Off to Tanzania in 90 days. On my list is crocodile. What are my options on mounting? Ant recommendations?

Depending upon your budget for taxidermy and available room, I always thought I would like to have one 1/3-1/2 mounted coming out of the water after a full or even half mounted antelope species of some type. Probably an impala or duiker. Course it all depends upon how thick the pocket book is, and the available space in the house.

Good luck on your hunt!

Graybird,

Thanks for your idea but neither my house nor my wallet can accomodate it.

Full rug and bleached skull.

Pretty good odds you will destroy part of the skull unless you shoot him in the neck from the side.

Flat skin and skull is the best option. I don't know many that have enough room on the wall for a skin so big.

Just make sure you shoot him in the neck and not the head.

A full mount swimming down works really well if you have enough verticle room. You need a 14 or bigger ceiling.

I am going to start working on a couple of reproduction crocs for a reasonable price in the next few years. I am still working on repo tigers and jaguar shoulder mounts.

The repro comment is interesting. If you have time, tell us more. Are you repairing old mounts or creating new ones from other materials?

I am in the midst of having work done on a 14 footer my son shot last summer. We are making a "rug, with a closed mouth skull". You cannot skin a croc's head, and have the skull and a mount. Mounting a croc runs about $500 per linear foot. A rug runs about $250 per linear foot. Shipping is about $500 from Africa to the US, plus the import fees. Tanning runs about $100 per foot. Overall, the trophy fee of $2000 puts the cost of getting Mr. Teeth onto the floor or wall at about $5000 to $7000. It can go up from there.

My next croc will be a skull only due to the cost.

Thanks Dogcat, good info.

i did mine lifesized coming out of the water after a bushpig. It makes a neat mount, but does take up lots of floorspace

quote:

Originally posted by butchloc:
i did mine lifesized coming out of the water after a bushpig. It makes a neat mount, but does take up lots of floorspace

butchloc,

Could you attach a picture of your mount? I'd really like to see it.

if i ever figure out how to run a compooper enuf to post some picts. i will

Hey Butch,

Have you figured out the computer enough for a photo yet?

Jim

i am having mine done in a rug with the head on. as dogcat said, you can't skin the head and still have the skin attached to the rest of the rug. it is either a separate skull mount and rug or the whole thing done together. Mary Hilliard- Kreuger, who posts here is doing the work. she has many years experience and is MUCH less expensive than any other taxidermist i checked with, including here and in RSA.

quote:

Originally posted by jdollar:
i am having mine done in a rug with the head on. as dogcat said, you can't skin the head and still have the skin attached to the rest of the rug. it is either a separate skull mount and rug or the whole thing done together. Mary Hilliard- Kreuger, who posts here is doing the work. she has many years experience and is MUCH less expensive than any other taxidermist i checked with, including here and in RSA.

Is there other contact info for her other than PM'ing on here?

try phone information in Phoenix for Kreuger Creations Taxidermy. if you stil have trouble, PM me and i will send the contact info to you( i am not at my home computer now, so the info is not at hand)

quote:

Originally posted by jdollar:
try phone information in Phoenix for Kreuger Creations Taxidermy. if you stil have trouble, PM me and i will send the contact info to you( i am not at my home computer now, so the info is not at hand)

Thanks, had a nice chat with Mary.

OK - pictures - sort of

I've seen one very impressive mount that consisted of the three-dimensional head of the croc embedded in a sheet of high-gloss black material (epoxy?). The effect was that of a crocodile swimming in black water, with only the top of the head from nostrils to the "horns" in back of the eyes visible. The entire thing was set into a small table top.

Very good-looking, didn't take up tons of space in the home, and almost certainly the least expensive way to do a croc mount.

Now all I need is a dead crocodile...

John

Butch i would love to see your trophy room, it looks like you have alot of lifesize animals there... SHOW US !

Here's one for you.

Here is another option...