Finished my pronghorn mount

There are lots of online tutorials and videos. Most of the procedures are similar for most shoulder mounts. I would make sure your Cape has been quality tanned and thinned down for starters. Take your time. The more you do the more you'll learn
thanks for the tip on thinning the hide. I had it tanned professionally, just nervous as its my first time....
 
Looks nice how did you get started in taxidermy? Did you just buy one of those kits and go for it ? How did your first one go ? I used to do a lot of trapping and have always thought about trying it myself
 
Looks nice how did you get started in taxidermy? Did you just buy one of those kits and go for it ? How did your first one go ? I used to do a lot of trapping and have always thought about trying it myself
My father did a little on the side as well. He was a jack of all trades. Mainly just watched him to start. Did a couple whitetail mounts of my own about 15 years ago and just went from there.
 
Looks good! I like your dusting of snow. ;)

I think habitat does a lot for a mount. The taxidermist that I've used for many years does just minimal habitat, mostly a weathered branch and some tuffs of grass and maybe a couple of pieces of moss. Then a few years ago I had my leopard mounted by Monarch in Helena, and they did a fantastic job with great habitat. Since then I've "upgraded" several of my mounts with habitat that I've bought from McKenzie.
 
My daughter and I have started up a taxidermy business. She does the fish and fur things and I do most of the skulls and woodwork.

There is a drawback to the habitat stuff. Looks nice new but often (very often) difficult to keep clean. Real dust grabbers! And sometimes issues with colours fading, though if you pay for the good stuff, it's usually less of a problem. Last year when I was in the big Cabelas store in Minniapolis I couldn't help but notice how dusty/dirty and faded some of the dioramas were. Ugh! Personally, I prefer skulls or cap mounts to fur and glass eyes. Takes up a lot less space and MUCH easier to maintain. My elk and deer cap mounts from the 70s and 80s look like they could have been shot yesterday. Not sure I could say the same if they had been done as shoulder mounts. My house is less than 800 sq ft above ground so I really don't have room for much in the way of shoulder mounts. I count fourteen of my skull/cap mounts in the living room and business trophy room, including two very large elk racks and a cape buffalo (it's hanging in the kitchen entrance). Also there's my daughter's class projects: shoulder mount pronghorn and whitetail and full body cougar and fox. The cat and its faux rock habitat hang against the wall. Still a bit of space remaining to hang something of client's for pickup. Nevertheless, though it's not really my thing, I do appreciate that mounting fur stuff is indeed an art form. Yours is certainly praiseworthy. Great job.
 

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