Am I being too paranoid about my bear mount?

My bear was just completed and honestly im not sure if I am 100% satisfied with it.
I need your advise please

I honestly do not remember his muzzle being so light.. Is it possible during the tanning process for the hair to lighten up?

I have attached a few photos of him in the tree before I shot him and the mount
What do you think??

Same bear?

http://i577.photobucket.com/albums/ss211/Antleroutwest/Bear%20PIctures%202010/50b7df19.jpg" alt="" />
http://i577.photobucket.com/albums/ss211/Antleroutwest/Bear%20PIctures%202010/c5d17041-1-1.jpg" alt="" />
http://i577.photobucket.com/albums/ss211/Antleroutwest/Bear%20PIctures%202010/0abfc8aa.jpg" alt="" />
http://i577.photobucket.com/albums/ss211/Antleroutwest/Bear%20PIctures%202010/6305050f.jpg" alt="" />
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amp713
Wow that looks different i wish i could be of help but i dont know.... and i wouldnt say you are being too paranoid i would be questioning it myself!
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TheGreatwhitehunter
Wow that looks different
 Yes, that does not look as dark, but the mount looks pretty good
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a_bow_nut
If it had been out runnig it's muzzle along the ground eating grass it might have darkend it up a bit. Mount looks nice either way.
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Default Avatar
I'm not an expert but it sure seems fishy to me. Maybe take the pics to your taxidermist and ask why there is a color difference. That way it doesn't sound accusatory and if he made an honest mistake he has the opprotunity to own up to it, or tell ya what caused it if it's part of the process. But my Dad's bear rug was the same color mounted as in the field.
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NONYA
Doesnt look like the same hide to me,just MO.
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killerbee
boy thats a tough one, it does have alot of (???) to it. the muzzle is way lighter, but even the color of the head/neck seem different. i'd hate to accuse a taxi of something and be wrong, but it could be an honest mistake. it does look good though :thumb

is it the same size?
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MuleyMadness
The hide looks the same to me, but your right the muzzle doesn't. But I don't have a clue about bear mounts so my opinion is just that.
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AntlersOutWest
"a_bow_nut" wrote:If it had been out runnig it's muzzle along the ground eating grass it might have darkend it up a bit. Mount looks nice either way.
 It was almost mid Novemeber and 2 feet of snow??
You would think that he would have cleaned up a bit

Thats the tough thing I hate to accuse my taxi of anything and id hate to complain.
Could the tannery may have switched it out?

I know that they shrink a bit and they have to adjust to the form. When I had him skinned out from nose to tail it was 6.5 foot.. Now completed it is 5.4 ft

Even the fur doesnt seem as long as it was

](*,) Im just making myself sick over it!
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Default Avatar
The muzzle looks like a different animal to me.I have seen quite a few chocolate bears and have never seen one as dark in the muzzle as your I think that is rare and is pretty good incentive for "someone" to switch them out. I think you should show the taxi the pics above and ask him what he thinks. Is there anyone else who may have switched besides the taxi or tannery? Maybe an outfitter or guide? I know I would be looking to get to the bottom of it. Bill
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AntlersOutWest
huntindad-
I did not have a outfitter. The bear was in my possession for a day before I took him straight to the taxidermist. from then on out who knows.
Thanks for all your comments..
If it was switched out theres nothing I can do about it.. Still makes me angry tho
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NONYA
Hide was probably switched at the tannery,some of them have a knack for messin S%^$ up.
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WinMag
My opinion is that it's not the same bear. I would definitely investigate further.
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amp713
"AntlersOutWest" wrote:huntindad-
I did not have a outfitter. The bear was in my possession for a day before I took him straight to the taxidermist. from then on out who knows.
Thanks for all your comments..
If it was switched out theres nothing I can do about it.. Still makes me angry tho
I dont think you should give in so easily on this. I would def investagate further who knows maybe someone else is wondering what happened to that bright muzzle that brought there attention to the bear they shot. Ya you may not get anywhere with it but if your not willing to take the risk you will never know.
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ABert
I had something similiar happen to me with a deer mount a few years ago. I was overseas at the time and my brother picked up the mount from the taxi. It was somewhat of a unique buck as it was a true 6X6 (three forks) with a kicker on each side. Well, my brother picked up a 6X6 with a kicker on each side but questioned it once he got it home. Just didn't seem to have the mass nor the size. He sent me pictures and sure enough it wasn't the same deer. Went back to the taxi with pictures in hand and came to find out that he gave my deer to another guy who had shot a 6X6, too.

Long story short, the taxi called the other guy and said I gave you the wrong mount. The guy responded that he didn't recall his deer having as much mass or size and had no problem getting his deer and bringing mine back.

