Got My 2012 Mount Back…A Question?

[Natty Bumppo]

Hey guys…this is only my 2nd mount. It's the biggest buck I've ever gotten. I got him on the very last day of the Mass. muzzleloader season…New Year's eve, 2012 after tracking him in the snow for about an hour and a half. Caught him in a spruce swamp just as he was getting up out of his morning bed. I dragged him home in 2 feet of snow for just under 2 hours...got home well after dark. It was everything I like in a hunt!

My taxidermist takes 18 months on average. He's well know around here, been doing it for 40 years, and does a lot of business. I got the mount back this summer and I noticed it has a strong chemical smell. Over-powering. I've had him in my study all summer and fall with the windows open. Now that it's getting cold I've got to close the windows and the smell is still very strong. The taxidermist said he used an anti-moth treatment on the mount and recommended I refresh it every year. Is this what is causing the smell? I don't want to smell this stuff. And I've got small kids with bedrooms nearby and it bothers me that this thing smells so strongly. Before I go back to the taxidermist I thought I'd ask you all here. Any ideas? Is there a safe way to clean a mount? Should this thing smell so strongly in the first place?

Thanks in advance.

 

[sandbur]

Nice deer and a great story. Have you asked the taxidermist the question?

 

[MA VT Flatlander]

Could be Protex Mount Care by Knoblochs. that is what I use. The smell usually dissaptes in a short amount of time, unless your reaplying is all the time.

 

[Turkey Creek]

I would call your taxidermist and see which chemical he used as well as if the cape was tanned. Then you can do a search on the MSDS sheet for it. I wouldnt want the chemical smell either. Do you typically have a problem with moths in your area? "Bug protection" is a current up sale fad in taxidermy. I do not apply it to any of the mounts I do and see no reason to. I have a showroom that has critters and birds in it that have been mounted for years and they do not have bug damage.

If it was tanned then you could wash the mount below the head. PM me or respond to your thread here before doing so.

 

[Bill]

I've never had one come back with any strong smells. Something doesn't sound right about that.

 

[McLovin]

If he's pumping out a lot of mounts it's probably still wet, hang it somewhere you can heat up a little and put a fan on it.

 

[j-bird]

I have never had one have a strong smell that lasted before - sometimes when they are not 100% dried they has a slight smell, but nothing that should be overwhelming. At least that is my experiance - I would be on the phone with your taxi.

 

[Tree Spud]

I've never had one come back with any strong smells. Something doesn't sound right about that.

x2

 

[Bowsnbucks]

We've got a couple head mounts at our place and there was never a smell of any kind - let alone a strong one.

 

[dipper]

was the skin tanned? I've heard of moth issues on skins that were treated with dry preservative, but Ive never dealt with it because I tan everything.
The mount itself doesn't look bad so the guy must have some skill. I would stop using this chemical and call this taxidermist and ask him specifically why you should be using it. I'm interested in his response.

 

[Jordan Selsor]

You shouldn't have any odor period. Call him up an ask him what he used. Tell him it's still stinking up your house. Does it come from a specifc area on the mount? Or is it the whole thing?

 

[MA VT Flatlander]

http://www.taxidermy.net/forums/DeerTaxiArticles/04/d/04335701F1.html
Deer mount irreparably damaged by moths?

 

[Natty Bumppo]

Thanks for all the feedback guys. I appreciate it. I called my taxidermist today when I got home from work. All of his work is commercially tanned. He then uses a chemical called Pro-Tex for moth control. He told me that in all the years he's done this he's never had this happen. He said maybe I just have an extra-sensitive nose. He said he's never heard of a mount of his smelling. He suggested two things…1) to spray the mount wit some kind of a "hair sheen" product. He admitted that this will only mask the smell. 2) He said I could try to clean it with a mild Borax solution with a slightly damp cotton cloth.

I'm heading out to sit in my stand for the evening. Just wanted to respond quickly with my thanks to you all and my conversation with the taxi.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

You shouldn't have any odor period. Call him up an ask him what he used. Tell him it's still stinking up your house. Does it come from a specifc area on the mount? Or is it the whole thing?

The whole thing Jordan. The whole thing smells…strong chemical like smell. The odor is pervasive in my study.

 

[Turkey Creek]

http://www.taxidermy.net/forums/DeerTaxiArticles/04/d/04335701F1.html
Deer mount irreparably damaged by moths?

That just muddied the water. Can insects cause damage? Yes. Do thy normally cause damage to a mount that is properly done, and hung in a relatively bug free environment? Rarely. To say that every taxidermy mount needs to doused in some strong smelling bug killer, that in this case bothers the owner, is the question.

 

[Greta&Gus]

Nice buck. I would bring the mount back to the taxidermist and see if he smells it. Also, is there a chance the smell is actually coming from something else in your house?

 

[willy]

spray it down with scent killer and see how long that lasts