Head Mount Question

[HntnFsh]

My family had my m/l bull mounted for me as a gift.

I have a spot fairly close to the woodstove to hang it.But am worried about it getting dried out or something.

Will it be ok or am I taking a chance of causing damage.

I'll put up some pics of it later.Along with a bear rug and bear mount my sister and brother in law had done.

Thanks
HntnFsh

[Klamanite]

I would call the the/a taxidermist and ask their opinion.

[Joe]

One of mine is 8' from the wood stove and has been for 15 years. Seems fine so far but I am sure it will shorten the life of the mount.

[adobe wall]

Here's where the quality of the mount will really show. A rock solid mount with all areas properly fleshed (very thin) with proper adhesion all the way around- minimal damage but subjected to more dust than usual.

If the mount has any areas that are not properly secured (glued) you will get drumming and possibly cracking.

If the eyes, lips, nose were not properly fleshed down you will see increased shrinkage and some hairline cracking.

The first areas to drum are the brisket area, the detail areas on the face, and the ears. If those are already drumming, then the wood stove will make things worse. If the taxidermist stretched the hide a lot trying to get it on a form that is too big, you may end up with some degree of the stitching separating down the back of the neck.

Most commercial mounts have some flaws and some slight drumming isn't usually an issue- but if you are going to subject the mount to a heat source then it may cause some problems. Elk have fairly long hair that hides a lot of flaws- my biggest concern would be the ears. If the drumming is extreme, the skin can actually split.

If the taxidermy work is premium quality, you won't have an issue. This is really where budget vs. premium work starts to show, a really good taxidermist will have properly fleshed the entire hide and used a really good adhesive (and plenty of it) on a properly fitting mannekin.

hth, aw

[HntnFsh]

Thank you for the input.The taxidermist is a quality guy.So it would probably be ok.But I found another spot for it.

[Rank Amateur]

I would avoid the heat, a steady environment is the best of a mount.