Ive got two Bear skin rugs that are mine and an oooold Zebra rug in poor condition. They are all felted and one of the Bear rugs has heavy padding.

The Zebra was a gift from a friend who bought it on ebay. Its in poor condition but its still cool to me. It has more bare spots then fur and the glue from the felt is separating from the hide. The mane is still in surprisingly good condition.

My question is do you walk on the skins AND if not how do you keep your idiot friends from doing it too. I never thought it was a good idea to walk on them, especially the Bear skins. So I hung them; but it takes a lot of wall space. I have one laying across the back of the sofa. Since the Zebra had obviously been walked on, I decided to put it on the floor; but it really upsets me when a buddy casually walks on the mane. Ive asked him nicely, Ive been firm, Ive even blocked him; but his response is something like "its on the floor, you walk on it". I can live with this one being messed up; but when I get my own, it may be a friendship ender.

I know trophies dont last forever and I just dont have the wall space for more hides. I always assumed you were supposed to walk around skins on the floor; but then Im the guy that walks around old oriental rugs too--if theres space.

Whats the deal?

I walk on mine , that is why I got them.
Sprinbok,blesbok,impala,zebra.
Sometimes the zebra is a bed cover.

I've got a zebra skin on the floor at my front door and it gets walked on several times a day. I haven't noticed any significant wear.

If I drop $15,000 on a hunt to get a Grizzly rug it is not getting walked on and is NOT going on the floor. MAAAYBE it would go in a spare bedroom that sees no traffic or in an office that only I use. A zebra....hell, I was just quoted $2000 to rug a $1000 Zebra so I am not sure I would really be comfortable walking on that either. Wall mount seems best.

quote:

Originally posted by tendrams:
If I drop $15,000 on a hunt to get a Grizzly rug it is not getting walked on and is NOT going on the floor. MAAAYBE it would go in a spare bedroom that sees no traffic or in an office that only I use. A zebra....hell, I was just quoted $2000 to rug a $1000 Zebra so I am not sure I would really be comfortable walking on that either. Wall mount seems best.

Well that was kinda my thought. Like I said the Zebra that I have is really FUBAR; but it drives me NUTS when one buddy in particular walks on the mane. The rest is fine but NOT the MANE.

I cant say for a big Griz; but my Blackies work pretty good draped over the sofa lengthwise.

quote:

Originally posted by EDELWEISS:
Like I said the Zebra that I have is really FUBAR; but it drives me NUTS when one buddy in particular walks on the mane.

Buddy, is he really your buddy? I mean stomping all over your zebra!?

The next time he walks on it just walk up and knee him in the nuts. If you stay friends after that, then I guess he is your buddy.

I encourage folks to walk on the Zebra rug and others in my home. I believe that is what they are there for. If I didn't want it walked on, I wouldn't have it on the floor.
Bill

This is not just a "client hunter" problem by the way. I hunted in Zimbabwe and the farmers house had a beautiful old leopard rug that never left the sofa table. My Namibia outfitter had several cheetah rugs....NONE on the floor.

quote:

Originally posted by tendrams:
...A zebra....hell, I was just quoted $2000 to rug a $1000 Zebra..

Good Lord! I had my 2 flat skins done in Namibia and I think I paid $100 or $200 each. All my other taxidermy was done here though.

Rugging can be very expensive, especially if you choose leather borders and carpet backing. They do last MUCH longer than felted rugs without the carpet backing. Still, very expensive.

I think felted bear rugs are going for $150 a foot? Am I off base?

I paid $150 per foot for a double layer of felt on a Black Bear about 10 years ago. As best I can tell its just hand sewn to the skin. I have seen a nice bear skin done that feels like its got foam padding between the hide and the felt.

The "ebay" Zebra rug I was given has a useless layer of what looks like cotton raw cotton and is "hot" glued to the felt.

