Would I be nuts to try my own wolf?

NoWiser · Mar 29, 2013

I was drew a wolf tag in my home state of Minnesota this past fall. On my 5th day of hunting I was lucky enough to call in and shoot this 117 pound male.

I originally was going to just do a rug as money is pretty tight right now. I was contacted by a taxidermist who wanted to do the wolf for me at a discounted price for advertising purposes. A deal was struck up where I would buy all of the materials, have them shipped to him, and he would charge me a minimal fee for his labor. The pelt was done about a month ago but he has not started on it yet. I'm facebook friends with him and from what I can tell he is an aspiring photographer so has been out snowshoeing and taking pictures almost every day and doesn't seem too interested in doing any taxidermy right now. I'm not upset be this, but during this time it got me thinking. What are the chances I could do this wolf myself and make it look good? He is a beginning taxidermist and has never done anthing like a wolf before, which makes me nervous to begin with, but I just can't afford to bring it to a well known studio. I also started thinking that I would like to make my own base since I cut some beautiful walnut boards from my folks woods. I have some ideas on how I want it to look, so I can model it after the terrain where I shot it. I believe he would like to make my base, and I'm a little afraid of what it is going to end up costing me. So, my questions are:

A. What are the chances I could take this on and make it look good? I'm not at all afraid to dive into things and try them, and I feel like I have a good eye for what looks good. Can a guy do a trial run before you apply the hide paste?

B. If he does it and royally screws up (since he is a beginner as well) is there any way for me to salvage it? I'll most likely never shoot a wolf like this again.

Thanks for the advice!

dustinf · Mar 29, 2013

Not to be a Debbie downer, but if it's a once in a lifetime trophy. Get the pelt back, and save up until you can hire a proven professional.

goshawk · Mar 29, 2013

I agree with dstinf. Having just started into taxidermy myself, its safe to say that there is A LOT more to it than you'd think. Like anything, It takes time and lots of practice to get good at it. To answer your questions.

A: If you really want to do it yourself. Go for it, but I wouldn't just dive into your wolf first off. I would do something else like a coyote or fox first. Cheaper and similar. Just so you could get a feel for what its like and hone your skills before tackling a trophy like that! Do more than one.

B: Is this guy licensed? To be licensed you normally have to go through a school and you work out a bunch of rookie mistakes. Everyone has to start somewhere. Best advice though is take a look at anything else he has done. If you like what you see and feel confident in his abilities then give him a shot. If this is his first, Don't chance it. Many mistakes can be fixed by a professional, but it will cost you more and will probably never look as good as if it was done right the first time.

Quick question. He's offering to do a lifesize right? Feel free to make the base on your own. That should not be a problem for any taxidermist as long as you coordinate poses and dimensions. Remember, this is your trophy and its the taxidermist's job to make it look how YOU want it to. That said, listen to his advice if he knows what he is talking about. What you visualize in your head and what really looks good can be two very different things. Hope this helps.

NoWiser · Mar 29, 2013

He is licensed and did go to a taxidermy school. I believe he has since done at least one coyote pedestal mount.

That's a good idea on the fox and coyote mount. There are plenty of both around here. Being he is not charging much for the mount (he said he wants to enter it in shows or competitions) I would be fine with letting him go for it, as long as I knew that if it turned our poorly I would have the option of redoing it down the road. I realize it would be a pain and probably costly, but I would feel better if at least I knew it was possible.

fowladdict · Mar 29, 2013

If he wanted to create a wolf for show, it seems to me he could buy a pelt and do one himself. I think you are taking a risk on your trophy of a lifetime all at your expense. Not many can say they shot a wolf over a hundred lbs, much less 117 lbs. I agree with dustinf. Get your pelt back and save your coin for a proven taxidermist.

goshawk · Mar 29, 2013

If he's wanting to put it into competitions, then he probably knows what he is doing. Competitors tend to be very detailed and confident in their abilities. In this day and age, a deal like that is hard to pass up. Sounds like he is wanting to get his name out.
As far as redoing, think small changes primarily around the eyes and ears. Normally these areas are molded with clay and can be resoftend and reshaped to a limited extent. (Sorry can't make those bug-eyed deer mounts look normal) As this is where most people find mistakes, this is a good thing, but as for the rest of the mount, after it is glued and dried, repairing mistakes with the form is virtually impossible. Still, would depend on the situation and repairing taxidermist.

goshawk · Mar 29, 2013

Also, did you like the pedestal coyote? Be super critical. Like everyone is saying, this is a hell of a trophy. The head is the most difficult part and the part that everyone looks at the most. The rest of the body is covered in fur.

putm2sleep · Mar 29, 2013

yes >Ask noharley what happens when you turn your trophy over to an ammeture.

