Show me some of your cool bear skull mounts. I'm finally going bear hunting this fall, and looking for some ideas. Thanks
I gave up trying to post pictures here some time ago...what I did with my bear skull was be patient...I simply left it out in my shed for maybe a year and the beetles found it and cleaned most of it up...then I put it in an ant hill in my garden for a while and let the ants clean up the last bits of flesh...next I left it out in the weather for a while to let the rain wash it off and bleach it a bit...I glued the lower jaws back on with white glue and then clear coated it...I shot the bear in 2012 and I am just now ready to finish creating a display with it...the display will include the skull plus the broadhead and broken off piece of arrow I killed it with...an Easton Fat Boy is not really a hunting arrow so it snapped off quite easily and was laying right close to where it initially hit the bear, about a foot long piece attached to the broadhead...I have seen bear skulls done up all nice and squeaky clean with peroxide or other methods...to me they look kind of fake...I wanted mine to look more natural
DDave
Gave up pics also. Had mine beetled and peroxide. Looks like it belongs in a museum.
I just got a skull hooker table top display and it looks pretty good. I would go with the beetle cleaning over boiling. Good luck on your bear hunt.
My wife and I did one for my Dad a couple years ago. After it was skinned out, we put it in a bucket of water then put the bucket in a large pet taxi. Then we just left it in the woods behind the house all summer. We changed the water in it every so often to get rid of some of the sludge. This method stinks something awful...so do it as far from people as possible. When all the tissue had rotted away, it got rinsed and soaked in Dawn for a few weeks. Then bleached with peroxide and it came out great. We put it on one of the "hooker" type display brackets. I'll check with her and see if she has any pics of it.
Spend the money and get it professionally beetled and peroxided. It wasn't THAT much and it looks awesome.
ChuckC
The other cool thing besides the skull is keep a scapula as it stands up like a fan. Get the guys in camp to sign it. I also save a couple of bones that I used for knife handles...tippit
Here's a couple shots of mine. It was done with beatles and peroxide.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v450/Fletcher610/P3010032.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Fletcher610/media/P3010032.jpg.html)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v450/Fletcher610/P3010022.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Fletcher610/media/P3010022.jpg.html)
I got mine boiled and bleached, went to Hobby Lobby and found a glass display case for footballs. Works great and keeps the dust off here in west texas.
Has anyone seen scrim shawed ones?
I'd like to see more...I have one that I've been "aging" for a couple years and don't know exactly what I want to do with it.
My wife isn't big on a ton of heads and such throughout the house so I keep those at our hunting shack.
She does however like the subtle contrast that a strategically placed skull mount can add.
Here's mine nestled in a book shelf in the living room. Great conversation piece without being a focal point.
(Or at least that's what I tell myself) :(
(http://i877.photobucket.com/albums/ab337/drmreilly/IMG_2384.jpg) (http://s877.photobucket.com/user/drmreilly/media/IMG_2384.jpg.html)
QuoteOriginally posted by tippit:
The other cool thing besides the skull is keep a scapula as it stands up like a fan. Get the guys in camp to sign it.
Have any pictures of how they stand up?
Spent some time on this one but that hunt is a great memory for me.
(http://i1265.photobucket.com/albums/jj501/jerryrussell1/0724121713_zps7349cddd.jpg)
(http://i1265.photobucket.com/albums/jj501/jerryrussell1/0724121647a_zps80afcfb4.jpg)
Great displays! Now all I have to do is shoot one.......... ;)
Jerry, very nice, thx for sharing such unique display...
Fletcher- did you make that wooden stand or buy it somewhere?
Jerry,
That's unique, and it looks terrific. Great way to display the skull with some other important mementos of the hunt.
:clapper:
I found these cool metal copper antiqued wall mounts at Nancarrow Taxidermy in Frankenmuth, MI this spring.
This one in the shape of Michigan (I'm sure they could do other states) has a magnetic star to mark the harvest location:
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b351/osminski/2015%20Post%20Pics/64453858-78F8-4B65-9FF3-4ECFE74BD4DD_zpsx0rgdp6k.jpg) (http://s23.photobucket.com/user/osminski/media/2015%20Post%20Pics/64453858-78F8-4B65-9FF3-4ECFE74BD4DD_zpsx0rgdp6k.jpg.html)
And this one a more generic bear track:
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b351/osminski/2015%20Post%20Pics/0243015C-2098-4643-AA11-324F063FE41F_zpswcz2te39.jpg) (http://s23.photobucket.com/user/osminski/media/2015%20Post%20Pics/0243015C-2098-4643-AA11-324F063FE41F_zpswcz2te39.jpg.html)
Steve- I would guess that you have to glue the lower jaw on?
Correct. Just a couple dabs of Gorilla Glue and some rubber bands.
Thanks all, now I just have to shoot straight!
QuoteOriginally posted by Hermon:
Fletcher- did you make that wooden stand or buy it somewhere?
Hermon, it was bought. I had the skull done along with the rug and the taxidermist provided it.
I'm having a pig skull done now and am looking to carve my own from a solid block, either osage of walnut.
Mr Russel, how did you get the claws to shine like that? I've got a skull mount and claws and I was thinking of doing sethimg very similar.
Man these look great. Bear hunt is on my bucket list.
QuoteOriginally posted by Julian:
Mr Russel, how did you get the claws to shine like that? I've got a skull mount and claws and I was thinking of doing sethimg very similar.
My Youtube video on preparing bear claws is VERY detailed. This little tutorial has helped a lot of folks and I get emails from around the world in reference to it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=E8aF0YijMCI
neat tutorial, going to have to give that a try myself.
Sorry for the revival but Jerry that mount is awesome. If you see this what's the significance of the toonie?
I love the bear claws!
Kilt this'n with my hawk
(http://www.shrewbows.com/rons_linkpics/Axed%20bear.JPG)
There has to be an amazing story behind how you managed that one Ron???? More guts then I have! SS
QuoteOriginally posted by silent sniper:
There has to be an amazing story behind how you managed that one Ron???? More guts then I have! SS
Ditto that! Would love to hear this story Ron.... Bring it!!
Jerry, that mount is awesome! Great idea and perfectly executed. Also, really enjoyed the video. I'm glad someone brought this old thread back up.
Mr. LaClair, I will echo the previous couple of posts, and beg to read the story of the bear that you "'Hawked." That HAS to be a heckuva story!
QuoteKilt this'n with my hawk
(http://www.shrewbows.com/rons_linkpics/Axed%20bear.JPG)
Sorry, I was just funning. :p
I've had the skull for about 20 years, I got it from a fella that found it in the woods in Michigans U P. It's a very large skull for a black bear, I thought I get it measured someday buy never did. I'd like to know the REAL story behind it, I've always suspected that it may have been killed by a trapper that caught it in a trap. It surly would take some courage to dispatch it like that...even with a long handled axe. :knothead: