Is this the same bear?

[Green Chile]

I took a big cinnamon bear last year and wrote of it here. I got this photo today of the tanned hide with shell mounted head. I asked for more photos. What do you think?

 

[PARA45]

Hard to tell from that one picture, but the color seems off. Not sure if it’s the lighting or lack of.

 

[Hunter-Habib]

Color of the hide looks different.

 

[Wade J VanGinkel]

That head looks half the size.

 

[DAK]

Maybe it’s the angle but the mounted bear looks significantly smaller, the width between the ears is way off as is the ear size relative to the overall head and lack of a forehead cleft. Maybe best case scenario he didn’t stretch it over the form but most taxidermists over-stretch so your bear looks maybe a bit larger than what reality was. And I agree the color is off too. Guessing he lost your hide and the alternative he found is the usual small bear

 

[Firebird]

Poor quality taxidermy and different bear

 

[Altitude sickness]

If it is. They did a terrible job with the head. Sorry.

 

[Tundra Tiger]

I'm going to differ. I think it’s your beat. The color difference overall, I think, is due to outdoor versus indoor lighting. There are several color transitions on the snout and between the eyes that look identical to me. The ears look the same too, but it looks like he used a narrower manikin rather than rehydrate/stretch the head to its live size.

 

[Art Lambart II]

I don't think so, the ears are way off, but thats just my opinion

 

[Boyd Brooks]

I’m definitely think someone sent you a different bear. Colour, ears, nose, head shape, it’s overall size, just to mention a couple things I see different.

 

[Flbt]

I am color blind.
So can’t say for the look of the hide
But the head looks smaller the eye and ears both look close compared to your pic

 

[318AE]

I think it’s your bear, but not your taxidermist for your next hunt. Sorry it didn’t turn about better for you - I’m glad you have the photos and the memories.

 

[dlmac]

I'm going to differ. I think it’s your beat. The color difference overall, I think, is due to outdoor versus indoor lighting. There are several color transitions on the snout and between the eyes that look identical to me. The ears look the same too, but it looks like he used a narrower manikin rather than rehydrate/stretch the head to its live size.

I agree the lighting would make the difference of a color phase bear. I also think the the maniken is smaller that the bears skull.

 

[BJH65]

The ears on your bear in the hunting photo appear to be spaced much wider than the taxidermy bear even taking into account a different angle. Taking a centerline from the outer edge of the bears eyes in your hunting photo and going straight back, it’s well inside the bears ears, not so with the taxidermy bear, the centerline from the outer edge of the bears eyes go midway into the bears ears. It looks like your bears head with the wider spaced ears had a larger head. Could be the same bear, maybe he used a smaller manikin or didn’t build it up enough?

 

[Russ16]

I think it is a bad taxidermy job on the same bear. The spacing of the ears will be totally determined by how the taxidermist sets them.

 

[BRICKBURN]

. I also think the the maniken is smaller that the bears skull.

Someone did not bother to look at a photo or the skull size when they mounted that.
The fur is it. That form is a much smaller bear.

 

[Skshyk]

Ears are way off!

 

[Sideshow]

Hard to tell, I zoomed in on the white eyebrows as to me this is the only distinguishing feature. The left seems different but hard to tell without having the same camera angle as the original photo. Did you take any claws off him? DNA test maybe!

 

[Green Chile]

Someone did not bother to look at a photo or the skull size when they mounted that.
The fur is it. That form is a much smaller bear.

Appreciate all of the comments. Whether it's the same bear or not, it's clearly a poor job. The guy who did the euro skull work is the same guy who did the rug. It's also not felted and that was part of the order. The tannery is next door.

 

[pilar]

I’m definitely think someone sent you a different bear. Colour, ears, nose, head shape, it’s overall size, just to mention a couple things I see different.

I feel the same way , it’s different or grossly bad work
Taxidermist seems like a very un honorable profession ( not all but enough to make me worry) , with All the bad stories and bad work that I have seen. Never ever leave a set of horns or antlers with a taxidermist till
They call and ask for them , then you never have to chase them when they disappear
And you can actually see the whole scene unfolding on the quality