BigBuck,
Sounds like you're not having a good day. These guys are trying to help you understand some variables that may have been a factor with your cape.
You've caped 15 or so and had them come out great. That's good. Most taxidermists have caped 1000's if they've been in business for 5+ years. I think the point that is being made here is that some animals have bad spots on them before you ever kill them, due to bruising, infection, skin defects, illness, past scars/wounds, etc. I'm not saying this was the case, but it is a very real occurrence.
The other point that is being made is this: Most hunters sever the neck about 4-8 inches below the head and leave the rest intact while they take it to the taxidermist for final caping. This can pose a problem that they are not aware of. These deer or any other animal for that matter have millions of bacteria in their windpipes from the stomach and digestive tract. These bacteria come in contact with the skin right at the location the esophagus contacts the skin just below the white patch. The head continues to produce heat which allows the bacteria to flourish, and the skin and hair insulates the warmth inside the throat causing the bacteria to go wild. (they thrive in warm damp environments) Bacteria deposit their digestive enzymes all over the area to break down the "food" skin they are attempting to consume. This is what causes the hair to fall out. Many times this will not cause the hair to fall out immediately but during the rigors of the tanning process it will fall out in the area previously affected by the bacteria.
This are the very reasons that taxidermists and tanneries have a clause that reads something like: tanning is at the customer's own risk......
They've seen too many capes mishandled by customers before they arrive at the shop. (I can't believe how many capes I get that are cut too short, or split halfway up the brisket. Or capes that guys cape out all the way and cut off the eyelids and the lips.) I'm not blaming you for this, I'm just mentioning it as a fact most taxidermists will agree with.
Sorry to go into this long description, but it may serve a purpose for someone else who may chance upon it.
Any taxidermist worth his salt can tell you with no problem whether a hide has a natural bald spot,(skin will be dark colored) a bald spot caused by a fall through the rocks,(skin will be rough and appear like the back side of a chamois) hair slippage caused by bacteria,(skin will be white) or a spot that was shaved too thin by the tannery to retain the hair roots.(skin will be paper thin) There should be no question as to which of these options it was.
If the spot was cut out before you saw it, I would surmise someone did not want you to see why the hair fell out. If my tannery cut a spot large enough to ruin a cape, I'm sure they would offer to replace the cape at no charge.
The bottom line is the cape is toast, and it's too bad. But, the good news is there are lots of capes for sale for a couple hundred bucks that are just as big, and if you know what you're looking for you can find one that's probably better looking than the one you lost.
Good luck whatever you decide to do.
DBD