Taxidermy projects

So for years Ive had an interest in learning Taxidermy. Mostly because Im tired of paying the cost of having my animals mounted and I figure with a little practice I could be doing my own work. I have always enjoyed hunting, fishing, and trapping so taxidermy seems to fit right in. I figure I would try some small mammal pedestal/shoulder style mounts before attempting full body or deer. So far the raccoon has been my first attempt. Of course as a newbie it has its flaws but its a start. I need to do some work on the artificial pine branch as well. At first the needles were pointed upward making the raccoon appear to be looking out of them. I guess the wire in them are flimsy. This bobcat is my current mount. When the mount finishes drying I will pull the pins and clips out. The pins keep the hide from pulling one way or the other during the drying stage. Especially around the mouth and eyes so I am not going for the pin head horror movie look. Even so it has its flaws but I believe I am off to a decent start with both. I will add a background with the bobcat and hang it on the wall. I believe my next attempt will be a full body mount of my red fox. Hope it turns out well.

Good job, never stop learning new ways to come up with the finished mount. People keep coming up with new ideas and new products to make wildlife art better,

Finally got these dang pics straightened out.

That’s one wicked cat, lol
Much better than I cud do

Heck of a start.
I've seen "pros" that would peddle that off as being perfect.
Good job starting out.
Post some pics when finished please

T-REV - Stick with it, man! They're both lookin' real good. You've obviously got the aptitude for it, just stick with it. Practice, practice, practice. Deer heads and bear rugs are a dime-a-dozen. Stick with the furbearers and eventually you'll have folks knockin' down your door! It's tough to find a taxidermist that really "knows" furbearers. Way to go!

Jack

Good for you T-REV! Are you blowing the fur on the bobcat as it dries? Can’t wait to see it when it’s done!

Not bad for your first ones. I've seen people pay good money for work not as good as those.

Not bad for starting out , get yourself a good set of reference pictures and look closely at them as your doing a mount . each mount should improve as you gain experience. Keep up the good work !

nice coon looks great , waiting to see cat all done ?

Thanks! I am back brushing the hair to keep it fluffed. I do it every morning and evening. A lot of taxidermists let them dry for a week. I do two just to be safe.

Thanks for the comments guys. I am truly surprised they have come out looking even halfway decent. It requires a ton of patience. Ironically I am about the least patient person I know.

Voodoo cat! Great work, I played w/taxy but do not have an artistic eye. Mounts never looked natural.

You're off to a good start! If you are serious about taxidermy, join your state's taxidermy association. You will be around other taxidermists, along with seminars, you will get things going. You learn by doing.

T-REV; Just Wow!

As Gulo said; " You've obviously got the aptitude for it. "

Looks like a great start to me. Like others have said I’ve seen pics of “ professional mounts” that didn’t look any more lifelike. I personally think a lot of cat forms, if that is what they are called, are to long in the nose.