Torn ears

[wildfowler.250]

Hi folks, I wanted to get an idea of what people thought or have done with their mounts in the past please.

My Nyala had maybe a 1-2” v shaped notch out of one ear,(probably by barbed wire or thorns). Slight curl to the ear tip as well on this side.
D&P said there was a reasonable hole in the ear too which I’m not surprised about because it would have been hard for the skinners.

Do you feel these mounts are best kept authentic. Ie mounted with a torn ear as it was? Or will it look awful? My thoughts are it won’t look great but open to suggestions.

Is it reasonably easy to ‘fill’ in the missing sections of the ear?

It looks like most of the ear tips on the other capes have small skinning holes anyway but I assume this will be easy enough to stitch/close?

Thanks!

 

[UKHunter]

If it were me, I would keep the tear because that represents the animal you shot and your memories. If you wanted it repaired, I’d think it was a very easy job for a taxidermist.

BTW - did I miss your hunt report?

 

[MS 9x56]

Hi folks, I wanted to get an idea of what people thought or have done with their mounts in the past please.

My Nyala had maybe a 1-2” v shaped notch out of one ear,(probably by barbed wire or thorns). Slight curl to the ear tip as well on this side.
D&P said there was a reasonable hole in the ear too which I’m not surprised about because it would have been hard for the skinners.

Do you feel these mounts are best kept authentic. Ie mounted with a torn ear as it was? Or will it look awful? My thoughts are it won’t look great but open to suggestions.

Is it reasonably easy to ‘fill’ in the missing sections of the ear?

It looks like most of the ear tips on the other capes have small skinning holes anyway but I assume this will be easy enough to stitch/close?

Thanks!

Your money, your choice.

 

[wildfowler.250]

If it were me, I would keep the tear because that represents the animal you shot and your memories. If you wanted it repaired, I’d think it was a very easy job for a taxidermist.

BTW - did I miss your hunt report?

I did wonder about it. I’ll have a while to mull it over so figured I’d see what the verdict is.
No hunt report yet, it’s on the to do list!

Your money, your choice.

Appreciate that. Nice to get some opinions or see some photos of work done though

 

[MS 9x56]

I did wonder about it. I’ll have a while to mull it over so figured I’d see what the verdict is.
No hunt report yet, it’s on the to do list!

Appreciate that. Nice to get some opinions or see some photos of work done though

This is just my personal opinion so take it for what it’s worth. I had taken my biggest buck of my life, 11 point dressed 206. It was at the meat professors when I got a call from DEC. First he congratulated me on my buck then asked if he could take a tooth for aging the deer. I told him of course. He the told me did you know your buck has a hole in his skull? Likely from a fight with another buck as it hadn’t seemed to affect him and was healed over. When I picked up the head and hide I could put my pinkie into the deers skull up to the first knuckle. I had my taxidermist mount it with the duvet in the skull. He said he had never seek a buck like that before. DEC called me back and told me that buck was 9 1/2 years old. Bucks generally don’t live that long where I live as my county has the highest kill totals every year in my state. Just one perspective.

 

[318AE]

+1 on keeping it authentic - those tears really show the age and character of the animal.

 

[wesheltonj]

I would get it repaired, otherwise might look like a ripped out ear tag.

 

[Nosler guy]

If you are looking for advice - a picture or two, would be helpful to let guys see / know what you're dealing with. Explanation is kinda vague

 

[Tim Blackwell]

As a taxidermist I won't repair natural damage unless specifically requested. As a hunter I don't repair mine as that's how the animal was!
Skinning damage is usually easily fixed.

 

[Hunt anything]

Keep it the way it is, my first bushbuck had a big tear in his ear and was mounted with it also had a warthog mounted with part of an ear missing.

 

[Ryan]

My bushbuck had a healed over small piece cut off on top and tear on the bottom of the right ear. it mounted fine. And I prefer it that way, I know it's the exact one I shot.

 

[Safari Dave]

It's completely up to you.

I leave them the way they are, because I want them to look as authentic as possible, and I want them to look like the animal in pictures.

If you would rather them look the way their suppose to look, with no damage, that's fine too.


If I had a trophy with an obviously man-made wound (like 1/2 a lawn mower blade sticking out), I would have it repaired.

 

[MarkB]

Its your choice, they can be repaired without serious difficulty BUT as a "trainee" taxidermist I am 100% with @Tim Blackwell, customers must state they want scares, rips, tears or imperfections repaired. ALL my personal mounts are mounted as I shot. Character only adds to mount and memories for me.

MB

 

[MarkB]

Another point, skinner screw ups (there are always tons on African game) are repaired.

MB

 

[JimP]

I agree with the other who say to leave them as is.

On my first trip I shot the impala that is in my avatar, he had a blemish on his forehead right above his right eye. When I went to pick him up from the taxidermist it was almost gone, the tanning process had whitened it quite a bit and the taxidermist had airbrushed it a little to make it less noticeable. I asked him to see what he could do to get it back and showed him a picture of it. Even today it is still there, it's part of the animal.

 

[Safari Dave]

I'm glad I got to see what was "dipped and packed" before it got to my US taxidermist.

That dude was able to preform magic!



The skins were in absolutely terrible condition.

My baboon skull was OK, but the buffalo's horns were so bad, that they almost looked like they were from a different buffalo.


IMO, my Georgia taxidermist did a great job.

Those ears had pushed though a thousand miles, of all the thorny things.


I still haven't figured out a great place to put him, but I thought the baboon was pretty cool.

 

[SCHUNTER73]

In my opinion, you are getting a mount to honor the animal and to create a memory of the hunt. I always keep the animal as it was when it was killed. All of the character and imperfections make it more real to me. Great conversations pieces as well.

 

[Safari Dave]

The baboon reminds me of my one of my favorite "The Far Sides" cartoons:

My baboon was just sitting at the base of a tree, and I had trouble finding it because it was too close, because when I last saw it, it was on a tree limb.

When you travel half way around the world to hunt BG animals, you have earned a little reality "license."

 

[BryceM]

I once hunted with a guy who shot a nice mule deer, probably 170-class. A buck I’d have been very proud of. I was in camp when he showed up. He said, “Finally, a nice buck with a nice frame. My taxidermist can add three or four inches to each of these points and it’ll be huge!”

I think he might have been perfectly happy with a reproduction buck from someone else’s hunt…..

I dunno. I think the little imperfections are the essence of the thing.