One more mount to go - Need your ideas

[RichD]

I've been mounting skulls from my Botswana trip and could use your ideas for the warthog. Here are pics of the plaque with and without the skull. Mouth open.or closed?

 

[RichD]

I've been mounting skulls from my Botswana trip and could use your ideas for the warthog. Here are pics of the plaque with and without the skull. Mouth open.or closed?

Here are the other mounts I did.

 

[RichD]

The kudu is at the taxidermist for a shoulder mount.

 

[buck wild]

IMO if you are hanging flat on the wall, you won’t get much by opening the warthog skull. If you did a 3D panel, opening is cool.

 

[RichD]

A 3D panel? I'm not sure what that would be.

 

[Nyati]

View attachment IMG_2478.JPG

 

[Nyati]

 

[baxterb]

View attachment 581351

Wow. Those are mega nice. Classy.

 

[PARA45]

@RichD, what kind of wood are you using. I like it what you are doing.

 

[Hunt anything]

IMO swine with bigger lower tusk (European boar, bushpig and feral hogs) look ok with the mouth open but warthog with their large upper tusk look best with the mouth closed.

 

[RichD]

@RichD, what kind of wood are you using. I like it what you are doing.

Thank you. Using beetle kill pine aka blue pine. Pine bark beetles are killing millions of pines and a blue/gray tint is left behind.

 

[RichD]

IMO swine with bigger lower tusk (European boar, bushpig and feral hogs) look ok with the mouth open but warthog with their large upper tusk look best with the mouth closed.

Good point noted. Closed it is.

 

[RichD]

View attachment 581347

How is the skull attached to the plaque?

 

[Nyati]

How is the skull attached to the plaque?

Glued, but no idea as to what kind of glue, my taxidermist did it.

 

[PARA45]

Thank you. Using beetle kill pine aka blue pine. Pine bark beetles are killing millions of pines and a blue/gray tint is left behind.

Looks more exotic than pine. LOL!!! Great work.

 

[ILDRHNTR]

Beautiful skull mounts!! Please share pics of the kudu when you get it back.

 

[RichD]

Beautiful skull mounts!! Please share pics of the kudu when you get it back.

Thank you. I will post. Here it is in the field.

 

[RichD]

Here you go. I sent pics to my wife while I was in Botswana. She said I had to do a shoulder mount on this one. I should have done a shoulder on the gemsbok as well. Next time...

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Mouth closed

and mouth open

Mounting with mouth open is easier said than done. I use long fine wood screws to lock jaws open on bear skulls for clients, and it is tricky. However, jaw structure on warthogs is significantly different. Difficult to find a way to run the screw through to bone strong enough to accept the screw. I used copper wire on this one ... and not very effectively.

Both these skulls need more work. SA taxidermist left too much grease in them ... among a ton of other screwups.

 

[RichD]

I finished the warthog, finally. Hanging up over my reloading table.