Elk Hide Help

issace1

FNG
Joined
Apr 2, 2024
Messages
15
I got my Elk back from the taxidermist and I do not know what he did but it came out dark. I brought up my concern and he stated that's how an Elk is supposed to look. I know that's not the case but is there anything I can do at home to fix the color?IMG_2235.jpeg
 
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issace1

FNG
Joined
Apr 2, 2024
Messages
15
The day I harvested my Elk for reference
 

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Speck1

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Aug 5, 2021
Messages
141
That’s crazy. Almost looks like they dyed the hair darker on the face. Doubt there is anything you can do other than use a different cape.
 

Divide93

FNG
Joined
Jan 2, 2024
Messages
58
It looks like a cow hide was used on your bull! From my perspective it looks like a completely different hide!
 

Erict

WKR
Joined
Jun 28, 2020
Messages
681
Location
near Albany, NY
I also question if that's your hide.

PS - I think you may end up with more problems if those are active vents directed at both sides of the mount.
 

Legend

WKR
Joined
Jun 13, 2017
Messages
952
I got my Elk back from the taxidermist and I do not know what he did but it came out dark. I brought up my concern and he stated that's how an Elk is supposed to look. I know that's not the case but is there anything I can do at home to fix the color?View attachment 695471
That ain't your cape! Bummer. Get a nice leather skull cap on a good piece of wood. Anything else will always not be your bull.

Good luck
 
Joined
Aug 10, 2015
Messages
2,745
The hair on the picture with you and the bull appears much longer than on your mount.

At least you got the right antlers back. The rest of that sucker is rough. Woof.
 

Maverick1

WKR
Joined
Jun 1, 2013
Messages
1,869
Ruh roh. Sum Ting Wong.

That is not quality work. I’m sorry for your loss. At this point your options are to either:
1. appreciate it for what it is. Appears to be a cow with antlers. Or

2. take it to another taxidermist and ask what they can do for you. Might be several hundred dollars to fix it - reuse the form and antlers but have to start over with someone else’s cape, new ears, and essentially a complete remount.

Taxidermist should go into hall of shame. That’s not how an elk is supposed to look, and looks nothing like your bull.


Good luck! Let us know what you decide to do.
 

Tobe_B

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Mar 25, 2018
Messages
284
Having been raised in my dad’s taxidermy shop. That mount is utter shit. The tan was done wrong, the eyes aren’t centered, and the ears are way off. I’m not sure what you paid for that, but it was too much.

There isn’t anything you can do for that. You could find a different taxidermist to remount it with a cast off cape and do it correctly. But you’ll be paying a lot more than you probably want. Best thing to do is cut it apart and take the antlers off the form for a horn mount.

Edited to add: Let us know who did the work. Definitely someone who could use some more guidance on what they are doing.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Joined
Feb 17, 2013
Messages
2,341
That ain't your cape! Bummer. Get a nice leather skull cap on a good piece of wood. Anything else will always not be your bull.

Good luck
Exactly. If I had to guess, looking at the quality of that work, or the lack of it, I bet he completely destroyed the original cape and found a replacement and gave it a second crack. You wouldn’t be the first taxidermy customer to get an amount back with the original cape. It happens more often than you think. You need to do whatever you can to get a 100% refund for that. After that if you want a mount you’re gonna have to go find a replacement cape.
 

Walthers

FNG
Joined
Mar 17, 2021
Messages
27
I have to agree that it does not look like the same cape. That sucks, I’d say either get a new one and redo it, which you will know isn’t right anyway or just mount the rack. I’m no taxidermist but if you can take it off and euro it that’s what I would do. I love my euros, I think they just look cool and rustic.
 
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