Hanging a shoulder mount

[ceg]

Hey Everyone, Clay Here at Mogollon Taxidermy. I thought I would put up a quick post after looking at alot of the mount photos people are posting. One thing that everyone should do after hanging their mount is to tuck the hair behind the mount. I see a lot of mounts where the hair is wild and flaired out where the mount meets the wall. You just need to take something thin and tuck it in which will make a clean transition from the mount to the wall. Also, when transporting and hanging an animal, often times the hair will get ruffled up. Take a couple of moments to gently groom these areas back down after it is hanging. Just a couple of simple suggestions that will improve the look of almost any shoulder mount.

[Ernesto C]

Excellent Clay, thanks a lot, I just fixed mine after your suggestions

 

Ernesto C

[bonecollector]

Great tips!

[CouesWhitetail]

Thanks Clay!

 

Do you have a suggestions on what to use to clean a mount off with after it's been hanging for awhile? Just a damp cloth to clean off the dust or is there some kind of spray that helps keep the coat looking better?

[matthewp45]

Thanks it reminded me to go make sure all my mounts are clean and the hair is tucked in. Also I can't thank you enough for filling my walls with absolutely beautiful mounts. Every time I look at them it reminds me of all the good times I had hunting each one. Thanks again and hopefully I will be seeing you soon with another animal to add to my walls.

[ceg]

Yes Amanda, a damp cloth works well to clean a mount with, just wipe with the direction of the hair. Also, a shop vac on blow or an air compressor with the pressure regulated down works well to blow the dust off. What also works well for deer and elk after they are cleaned is a hair shine product. There are various ones available from taxidermy suppliers. I have heard that some of the brands used for show livestock work well also, but I haven't tried them. Eyes can be cleaned with a Qtip and some glass cleaner to get the sparkle back into them. Mounts that are subjected to severe temperature swings or being in a home that has an evaporative cooler are more likely to have cracking on the nose or around the eyes. Generally this is easy to repair and can sometimes be done yourself, just talk to your taxidermist about it. If anyone has any more questions about mount care or taxidermy in general, just ask and I will tell you what I know.

[matthewp45]

Clay,

You showed me how to cape an animal the way you do it and it sure works great. Do you have an illustration or maybe some instructions on how to do it. I have hunted with a bunch of people that do it differently and I show them what you taught me and they think I am crazy but it is really easy and then you do not have to sew anything that may affect the mount. Just to teach some people that may not know how their taxidermist likes the animal to be caped. Thanks.