Deer Heads Tragedy

[aclawrence]

I just bumped into a guy I know and he asked me to take a look at his deer heads right quick. I was shocked at what I saw. Bugs have ruined the mounts. They were originally in a empty apartment building and he noticed the hair was starting to fall out so he moved into a different storage building. He was in the building doing something today and he noticed the mounts. There were five or six heads and the on the worst one the hair is completely removed from the face. There are piles of hair all over the floor and you can see the little shells of the dead bugs. This really is awful and just wanted to share with ya'll. If you notice some hair around your mounts you better take action quick.

 

[Shrek]

Same thing happened to the only deer I ever bothered to mount. I'm just going to euro mount everything for now on.

 

[realunlucky]

Nasty I'll be checking on mine as soon as I get home. Should I be treating them with something to help prevent this?

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[Grumman]

Any idea what type of bugs did this?


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[Shrek]

Any idea what type of bugs did this?


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I don't know what the moth is named but they will eat the chit out of merino wool too !

 

[Gr8bawana]

My brother has a deer mount he had done back in the early 80's and has never been touched by bugs or moths of any kind. I wonder if the tanning proccess has anything to do with some mounts gatting bugs.

 

[realunlucky]

I'm sure climate plays a role on what bugs live where.

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[16Bore]

Hate anything but European mounts.

 

[backcountry_hunter]

My brother has a deer mount he had done back in the early 80's and has never been touched by bugs or moths of any kind. I wonder if the tanning proccess has anything to do with some mounts gatting bugs.

I don't think it's in the tanning but could be wrong.... I've heard of this happening to a few buddies over the past 20 years or so and generally it's years after the taxidermy is done. It can happen to birds too. It's a shame but generally an easy fix, just need a new cape. If it happens to upland or waterfowl you're pretty much SOL

Personally don't have any shoulder mounts though..... euro's are pretty indestructible.

 

[aclawrence]

I treated our Christmas tree with neem oil before I brought it in the house this year and I'm guessing you could do something similar if you saw some suspicious activity on your mount. These mounts were a mess!

 

[bigmoose]

I would wonder if the cape was not tanned, maybe pickled or freeze dried. I have never seen this happen on a mount that was tanned properly. I have seen bugs ruin freeze dried and some that were pickled. All my mounts have been tanned. My earliest one was done in 1976 and it looks like it could have been done yesterday. So sorry to see this happen. I have always had my heads mounted with the original capes and so far, I have not had to redo any. Bummer !

 

[Stid2677]

I have seen dermestid beetles, which are used to clean skulls, get away and eat mounts like that, but I would bet it was one of the critters in the link below.

Are your mounts and taxidermy infested with bugs? - Bowsite.com

 

[mtswampfox]

Chineese mounts?

 

[tuffcity]

Probably carpet beetles. Had a few show up years ago on one of my mounts but I was also in the process of getting an exterminator in for ants... two problems solved at one. I've kept an eye for them ever since but no recurrence. Having just moved up north of 60 the mounts spent a few days in -30 on the way up so that should have solved any issues if there were a few beetles lurking.

RC

 

[Brodie]

Diatomaceous Earth would be my suggestion, works well and shouldn't harm the mounts.
Firewood brings in carpet beetles here so I use it religiously in the house if needed since it is pet and human safe.


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[Gr8bawana]

I would wonder if the cape was not tanned, maybe pickled or freeze dried. I have never seen this happen on a mount that was tanned properly. I have seen bugs ruin freeze dried and some that were pickled. All my mounts have been tanned. My earliest one was done in 1976 and it looks like it could have been done yesterday. So sorry to see this happen. I have always had my heads mounted with the original capes and so far, I have not had to redo any. Bummer !

The taxi that did my first antelope mount told me he used to use freeze drying but stopped because some of his clients reported bug problems.

 

[Ray]

I have seen dermestid beetles, which are used to clean skulls, get away and eat mounts like that, but I would bet it was one of the critters in the link below.

Are your mounts and taxidermy infested with bugs? - Bowsite.com

Great link. I finally have an answer to what was going on at my old house. Larder beetles were eating the piles of dead voles in the crawl space or in their tunnels under the garage slab. Annual cycle of death. I never could get a clear answer on what the beetles were. Now I know.