A question for you pros out there... I am thinking about adding a small trophy room on my house and if I do that, I have a couple of life size mounts, mtn goat and bighorn sheep, that I would like to have redone in different body positions to better display them. Can this be done using the orginal hides, or would replacement hides need to be used?? These mounts have been done in the last three years.

Thanks in advance for your input.

Chip

Chip, NOT a pro, but I was in a similar situation. I had a wolf which I am quite proud of mounted by a taxidermist in Western PA who screwed it up royally. He claimed it could not be remounted. I took it to another taxidermist who was able to remove the cape, get a new form in a slightly different position, and remount it. He did the work with the understanding that there were no guarantees. My impression is how it was glued, stapled, etc will dictate if it can be reused. So it is possible, but you need to find a taxidermist willing to work with you on it.

I owned a taxidermy shop for several years until selling it about 5 years ago.

If the original mount was done with a water based glue to attach the hide, it could be rehydrated, removed, and redone. However, many taxidermists now use an epoxy based glue. It's permanent!

Good luck!

JDS

It can be done. If it is a good tan, and the glue is not permanent. I would start with the taxidermist who did the work. If not, you can always get a taxidermist to get you new hides, use your horns and start over.

I guess I should have been more detailed. If water base glue is used, it is POSSIBLE that it can be remounted. remember that with hides you are dealing with organic material and things can go wrong.

I have never re-done lifesize mounts but I hve taken old shoulder mounts that the client wanted turned a different direction and redid them. In fact, I only took them apart from the throat down, modified the mannikin, and remounted.

It all depends on factors which you really don't know . . . quality of tan in the hides, type of glue, competence of the taxidermist doing the job, age of the hide, etc.

I figure there's a 50/50 chance it will work . . . either it will or it won't!!

Good luck.

JDS

It would depend on the age of the mounts.
tanned leather aquries a 'memory' over time(think shoes - they get wet but stay the same shape) and you also risk a ruined skin.

I've done quite a few "remounts" first get a taxidermist that has had experience with doing this, you don't want someone thats going to just jump right in with their legs wide open! Another words, there's ways to test the skin before removing the whole thing from the form.

If the tanning is "good" it's no problem remounting it. That's something that has to be checked out before it's taken off the orginal form. I just remounted 2 wolves (they were mounted over 5 years) for a client to go with the lifesize moose, they were redone fighting the moose.

Good luck, hope everything works out!!!!!!!

There was an ad on the back cover of SCI magazine some time back that Animal Artistry in Reno could remount your old mounts for you if you were not satisfied with them. They do quality work but are not cheap.

I do know Animal Artistry in Reno will remount animals. A friend of mine with a rather extensive trophy room wanted to have one of his life size ibex remounted into a pedestal to make some room. It turned out out pretty good, but wouldn't Animal Artistry be a bit far to ship your mounts?

I'm curious, how are the animals mounted now and what do you want to change about them?