I drew a Montana Mountain Goat tag and need ideas of how to have it mounted, shoulder ? rug ? full body might not be right for me, limited money and limited room. show me some pics

Skin it for a life size and wait to mount until you have space and money. You wont regret it.

quote:

Originally posted by LittleJoe:
Skin it for a life size and wait to mount until you have space and money. You wont regret it.

have the skin tanned or freeze it ?

Have it taken care of. Salt it. Dry it. Set it on the shelf.

quote:

Originally posted by LittleJoe:
Have it taken care of. Salt it. Dry it. Set it on the shelf.

Do not leave it in the above mentioned state.
Get it dry or wet tanned (dry tanned for sure if you are going to rug it)and then store it in the freezer until you are ready to mount it. This is the best and safest way to store it indefinitely.

Kind regards,
Mary

My taxidermists absolutely told me not to tan it until I was ready to mount. I have done what I stated with several and have had zero problems. Guess my guy does it a different way but it works. Three different taxidermists told me the same thing.

Sorry, Little Joe, but that is not good advice. Leaving a skin fleshed and salted only, for extremely long periods of time, is asking for trouble. If even a small amount of meat or fat is left on the skin you will be risking the possibility of slippage. You also are leaving an open invitation for bugs to come chew on the skin. I see this a lot on African skins left to dry in the salted state for very long periods of time. Many have terrible bug damage to the hair side. You can also get actual visible dermis cracks on the folded creases of over dried salted skins. You also run the risk of the skin becoming grease burned.

Skidly, best of luck on your hunt. If you connect, please, get that skin tanned and in a freezer. That is a once in a lifetime hunt for many and you don't want to ruin that cape.

Kind regards,
Mary

Any REPUTABLE TAXIDERMIST will tell a client EXACTLY what Mary said. Listen to HER advice.

Mary, I guess we will agree to disagree. Done it before. Will do it again. Never had a problem even five years down the road. Had hides tanned and three years later they were worthless for mounting purposes.

I 100% agree that the hide must be properly cared for or for sure they will go bad.

I use very reputable taxidermists and wont comment any more as it is hijacking this post.

Talk to your taxidermist and do what they recommend.

As you can see there is a difference in opinion.

Good luck on your hunt.

I got a half body mount. He stands on a rock and looks like he is coming out of the wall. The pantaloons on the front legs are a hugh part of the mount and with a shoulder mount you lose that. I have the same problem, low on $ and space.

quote:

Originally posted by Skidly:
have the skin tanned or freeze it ?

Since Skidley asked I don't consider my input hijacking his thread, just giving professional advice on his skin care.

Not being argumentive, just trying to give information from a taxidermist's perspective. As far as your tanned hide being worthless after 3 years it must not have been stored in a freezer. Any tanned skin left on a shelf will start to dry rot after a few years, depending on the tan and type of skin and can very well be worthless for the mounting process after that period of time.

Well, enough about proper care. Here are a few pictures of a full pedestal wall mount. Have done a few rugs. Will try to locate those pictures.





Kind regards,
Mary

Krueger's Creations Taxidermy
Phoenix, Az

I did a shoulder mount of my one and only Mountain Goat. At the time it was all I could afford. While I appreciate the look of the mount, I have always kind of regretted not taking the entire skin and saving up for a life size mount because that really is the only way to properly show one off.

I seriously doubt I'll ever take another. But if I do, it will be a full mount on a rock ledge. I really don't have room for one like that but it is easier to build an addition on a room than it is to draw most goat tags in the lower 48. Food for thought.

thanks for all your replys, you are giving me plenty to consider.

If you had tanned hides go bad in 3 years, you need a new tannery... I would also tan a skin for long term storage, especially if you're in a climate with high humidity... good luck

quote:

Originally posted by Grumpa:
Any REPUTABLE TAXIDERMIST will tell a client EXACTLY what Mary said. Listen to HER advice.

X2; everything Mary has said on this is 100% right on. Only a fool will ignore this advise.

this is a prime chance for a wise remark but i'm going to let it go good luck on your hunt and choice of taxidermy options

thanks friends, can anyone help me out with skinning instructions in preparation for a full body mount?

quote:

Originally posted by budiceale:
this is a prime chance for a wise remark but i'm going to let it go good luck on your hunt and choice of taxidermy options

Does it involve rubber boots and the edge of a cliff?

I didn't have room for a full mount but wanted something I bit bigger than a typical shoulder mount...[IMG:top] [/IMG]

Oday, your disguise needs updating.

I had an Aussie friend tell me this was the Kiwi approach. I wasn't sure if it was the same in Texas.

And you would believe the word of an Aussie when cloven-hoofed animals are involved ? Shame on you , sir ...

Maybe you are right ... He did have a "sheepish" look on his face when he told the tale.

Goat update; after a few scouting trips, and an overnight backpacking trip, I harvested a 8 3/4" long with 5 3/4 bases , 6 year old Billy at noon on the 1st day of my "do it yourself Mountain Goat hunt". I am 54 years old and this was a once in a lifetime hunt. Lucky I had some younger friends with me when it was time to retrieve game. We followed a local taxidermists request of dorsal cut to skin, and its in his shop right now waiting to be mounted full body, thanks everyone for your help.

Congratulations on your success. Please share a photo when you have an opportunity.

Congratulations on your Goat!! And i think you made the right decision to do a full body mount.

When I shot my Goat, I skinned it out for a full mount, but only had a half mount done because at that time I didn't have room for the full mount. I've regretted that decision ever since.