Have you taken a home taxidermy course? You always see ads for it in the back of shooting rags, and it must be a lot easier with the ready made forms...

Nope no course, I've got some books and I'm getting a few video's and I'm just going to give it ago!

I use only candle wax for filling the tusks. No cracks yet.

I am new to this site. In fact I don't have much experience with chat rooms. I wanted to just get on and let some people know about what I do in case they are interested in a one of a kind trophy room.

I am a stone artisan that creates relief sculpture from stone. I just finished a wild turkey, but its not on my site yet. If you get a chance, go to www.stlaurentstone.com. It features a hand cut, dry stacked fireplace with a deer under a tree in a bed of oak leaves out of stone. It is 22' tall and 8 feet wide and took 200 hours to complete. Hope you don't mind my trying this out. < !--color-->

Bakes, just wanted to say I appreciate the start to your trophy room. If you would like to consider ever developing a room using stone, I create trophy walls using a simulated stone and can create any wild life to look realistic. Go to www.stlaurentstone.com to see a sample of my work. Greg

If you get a chance go to www.stlaurentstone.com to see my work. I think you will be impressed.

Mate that looks fantastic! Welcome to the site to by the way. If I ever win the lottery thats the sort of room/house I would like. Love the look also love your stone work, very effective, I've never seen that done before, well done.

The tusks look great. I wood love to get my grubby hands on some of that burl for pistol grips. I like your idea of using wood you cut yourself. It makes it truly your own.

I think your collection is beautiful, Bakes. Ingenuity, along with a bit of elbow grease, goes a long way.

There's a certain ammount of pride when you do it yourself. I think more people should give it ago. I have very basic tools and most were borrowed off a mate. I have another burl thats drying out and I have a top and bottom set of jaws to mount on that. Have also seen a pig head cut straight down behind the eyes and mounted. Looks real good!

Bakes
I have taught myself taxidermy from books and tapes. I am not a pro but think my stuff looks good. Ill post a few pics. Ive done fish, birds, and animals from mink and squirrels to a 1800 lb buffalo. If you every have any question shoot me a PM. Id be glad to help you out.
Dean

Thanks mate I'd love to see your work. I got interested last year when I met a part time taxidermist and he gave me some videos on mounting a pig. I said to myself, I said "self you can do that"

Bakes
I did all my first things with a book for a teacher. Pigs can take time because of all the fat. Here is a few pics.


A smaller whitetail I did twists and turns are a bit harder if you look close you can see the chest area of the cape turned a bit when drying.



Here is one you will like my boys first hog. He did about 50% of the work. The tusks and teeth are repro.



This is my first head of African game should paint and finish him today. I will be starting a baboon this weekend if you want I can start a thread in the taxidermy section and post photos as I go.
Dean

Tonto
They look good! I'll look forward to seeing the baboon.

bakes
Put up a thread on the baboon mount in progress.
baboon post

Dean

Look at those teeth well done Tonto.

Bakes/Tony
Great desplays. You all gave me some great ideas for my bear skull.

Tracker,

You could use a pedestal identical to the one I have the sheep horns on. In fact, I have three bear skulls and might do the same thing. -TONY