bear with good hair, it will be my one full body mount, and I’ll continue to tan the rest.
From: arlone
15-Jun-22
Dwight Shue had a column in Bowhunter Magazine some years ago showing his bear hides all tanned and hanging in a row. Think he case skinned them like a coyote, but they looked nice and didn't take up much room.
From: SBH
15-Jun-22
We have all of ours tanned. I think we pay by inch in length. I’m sure it’s going up like everything else but usually around $200-$300 depending on size and how you bring it in.
From: t-roy
15-Jun-22
I saw another Bowsiter’s display of close to a dozen or more bears that he had case skinned and tanned, hanging side by side on a wall. Very cool looking display, IMO.
From: Slate
15-Jun-22
Shug you bear freak
From: fastflight
15-Jun-22
Rug for me but u only have 1 beat so far. I would imagine after 2 rugs and a full mount I would get to point of just tanning
From: 'Ike' (Phone)
15-Jun-22
Friend has the tan and hang…Really liked it!
From: mooseslayer
15-Jun-22
I have a full body mount on a great black. A rug on a cinnamon and soon a rug on a chocolate arrowed last week. 1 more rug on a blonde, if or when I get one. Then it's just tanned hides after that. Lack of space if nothing else.
From: mooseslayer
15-Jun-22
From: Inshart
15-Jun-22
From: rattling_junkie
15-Jun-22
I'll never case skin another bear. I've talked to taxidermists and they don't even want one case skinned. I skin like a rug and tan them all. I've shot 18 bears, and have never had a rug done. Tanning is the way to go.
From: Bwana
16-Jun-22
Thanks for all the input folks!
From: Keith
16-Jun-22
Do a search on "bear backpack mount". It's something different and I think it would make a nice addition to a trophy room.
From: grape
17-Jun-22
From: grape
17-Jun-22
No idea where that pic came from.
From: grape
17-Jun-22
From: WV Mountaineer
17-Jun-22
Ive got a buddy that has some cool bear hides that he’s tanned. They were just hanging. Looked pretty cool to me.
But, if your hide isn’t full, you gotta determine if that’s the way to go. A tanned hide of any critter, with thin hair looks pretty rough.
From: t-roy
17-Jun-22
Very nice, grape! You’ve got lots of different flavors, there!
From: Tracker
17-Jun-22
I cased out and tanned a bear a few years ago and it is my favorite way
From: Shug
17-Jun-22
Grape… I believe read somewhere that North American Whitetail magazine writer Greg Miller is a bear nut as well as deer… possibly you?
From: grape
18-Jun-22
I’m a Bear nut for sure. Just got back from two more ..Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Two awesome hunts. We are alike in name only.
From: Bwana
20-Jun-22
To clarify, the back fur is great, the underside is not.
From: wytex
20-Jun-22
I would send it to Moyle Mink and Tannery in Idaho, request intact fur dressing tan, it is softer. $173.25 for black bear full mount tanning. They may charge extra to flesh paws. They only take fleshed and dried hides.
From: fuzzy
21-Jun-22
My son and I both took small, well furred black bears with recurve bows in NF in 2015. That was worth the 2k for rugs to me. Since then I and my GF both took decent bears with muzzeloader locally in VA . I tanned both those myself.
From: scentman
21-Jun-22
Tan it. Shug, that was one healthy looking bruin... nice thread.
From: grape
27-Jun-22
I’m a Bear nut for sure. Just got back from two more ..Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Two awesome hunts. We are alike in name only.
From: Basil
30-Jun-22
I shot a beautiful chocolate bear a couple years back. Had no use for another mount or rug. Chose to have these leather backed, bear fur pillows for the couch. Something unusual that my family really loves.
From: 'Ike'
01-Jul-22
Very nice Basil, great idea...
From: Steve Leffler
01-Jul-22
Question for the guys hanging them. I have a tanned one that maybe someday I might want to mount if I get more space. I would like to hang it for now. If I hang it by the nose will the weight stretch the hide around the nose and face and make mounting more difficult for the taxidermist or am I being crazy?
From: Basil
01-Jul-22
Woodguy I used Northern Pine Taxidermy in Howard, Michigan for the pillows. Can't seem to send PM's but I can receive them.
