Rec'd the two hog heads from my July hunt in Fla last week. They did a lousy job of packing them.
Bounced around in the boxes. Ear's poked out and got broken tips, all four tusks and one upper broken out, nose's rubbed white thru the paint, hair on the humps of the shoulder/brisket are mostly rubbed off. Am not very happy, but, have avoided posting til now.

About an hr ago I was looking thru the new issue of VanDyke's catalog and compared the pictures to the eye's and noticed there's a crack forming from each eye and both corners of the mouth on the biggest one now. They were not there last I looked.

I'm hoping some of you with experience with such things will pass some suggestions along to help me get these things fixed before they're ruined.

I've glued the teeth back in and ear tips on where it's hard to see the damage to those.
He really didn't do too bad a job mounting them. The bullet hole's in the foreheads and out the throats are patched up well enough they're hard to see. Except I know where to look as I shot them with care.

Sure would appreciate hearing from Ann and some of the rest of you on fixing these things. It's already too late to deal with the guy that did the work. He knows, and I sent pics of things beside's the cracks.

Thanks much,
George

Why is it to late to deal with the guy that did the work if he knows about the damage?

He should make things right.

He should but, I raised holy hell with him and it's 1700 miles from me. Shipping costs would eat up any benefit in dealing with the guy.
He won't answer when I call, nor return msgs either.

I've put a recover funds order thru the bank on my card and mailed pictures and letter of explanation to him. With an invite to call me if he'd like to work things out, no response in a week after he should have rec'd my mailing.

Also, no response from Van Dyke's asking what to do about stopping or repairing the cracks at the eye's and mouth either.

Thank you,
George

When you say cracks at the eyes are you talking about the skin cracking or the actual glass eye cracking?
If it's the skin, that means the skin wasn't tanned properly and it's shrinking. Same goes for the skin cracking around the mouth.
Sounds to me like you need to make a damage claim with whom ever the shipper was.
Take it to a reputable local taxidermist and see if he can help, the cracks in the skin can be filled and painted, but if it's a cheap tan they will continue to crack as the mount gets older.

Jerry:
Thank you sir, that's exactly what I was looking for as a reply.

Yes, it's the skin, corners of mouth and both eye's, the eye's themselve's are fine. Just the skin is cracking.

That's also my biggest complaint with the guy. I told him I did not want anyone other than a professional tannery to tan the capes and he promised to send them to one in NY that he use's for deer skins. I was planning and agreed to pay the bill on top the taxi work when he sent it to me. Never did. When I asked how it was tanned and why he hadn't sent the bill for it.

He blew up and said his buddy does a perfect job of it and never had a complaint. and he'd called the tannery for a quote of $253 each. So he went ahead with his buddy doing it.

I've found that a place in Pa charge's $70 hair on and will make sure the fleshing is done properly before it goes in the tank, extra charge of course. But, sounds perfect to me and well within reason for cost too.

Since these were killed in July and mounted within the last two months and cracking already. You feel I should wait how long before having the cracks fixed?

Thank you sir, do appreciate the info.
George

Hey George which looks prettier the boar heads or yours...howdy old mate dont you have any pigs in Colarado ?cos it sounds a long way to go just to shoot some pigs or were you hunting something else to ?lol

Hey old bud!
Had an invite to go on a guided fishing trip on the gulf for tarpon. Turned out there was lots of hogs to be shot nearby and that was in the plans too. so we did both in five days time, then made a few gunshows and range trips etc. Visited an old Army buddy on the way too. So it was a pleasure trip for ten days.

Behave yourself over there in oz!
George

gotta behave at the moment,i ruptured my right bicep bout 8 weeks ago,cant shoot cant fish cant even do any reloading had my first shift back at work on Friday and managed to grill my right ring finger on the bloody BBQ didnt feel it at time hand still a bit numb after the surgery..Got a young stag walking up and down the lane at front of house but shoulder and arm wont let me use anything big enough to put a hole in him legaly,did slaughter a couple of rabbits with the 17hmr the other evening but dont think that would cut it on a sambar at around 180-200 metres.cant hold the 338,s or the 300 steady and got the scope of the 458(thank god wouldnt lke to explain it to my surgeon if i did.lol.)

What the hell man, you mean you can't shoot with both arm's??

You should try it sometime, it's not all that hard to learn.
Just get a good enough rest that holds it on target and turn it loose!

SO, e'm how you blew the muscle ok?
G