HELP! Mount smells..

H

hokiebird

Guest
LAST EDITED ON Apr-14-08 AT 11:15AM (MST)[p]Got my NM elk back from the taxidermist Saturday.. Very happy with it. BUT, it stinks.. And the taxi noted it too.. She said she scrubbed it real well and the tannery did a nice job. But must have just been the muskyness from full rut????

So, I get rid of the smell or get rid of the girlfriend who is annoyed by it. ANY HELP ???

Thanks!

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Lol....that's kinda funny hokiebird!
Better find a way to get it smelling better or momma will demand it stay's right outside like you have it on the picture!! :)










Skull Krazy
"No Bones About It"
 
Nice Bull Hokie. A lot of bulls are shot in the rut. The only ones that stink after mounting have a cape that isn't fully cured or has had something spilled on it. I'd bet on the spoiling cape theory. Did your Taxi send it out to be tanned or do it herself ? I guess either way I think its her responsibility to fix it. Good mounts don't stink. Its that simple. If you bought a new car that stunk you wouldn't keep driving it would you ? Good Luck. C.C.
 
Have to agree with Chip C. You should never have a mount come back from the taxidermist that stinks. Something was done wrong, and taxidermist needs to take care of it.
 
LAST EDITED ON Apr-14-08 AT 01:46PM (MST)[p]Mount should not smell. Take back to taxi, cape has to be bad. I have killed deer and elk in full rut they all smelled to high heaven, but when were done, no odor at all.

Congrats on a nice bull. Mount looks good, just need to fix. What unit and weapon?

Good luck



Joe E Sikora
 
What kind of smell is it?

Once a cape is commercially tanned, it should smell like leather. I have seen them have a sour smell like mildew, from them sitting around too long wet, before it was mounted. The mildew smell will disipate with time though.
 
Just leave it mounted on the side of that barn and the smell will eventually go away......


Just Febreze it!!
 
Agree should not smell. Lots of taxidermists try to save money and tan themselves. Some do it right and some dont.

If it is strong enough to be smelled across the room something is wrong.
 
I got my Muley back a few weeks ago, and he smelled, bad.. The Taxi told me to fabreeze him lightly, which I did. Made the hair all crusty and the smell has yet to go away.. I took him back a few day later, and Taxi agreed he smelled.. So, I've been wait wait about 3 weeks to hear back... I'll let you all know what the out come is...
 
Thanks all.. Those that asked, it was shot in zone 36 NM, scored 312.

Appreciate the advise.. The taxi has been in the bus for 20 yrs, But does few elk out east here. She did send it to a tannery. Sounds like it was done poorly there. And yes, I can smell is from 2 rooms away. Musky, sour smell.. Not overwhelming,but constant

Question is, will she be able to fix it without destroying the cape?

Thanks again for all advise and knowledge here
 
CORMANAZ- Sorry to hear about your mulie.. Yes, please let me know what you hear back...
 
I'd haul it back down to the taxi and tell her you can't live with the smell. Say, do whatever needs done to fix it and call when its ready. You might post up on taxidermy.net. Go easy on yer taxi if you mention her as they have a lot of hard core taxi's over there and they'll jump you if they think yer picking on her. Otherwise you should get some replies from both taxi's and tanners...
 
I am guessing she will try and shampoo the elk, on the mount, but there are also odor killing chemicals that can be tried. I do not believe it is the tan, I bet the leather got mildew, which will give it a real sour smell.
 
You live in an area of high humidity? If so, you may not be able to remedy the problem. The problem could stem from mildew in the cape, even mold. If that is the case then there is no easy way I know of to kill the mold and save the cape. If she used a hide-paste which is not mildew resistant then that will only worsen the problem. She could spray down and saturate the whole mount with mildew-cide, but that may or may not damage the cape. Chemical reactions with the tan may cause the cape to fall apart. The creation of sulfuric acid in capes causes them to fall apart overtime.

You might also smell the antlers, as sometimes the dirt and grime on them can have enough stink to make the whole house smell. And if she left the mount in an area of her shop which stinks then the mount will absorb the odors. If the skull plate wasn't clean you will also get a pungent odor. But if it is as bad as your story then you may have to get a new cape and start over.

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www.sagebasin.com
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Good comments packout. That is exactly what I was thinking. Usually if the cape is bad and smells you will typically have a lot of hair slippage. I was thinking towards the line of the skull cap not getting cleaned and starting to rot. But mildew could be the problem. good luck on that one and hopefully it will get resolved for you.

IB
 
I have seen velvet mulies stink, because of the dried blood in the horns, but I have never seen a tanned cape stink, that wasn't moldy. Ask that broad if the cape sat around hydrated in a trash bag before she mounted it. A tanned cape will really get a sour, mildewy smell if kept in a bag too long, and not refrigerated before mounting. Think of laundry that is forgotten in the washing machine, same thing.
 
I know you want to keep the cape. However, soaking it with Febreeze or scrubbing, etc... will be a short term mask for the real problem. Most likely it'll stink again and begin to deteriorate fairly quickly. Sure sounds to me like a new cape is in order. Good Luck. C.C.
 
Packout always has sound advice when it comes to taxidermy work. He is one of the best taxidermists around.


Archery is a year round commitment!!
 
It smells? Doesn't sound good. Ive never had one of my mounts smell when getting it back from my taxi. Just doesn't sound good...
 
I got my sheep mount back last year and it also has an odor. Having never been around a sheep mount before, I just assumed it was normal and hoped it would wear off, now you've got me worried. It's not like I'll find a replacement cape for a bighorn if this becomes necessary. I used a reputable taxi in Colorado even though I live in Al just so everything would turn out right.
 

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