black bear shoulder mount?

[notyalc]

So i'm heading out this weekend and if i see a black bear i want to take it down. This would be my first black bear and i want to do a head mount. My question is: can i leave the skull with the bear for the taxidermist to take care of? I don't want to screw it up. And does any one have any pointers on skinning the bear for a head mount? Do i just cut around the whole bear under the arms and just pull the skin back until i reach the head, then cut the head of at the neck? Any help with this would be awesome.

[The Dawg]

Most taxidermists would rather you leave the skinning of the head for them to do from what I have heard.

And you can never leave too much skin for a mount.

[BromBones]

That'll work fine. Going back part way down the rib cage wouldn't hurt. Always be generous with the amount of hide you give the taxi to work with. They can trim it down easily enough.

Certainly you can leave the skull in hide and let the taxidermist do it if you're not comfortable with it. Just make sure to get it packed up and into a freezer as fast as you can so you don't risk spoiling the hide.

[Bear Chaser]

The best thing you can do before hunting is talk to a taxidermist and find out how he would like to receive the animal. Most of them are pretty good guys in this regard and will gladly give you guidance if they think you are serious.
That said for a shoulder mount I would cut all the way around the animal back of the vee in the rib cage to leave lots of hide. From there split up the back of the neck to the base of the skull. Cut through the meat & twist off the neck, tube skin the front legs down to the ankles and remove hide and feet from the carcass at the ankles. If you can get it to a freezer quickly you can leave it just like that to be dealt with by the taxidermist if you don't feel comfortable caping and skinning the feet. This will give you the option for a half mount also if you so desire.

[SR80]

dont split it up the chest like i did, dumbass was in a rush and wasn't thinking !

[Bigbruin]

what does it cost for a head mount and how long till you het it back

[Jehiah]

My only advice is have a thick wallet and expect to wait for good craftsmanship.

[notyalc]

Ya that was going to be my next question. How much appros does it cost to do a head mount?

[pappy]

Google or bing some taxidermists, most have their base prices online and that can give you an idea on costs. A good taxi will have a line up of customers so it will likely be around a year or a little longer to get your mount back.