Snow Days…

[AT Hiker]

Nice critters AT, beautiful taxi work as usual!
I've only mounted two Pronghorns [mine and my Grandsons] Hardest Mammals I ever mounted.

Thank you.

Yes, they are difficult. After mounting a handful of them I've finally got it to where it's not as aggravating. I started doing a short-ish Y incision too. Attaching the skull plate and horns permanently, doing clay work, then cutting the head off. Then sliding skin on, reattaching the head and doing the rest of it.
That has greatly helped me getting the skin taxied correctly and not having to sew as much in those pesky capes.

Here is a picture on how I cut part of the head off so I can do a short Y. Even the ones I get that are cut all the way down the back, I sew up before mounting now.
On this one I attached a wood block for extra support.
Next one you kill give this a try. It is a game changer for me.

 

[bigtex]

Thank you.

Yes, they are difficult. After mounting a handful of them I've finally got it to where it's not as aggravating. I started doing a short-ish Y incision too. Attaching the skull plate and horns permanently, doing clay work, then cutting the head off. Then sliding skin on, reattaching the head and doing the rest of it.
That has greatly helped me getting the skin taxied correctly and not having to sew as much in those pesky capes.

Here is a picture on how I cut part of the head off so I can do a short Y. Even the ones I get that are cut all the way down the back, I sew up before mounting now.
On this one I attached a wood block for extra support.
Next one you kill give this a try. It is a game changer for me.
View attachment 212277

Interesting! I can see where that would make it a bit easier!
One of the problems I had was trying to turn the ears without the hair slipping on the back of them. I took every precaution I could. Got them in the cooler ASAP, caped them out the next day and got them in a freezer but still had some hair slippage. Fairly common problem from what I hear.

 

[AT Hiker]

Interesting! I can see where that would make it a bit easier!
One of the problems I had was trying to turn the ears without the hair slipping on the back of them. I took every precaution I could. Got them in the cooler ASAP, caped them out the next day and got them in a freezer but still had some hair slippage. Fairly common problem from what I hear.

No clue on the ear issue. I have handled quite a few of these critters and not once have I had hair slip on the ears. Now, the rest of the body? You look at a pronghorn wrong and the hair falls out.

 

[Specializedjon]

Damn you do good work. Remind me never to post any pics of mine. Snow won't help

 

[thirdwilliam]

very nice

 

[AT Hiker]

Well it hasn't snowed so I haven't been able to snag any good pics so these will have to do.