Almost like a deer caught in the headlights

Title it “coyote on meth”

I guess I should’ve said I strive to be a perfectionist but it doesn’t always pan out. I must have stood back and looked at the mount 100x and still screwed it up. Ill do better on the next one hopefully.

I agree on the forms need work, you can build up areas with oil base clay and it doesn't dry and get hard so you can work with it as the skin dries. If you don't have the form when you skin the animal take lots of measurements like eyes to nose and also several pics at different angles of the carcass head so you can take off material or add clay as needed to make the form like the original. Good job.

Looks better then a lot of coyotes that so called professionals do

I think waggler gave you some good advice.Looks better than I could do.Take lots of close up pictures of things you trap and look at them while your working on something.Did you go to school for taxidermy?

Looks like every bobcat mount I've ever seen.

No sir I have not been to a taxidermy school. I wish I had the time to go but with a full time job supporting a wife and 3 kids at home I simply don’t have the time to go. I just started as a hobby then perhaps start doing it for side money. All information I have has been obtained from books, dvds, or word of mouth from pros. I have asked my local taxidermist if I could possibly help him out over the weekends to learn and he told me he doesn’t do that. Not that I blame him but when I told him I was interested in learning he told me to more or less forget it and let him do it for me. That was kind of a driving force to get me started.

T... take this in the honest way it’s meant, do NOT do a cat without a lot more experience or a very good teacher helping you. Cats are extremely difficult and with the finer skin and facial hair very error comes screaming out.
You have talent for sure, just don’t jump into A-team territory too soon.
Look forward to seeing your progress posts.

Osky

Osky I already have. This was my second mount. Not finished of course. Need to paint nose and ears. Usual beginner flaws.

Imo cats and otters are the most often messed up mounts. Very few taxidermists can get cats right.

On this subject, checkout the Christmas present I just unwrapped from my nephew

Third coyote, not bad
Keep at it
I like those Chinese coyotes

Thanks. Third mount. First was a coon, bobcat, then the coyote.

where is the rest of the coyote?
shoulder mount mixed with fence and other structure looks wrong in my .02

if he is happy, that counts for alot

you have critiqued yourself pretty well

BEWARE of getting cat faces to look right. There is good info at www.taxidermy.net

Its a wall pedestal/shoulder mounts = no rest of a animal. I was trying to make it look as if the coyote was looking out from behind the fence post.

Keep at it and you will keep improving. Take the time to print out lots of reference pictures from all different angles and keep checking your references.
I quite like your coyote, it's a solid effort for a third mount. Good luck

Absolutely Hideous !!!

Awesome, definitely needs some improvement. BUT it’s your thirds one. It’s pretty cool that you’re taking the initiative to do something like this. Keep it up!!

looks good better than some work i have seen ,