Frustrated...

[ashersdad]

I have shot a lot of black bears in my time. I have several rugs and I don't know how many tanned skins. I've always wanted a good bear to life size mount. Long story short, this Spring I shot a beautiful 10 year old boar. Not my biggest bear, but getting him involved swimming a river (and almost drowning) and was just an incredible experience. So I decided this would be my life size mount. Here is a poor picture due to the near drowning.



Because it was the end of May and my taxidermist is in Utah I dropped it at a reputable taxidermist here in the Portland area to get it tanned. I had it skinned out completely and to him within 24 hours of shooting the bear.

Well I got a call this week that it was ready to pick up. Sweet! When I got there the guy said it says on your order that you may want a life size mount but I don't think there is anything I can do with the exit hole. What exit hole? I shot him quartering to me and the bullet did not exit. Well he pulls out the hide and there is a hole right in the head between the eyes!! And I mean a big hole. Also severe hair slippage around both ears.



I was so upset, I wanted to cry. He was ruined. I told him that wasn't an exit hole and I had pictures to prove it. He didn't seem to care and had no idea how it happened. I probably shouldn't have paid him but I was so pissed I just paid and got the hell out of there. So now he'll just hang on the wall. Makes me sick every time I see the hide.



Anybody ever have something like this happen? I know there is no remedy for this bear. Just makes me upset that I only have crappy pictures and now a ruined hide. Not the way I wanted to honor this beautiful bear and his life.

 

[arffdog875]

Wow! That is horrible! It was a very nice bear!

 

[sra61]

That's a bad deal there.Sorry that happened to you. Not really sure what remedy you would have for that. Right in the middle of the face! What the heck?

 

[belly-deep]

Bummer!

I don't know what you do in that situation.

 

[FAIR CHASE]

I heard about a guy on this site with a compromised wolf hide

I lost a couple hides from a bad taxidermist (Wild's Taxidermy).

It happens and sadly not much you can do about it.

 

[devon deer]

That really does suck.
Are you sure it's the same bear?
Cheers
Richard

 

[VAspeedgoat]

That really does suck.
Are you sure it's the same bear?
Cheers
Richard

I was wondering the same thing. Not trying to add insult to injury, sure do hate that happened to you.

 

[DRAFTSTUD]

Was there possibly a Parasite that cause a hole in the hide there and it surfaced in the tanning? John

 

[ashersdad]

Thanks guys. Yeah, definitely the same bear. He has a unique scar on his nose and he had a small rub on his back. Turns out the rub would not have been an issue. The hole, now that's an issue.

 

[Nameless Range]

Dang. Sorry you have to deal with that.

Cheesy as it sounds, you'll always have the story of killing an old bear you almost died retrieving, which is something. He was a cool looking bear.

 

[theRedneck]

I wouldn't have paid him for that. Sorry, but no way. Bummer deal.

 

[NW_Hunter]

I know i really good taxidermist near Sweet Home that does great on bears! fyi
But awesome bear!

 

[FAIR CHASE]

A question I did not see asked ... does that taxidermist do in house tanning or send out to third party? Most send hides out to be tanned so is it possible you are anger (which I would be as well) towards the wrong person(s)?

 

[ashersdad]

He does send it out to a third party. I knew immediately that the bear was ruined. What made/makes me angry is that he didn't seem to give a rats rear end that it was ruined. No explanation of what could have went wrong, or let's call the tannery and see what happened. Just here's your bill and have a nice day. That doesn't sit well with me. Oh well, it's water under the bridge at this point. One more taxidermist I'll never use.

 

[have gun will travel]

Just a thought.. If most taxidermists send hides to a tannery, can we cut out the middle man and send them ourselves? Don't see why not. That really does suck about your bear nothing can change or fix it but I would like to know how it happened.

 

[passinthru]

I'm very sorry to hear that, and know exactly how you feel. I about threw up when picking up a lifesize grizzly about ten years ago.

In '03 I took an interior grizzly on a moose hunt. I felt so broke when I got home I used a taxidermist I had used once,not the reputable one I usually use, to save 500 dollars.

Needless to say it was a huge mistake. The tannery it was sent to ruined the hide and I guess it was fairly common because the reputable taxidermist named the tannery before I could get it out of my mouth. The mount looked like an oversize german sheperd.

I asked the reputable taxidermist if he could fix it. He said no guarantees and it wouldn't be cheap, so I chalked it up to a painful lesson. He guessed the other guy got a deal on black bear forms and slapped it on that to call it good

I know it still bites the big one, but at least you know your not the only one.

Good luck on finding another one for your lifesize, it'll happen.