Just Got This Coues Back

[Mr. Jonathan]

I think it looks quite good! Especially the velvet- which usually suffers the most on summer mounts. Nice buck!

[Coues Sniper]

I echo your thoughts a little Coach. Although it is a velvet deer and doesn't have the thicker winter coat yet, his neck looks significantly thinner than the other bucks and looks a bit odd. This could just be the difference from indiviual deer and, of course, you did say you picked the form . Apart from the "smile" that was mentioned earlier, I think the quality looks good. All that really matters though is if YOU like it. Sounds to me like you might want to go over your options with your taxidermist and see what he thinks and what he can do to make it perfect for you.

And congrats on the buck

[Ernesto C]

Coach, what a beautifull and majestic animal you got there my friend, to me it looks just gorgeous.

 

I have a buck I took in 36C on a November hunt and also have a buck I shot in Mexico on a January hunt. The cape of the Mexico buck is a lot darker that the one I took in 36C. The type of terrain where you kill a buck and also time of the season will make a difference how a buck looks like.

 

I think I already did it but it wont matter, just let me congratulate you again on such a beautifull buck!

 

Ernesto C

[matthewp45]

I think it looks real good. As you know the summer time coat and color are very different than the hard horn later coat and color. I would say he did a good job.

[tomgobbler]

i think it looks good. the neck size, is what it is, i mean the hide is measured, and the form ordered accordingly, if the neck size of the form was drastically to small, then porportionally the eye to nose measurement would also be to small, and there would be lots of slack, up on top of the neck, AND in the facial area. because the nose would of been pulled tight to the form, and eyes would of had to of matched the eye sockets on the form, so between eye, and nose there would be extra skin with no place to go, without altering the form and making the muzzle longer..... and from the pictures, it doesnt look like there is extra skinn tucked anywere, everything lookes tucked tight.... so IMO thats the size it was.... a younger deer with nice genetics, Also as others have stated with the short hair it also APPEARS smaller then with a nice thick hide, which would make the neck SEEM and extra inch or 2 around in cir. so that same deer shot in dec and mounted would look totally different, as far as neck size.... just my 2 cents, but i would be happy with it. If the ear position isnt quite like what you wanted ( as other have stated they would of been done different) then that is somthing that should of been clearly stated to the taxidermist when dropped off.... some like forward ears, some like back ears, some like one of each, a forward and a back.... that can all be done IF you clearly state what you want.... so many people just say "do it how YOU think it will look good" and then might not be happy with ear position.... well to some the ears look great and to others they would rather something different. NONE IS RIGHT OR WRONG, just PERSONAL preference......

i think you have a great mount, and a great buck

congrats on a fine animal

tommy

[standman]

Jason,

 

Great looking buck!! Summer deer have little necks, thin skin, and thin hair. The just don't look the same as the winter deer. With that said looks like the neck is a little small especially towards the jaw, but that may just be the deer. Here is a comparison to my brother's buck from two years ago (cell phone pics).

 

Brian

 

 

 

 

[4Falls]

Actually I think the velvet buck looks more "couesy" than the other two. just my $.02.

[bowhunter4life]

I think he looks great, again these are summer bucks, it is amazing ho much they change when the rifle hunts start. I think your taxidermist did a great job!

 

this is my 08 buck, same qualities as your summer buck.

 

 

[IHunt2live]

My $.02, bucks will apear a little larger later on in the fall as they have tanked up all the energy for the rut. Sure the early archery hunt bucks have the lush green grow up from the monsoon but they have only had that for the last month or so while they are putting a bunch of energy in horn growth. That new set of antlers require almost as much energy for a doe to carey and nurse a fawn.

It looks great to me.

[Poppa Cap]

One thing that I'm noticing in these last few taxidermy discussions, is that as hunters- we're becoming art collectors. WE have realized that quality varies and our expectations have been raised over the old "hardware store" deer.

I'm no expert, but have mounted about 50 deer. I think what everyone has said about summer coats and rut-enlarged necks is true. However, I think what Coach is seeing here is the brand of form that was used. I remember from my taxidermy days, some forms looked like long skinny tubes, some were square and some were oval. In other words, a 15" neck can be round, oval or somewhere in between. There was some brands that I refused to use. I think as specimen collectors, we have gotten more picky. Which is a good thing.

We need to spend some time and educate ourselves on taxidermy suppliers and such also.

 

For example- Coach's deer is what I call a oval neck. The bowhunter4life deer on the bottom pic, is a square neck. They both might measure the same. But, the forms are sculpted differently. As a taxidermist, I would only use a round neck form on a doe. The square neck form makes a buck look real to me. These are just my opinions, I could be wrong.

[Coach]

Thanks everyone for your input, and the congrats. For the most part it sounds like everyone would expect a fall deer to look quite a bit smaller and that he isn't abnormally small. I would have liked a little more girth in the neck, but it it is, overall a very pretty mount.

[Coach]

BTW, Brian, that buck of your brother's is awesome!