I am headed for BC on a Black Bear hunt. I am planning on taking two bears.
One will end up a rug while the other depends on its size.
Big bear= 1/2 or 3/4 mount.....small bear= bare skull in a case.

Two questions.
1. Is it better, easier, to have the work done in Canada and then shipped to me?

2. Can you name some decent taxidermists.
Thanks.....

Like anythig else it depends on what kind of work and quality you want done. computition
mounts cost much more. you want to spend $5000
call BOICE. BRING YOUR CAPES HOME AND LET SOME ONE HERE DO IT. I use a man named RICH LONGLY
out of NAZERITH PA. HE IS VERY GOOD FOR THE MONEY.A nd he wont brake the bank. I would find
his phone number if you need it.

One thing to keep in mind. If you have a "issue" with your mount, would it be easier to deal with a local taxidermist, or one in Canada?
Also, you take a chance of damage during shipment, plus the extra cost.
Take a look at your local guys and maybe that will help make your decision.
Good luck on your hunt and take plenty of photos!!

Thanks all,
Does Mr. Longly have a web-site? If not I could use his #.

You can try A.R. Taxidermy out of Macungie, PA. He does Competition work and you will get good habitat for the money. If you want more info. e-mail me Magsav@msn.com

I found rich longly 's phone number, 610-837-61
31. I have a boone and crocket goat that he did for me. I can email you a picture plus other work I had him do. He's too small and bussy to have a web site, one man operation.

widowmaker 416....I responded to your private messege...I think.
Let me know if you didn't get it.

blaser93...thanks.

quote:

Originally posted by .44:
I am headed for BC on a Black Bear hunt. I am planning on taking two bears.
One will end up a rug while the other depends on its size.
Big bear= 1/2 or 3/4 mount.....small bear= bare skull in a case.

Two questions.
1. Is it better, easier, to have the work done in Canada and then shipped to me?

2. Can you name some decent taxidermists.
Thanks.....

You might call Linn Creek Safaris in Linn Creek Missouri at1-573-346-1133. Jack is a full time taxidermists and booking agent. He has two full size Russian Bears in his studio at the present time. He does all types of Afican game and I think he has over 25 years experience and does some really great work. I went on an African Safari with him and it was more than I could have hoped for. Columbus brings back my days at Benning in OCS and then the Aviation unit aas I waited for my flight school date.

.44!!

got your PM now you have one!!!

Here's a 10 foot plus Brown bear I did a few years ago

Widowmaker416, How old were you in that picture ? 10 ? Nice legs, I mean bear...

416 I didn't get the pictures and I can't see or open the one on the forum.?????

.44

this is weird, I lost all my photo's that I had on a photo server, everything that I had posted on AR is gone! even my avatar, gone! I tryed to log onto the site and it "can't be found!" Ever hear of such a thing?

the site is or was called "Opticstalk.com" Now I have to post everything again on another site. But anyway, I'm sending you a email tonight with plenty of bear photo's..

Talk to you then......

Do you mean to bring the green hide home and then have it tanned and mounted? I think you'll have a problem with hair slippage due to grease burn. There's a couple tanneries in edmonton I used alberta tanneries and they did a good job, then have one of your local taxidermists make the rug. It's funny I actually came in the taxidermy forum to get information on fleshing bear hides. Does everyone else have troubles with the skin tearing as much as i do? What's the secret?

chef!

What do you mean by the hides tearing?

Maybe I should have said trouble with cutting through the hides. I've fleshed lots of beaver, they have thick tough skin and it doesn't cut easily. Bears have thin skin and it cuts through easily. The one and only time I had a bear hide tanned the guy at the tannery gave me shit cause I didn't flesh it. He told me about the grease burning and hair slippage thing. I believe it because with beavers it happens too if they're not fleshed out well. So the next year I got a smaller bear and thought I'd have it tanned for mukluks, but the fleshing went so badly that I left the hide in the bush and only kept the meat.

thanks for any tips

the chef

Nice to see you got your pictures back up.

joedjr....

Thanks, I went to a different photo server. Today got a email from my old one, it's back up working again.....


Hey chef...

Remember one thing, you almost never cut through a hide with a sharp knife, the cuts come with a dull one, you start pushing hard because it's not cutting and "Wham!" cut! and that's when you cut yourself too!

If your careful when you skin the bear, take your time, you shouldn't have hardly any fleshing to do, just the neck, head and the paws. Bringing your skin home raw, and salted should not be any problem, the grease burning happens when, 1) you lay the skin in the sun to dry it after it's salted, (a no-no!, always keep it in the shade!)
2)You hang onto the skin for a few months before getting it tanned, (once home get it to a taxidermist, get it tanned then worry about how to mount it!)
3) You don't get the masses of fat and flesh off the skin and you try and salt it, (another No-no! if you don't want to take the time to flesh it, leave the paws and skull in it and freeze it, take it home like that. let the taxidermist do it)
Really if your hunting with a guide, they should be skinning, fleshing and salting for you! A outfit I hunted with a few years, did a great job of skinning and salting the hides, I briught back 17 hides the first trip, and 21 hides the second trip. All salted and all tanned excellent!
Don't know what else to tell you other then remember, where your hunting the people there will tell you just about anything to "scare" you into leaving the work there to be done! I've heard some really wild stories!

I was hunting without a guide like I always do. And I didn't skin it clean although if it would have been a beaver etc. I certainly would have skinned it clean. I lwearned a little on that one, the skin turned out fine by the way, and I paid the tanner a little extra for doint the fleshing.