Dave N · Mar 29, 2013

My 2 cents? Great trophy, hard to top that one. Attempting to do it yourself would be a cool thing to you, but start out on something else. WAY too "exotic" of a mount to risk messing up. Also, having this guy do it, beginner or not, for a discounted(?) price with the agreement he could travel to shows with it for his business means you have to let him take it whenever a show comes up. That means it won't be in your house. Traveling with it means a risk of damage or total loss. What if he is in a crash and things catch on fire from it? Gone forever. I wouldn't want to chance it. Better to save up until you can afford to have it done by someone whose work you love and be able to enjoy it whenever you look at it.

Or go out and shoot another and let him go for it! lol Good luck.

L. I. Yankee · Mar 29, 2013

Get the hide back and have it tanned. Then save the money and have it done right...Just my 2 cents.....

skimerhorn · Mar 29, 2013

I agree save up and do it right you will be glad of it later. In my experience the buddy system doesn't always pan out and since he wants to take it to shows that's a lot of in and out of your house, for a full size mount. Might want to consider that, imo.

Art Vandeley · Mar 29, 2013

Lucky Mike in this board mounts his own stuff, might shoot him a message

mixedbag · Mar 29, 2013

Lets see some pictures of his other mounts before telling you to take it elsewhere.Do you have any pictures of canines he's mounted you could post??Do not try and do this yourself for your first ever mount.There is a lot more to taxidermy then meets the eye,and it takes skill to make them look alive.Look over the heads on his past canine mounts and decide if they look alive or do they look a little "funny".If the guys a photographer,and went to taxi. school he should have a good eye for detail.If he wants to use it to get his name out there tells me he plans to take a lot of time getting it nice.If the rest of his work looks good let him do it.If you feel uneasy, then tan it and wait till you have the $$ to send it to a big name guy.
Do your own base if your good with that type of work.It will give you a little pride in having done some of it

Gerald Martin · Mar 29, 2013

Like everyone else has said, you have the trophy of a lifetime. If this was a coyote that he wanted to mount for you for the materiels that is one thing, but do you want to look at your once in a lifetime trophy and groan everytime you see it?
Do not try to do this yourself as your first mount. Carefully, check out his other work. If it is satisfactory to you then you'll probably get a great deal. If you wouldn't want be proud of his other mounts you will wish you had never let him do it AND it will probably sour your relationship in the future.
If the hide is already tanned you can rehydrate it, roll it up and put it in the freezer. It will last for years like that. I would wait until you have the money and can afford to get it done by someone you know will do a good job.

fishing4sanity · Mar 29, 2013

I'm just piling on to what everyone has already told you, but I wouldn't let anyone do a wolf mount unless I had seen other wolf mounts he has done or at least coyote or fox mounts that look really good. I think canine mounts, especially the head, are difficult to make look really natural. Wolves are few and far between, make it count.

LuckyMike · Mar 30, 2013

MT Muley said:
Lucky Mike in this board mounts his own stuff, might shoot him a message

It's very rewarding to do it yourself. However, if you haven't gained experience mounting other big game, I think you are going to have a very difficult time achieving a truly lifelike look in the final product. I mounted a couple hundred shoulder mounts before taking on something like my Grizzly or your wolf lifesize.

glass eye · Mar 31, 2013

goshawk said:
If he's wanting to put it into competitions, then he probably knows what he is doing. Competitors tend to be very detailed and confident in their abilities. .

Just because he plans on competing doesn't mean his work will win blue ribbons. I've seen some awful work at shows. Competitions are a good place to get an expert critique, learn from your mistakes and improve. Simply entering a piece at a show doesn't make you an expert.

Mudranger1 · Mar 31, 2013

glass eye said:
Just because he plans on competing doesn't mean his work will win blue ribbons. I've seen some awful work at shows. Competitions are a good place to get an expert critique, learn from your mistakes and improve. Simply entering a piece at a show doesn't make you an expert.

kind of what I was thinking

Khunter · Mar 31, 2013

i am a highly skilled craftsman and just knew I could figure out taxidermy on my own so did my ow full body bear mount. this pic of my effort should inspire you to wing it...

NoWiser · Apr 1, 2013

Thanks for the advice, guys. I'm going to call him today and tell him to hold off. I'd rather save up two years and have something that looks awesome than have something that's painful to look at that spends it's life closed up in a bedroom somewhere out of sight. In the meantime, while I look for a taxidermist I trust, I can use the form to create a base for the future mount.

Hope everyone had a happy Easter!

Would I be nuts to try my own wolf?

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