Taxidermy Starting To Arrive!

[Troubleshooter]

Meanwhile, Gizmo had been busy working on the Zebra for me. Last fall, I had dropped off the 4’ Africa continent outline and the frozen cape and backskin for him to work his magic. My idea was to do something like this:

But as he progressed into the work, Gizmo advised that the 4’ outline just wouldn’t work; my zebra’s head was just too big for it. He could probably mount it on a 7’ board, but that doesn’t work with my house. (Note to self: In my next life, either build a bigger house or start shooting smaller animals). So, we decided to take a page (literally) out of the McKenzie Taxidermy Supply catalog and build a Demaske on a rectangular frame that will fit my available wallspace. I think it turned out quite well:

 

[Troubleshooter]

As mentioned previously, the warthog had developed a large crack running the length of the underside of the neck, so it was returned to the taxidermist just after New Year’s Day. In mid-April he told me that it was finally ready for pickup, but the next day he told me not to come, as the crack had reappeared and he would need to try again. He said that it should be ready in a week………

After hearing nothing for three months, I requested an update and was told that it was finally ready. The taxidermist had used sufficient clay to cover the cracked neck, although the stitching still shows. Regardless, the exposed wood on the bottom of the mount precludes placing it high on the wall as a shoulder mount. I’m considering other options.