Edelweiss,

I never let anyone walk on my trophies!!! That said I can sympathise with you about friends being unappreciative of your belongings. I have a really nice Persian rug in my trophy room and when friends want to see my trophies they will track right in and get dirt from their shoes on my rug. It really ticks me off.

Hawkeye

Short hair and headless like zebra, the antelope and such, yes. Longer hair with head like bear, mtn lion and such, no.

Sorry folks but if you don't want something walked on, then don't put it on the floor and call it a rug.

I agree. I have a zebra rug on the floor and it gets walked on. If I didn't want it walked on I would put it on the wall or drape it over a piece of furniture.

quote:

Originally posted by llamapacker:
I encourage folks to walk on the Zebra rug and others in my home. I believe that is what they are there for. If I didn't want it walked on, I wouldn't have it on the floor.
Bill

I have not often agreed with llamapacker, but he has a point. If you put it on the floor in a traffic area, expect people to walk on it. If you put it on a wall or behind your desk, maybe not so much.

No I don't, and I don't want my guests to do it either
I plan on putting my zebra rug up on the wall or in a place of the trophy room were it won't be stepped on. At least not all the time.

I also don't want guest to touch the different mounts. Some people think they're teddy bears, that their kids can play with. Then I tell them not to when we enter the "exhibition"

My Zebra rug in my office has only leather trim no backing. I have a black bear felt backed "rug" and it hangs on the ceiling. I used my Giraffe back skin for a "wall covering" on which I have 4 spiral horns in front of.

My Hartmans Zebra rug is on my carpeted trophy room and gets maybe 4 or 5 "walkons" a month. The two bear rugs are not in a traffic pattern on the floor so they are not "walkies", however my Golden likes to lay on one of them next to me while I watch TV. Hey, he is my best Pal, the bear is dead, so he gets his spot no problem.

Larry Sellers
SCI Life Member

If I didn't walk anyone to walk on my rugs, personally,, I would hang them where they would have to be Spiderman to walk on them. I agree with the "long hair, short hair" concept. The Long hair will be destroyed and the short haired won't show the damage near as much. My Zebra was a magnificent old Stallion that had been kicked out of the herd and I have him where he is not in a traffic pattern.

I've only had my Hartmanns zebra rug for less than 2 weeks & am very proud of it, but I put it on the floor and expect people to walk on it.
When it is worn out that will give me a good reason to go after another 1.
If your buddy doesn't respect you enough to stay off of anything you tell him to stay off of, tell him to take a hike.
It's your rugs & your home, you get to make the rules.

My ex-girlfriend still has my zebra rug, so I can't comment...

quote:

Originally posted by DCS Member:
My ex-girlfriend still has my zebra rug, so I can't comment...

Oh Lord, someone please knock this meatball out of the park already!

I have a felt lined Zebra skin on our formal living room floor. The wife liked it so much she re-designed the room around it.

I was warned by numerous Africans that they don't wear well so we try to stay off it but it still gets trodden on.

I expect 5-6 years from it before I have to shoot another one.

I walk on 3 zebra rugs 2 black bears and one brown. I do like to keep the walking on the brown to a minimum.

The only one I do not walk on is a wolverine.

For me with limited traffic (no kids) the first zebra is going on 9 years with minimal wear.

BigB

My feeling is, if you don't want it walked on, then don't put it on the floor...

I had two zebra skins that were not backed, and were on floors in low-to-medium traffic areas of our home for close to 25 years.

One was ruined by water in a fire in a bedroom and had to be thrown out. The other still is in my little trophy room and still looks good.

I think that if they had felt backing or were on a carpeted floor, constant stretching caused by walking on them would have resulted in punctures and ruined them.

Our floors are Mexican adobe tile, and not carpeting.

Bill Quimby

quote:

Originally posted by Kamo Gari:

quote:

Originally posted by DCS Member:
My ex-girlfriend still has my zebra rug, so I can't comment...

Oh Lord, someone please knock this meatball out of the park already!

Yes, but I am still collecting...