Moral of the story, bring your pictures in and it may have been an honest mistake. You just might get your bear back, providing it wasn't made into a rug already.
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sneekeepete
"ABert" wrote: Moral of the story, bring your pictures in and it may have been an honest mistake. You just might get your bear back, providing it wasn't made into a rug already.
 I think that is a good Idea. It sure doens't look like the same Bear to me.
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NONYA
Its not the same hide and I would raise HELL untiol they make it right! ](*,) =;
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The Ox
geez tough spot! id say like everyone else bring the pics in! 6.5 ft to 5.4??? sounds like a pretty huge shrinkage. im no taxi but i cant imagin it shrinking a whole foot! id talk to the taxi! good luck hope it works out!
be sure to update your findings!
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killerbee
where is BIG R? we need him to ask his wife, i believe she does taxi work??? if it wasn't my bear, i'd be raising hell.
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a_bow_nut
AOW,

I wasn't aware that this was a fall hunt and no it shouldn't have changed that much. The others are right that the hide shouldn't have shrank that much. When we have measured our hides for taxidermy we always measure it right when it comes off the animal so that we know what size of form to order. When the hide gets back fron the tannery it will have shrunk some but with a little work it will streach back to it's origanl size.

It wouldn't hurt to ask your taxidermist what he thinks because it might just be a mix up.
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fatrooster
I would definitely take my pictures in to the taxidermist and try to get an explanation. Goodluck and let us know what happens. fatrooster.
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brn2hunt
I saw that you posted this picture on taxinet also. The people over there really know what they are talking about. I would say that its the same one
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killerbee
you got s link? i would trust a group of taxi's over us , but i can see where a ? come from,
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AntlersOutWest
Here is the link if you are interested. http://www.taxidermy.net/forum/index.php/topic,205737.0.html

I thought all the comments make sence so what to do is the question.. Im still going to call my taxi and see what he says today.

Thanks guys!
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NONYA
Ask them to explain how scars disappear and reappear in different spots during the taxidermy process,if you compare your pics its obvious your live bear had a scar on its muzzle,not there in the mount,and a bunch of scars near the eye on the mount dont appear to be on the live bear,color and size aside,thats not the same hide.Poke around and seeif your bullet wounds are even in the right plae,entrance and exit,you should be able to find where they were sewn up.
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Default Avatar
Hmmmm, looks different to me. My dad is a taxidermist and he has never come across a shirinkage like that from a tannery. Be polite about it with your taxidermist at first, progress as needed i guess. Good luck to you.
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Loafer
Asking questions or having concerns about something is not being accusatory. If he gets ticked over a couple questions I'd be really suspicious of the guy.
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waynedevore
Your pics taken on a dark overcast and snowing environment are going to be a lot different then dry lighted conditions. Wet, dark bear verses dry, lighted bear are going to be different. OK, the hide going through the tanning process gets some pretty heavy treatment.

The taxidermist must have placed a wire and tag?

Yup, check where the bullet entered, you will be able to feel at least a depression, a hole in the hide. Let us know.
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brn2hunt
You should be able to find stitches from sewing up the spot where your bear was shot.
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one hunting fool
Sorry antlers, that is not the same bear. nose color is off and this bear was a spring bear hide i would say. your bear should have a thicker coat. and like nonya said the scars are not on the bear like the one above the eye. your bears nose is a brown color not black, which mark the brown muzzle. I have skinned a lot of critters and after we had them tanned we have never had one come back a different color. the color of the nose is a dead giveaway. some hides may be dirty do to the den or rolling in some mud and that could mask the true color but color of an animals nose never changes color. my dad once gat a grey fox with a white nose and had it mounted. it is rare to have the white nose most are black. he sold the mount for 3 times what the others sold for because of just that.
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Default Avatar
Maybe I missed it on a different thread, but have you contacted your taxidermist? I'm curious about the process/outcome just incase it ever happens to me.
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Default Avatar
I too am curious as to what happened with this one. It didn't look like the same bear to me.. but you never know. Anyone know what happened? (???)
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Default Avatar
For what it's worth......

This is my bear they day after i shot him in the first pic, 2 1/2 years later mounted and i don't see much of a difference, looking at the muzzle for the best comparisson. As far as being wet and color changing it rained for a week straight so that bear was soaked when i killed him. Spring hunt. Hide didn't shrink hardly at all from when i got it back from the tannery
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Default Avatar
I'm not an expert Care, but the hide looks different to me. Look at the right ear on your bear and the muzzle hair of your bear in the picture the day you took your bear. The right ear is rounded and even but on the mount, it isn't. Look at the muzzle color...it's almost the same color as the nose but on the mount there's a definite color difference. Hard to tell from just these pictures but I'm sure you have more and can compare more character traits your bear had to the mount. May not hurt to get another opinion from another taxi and see what they have to say.
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Default Avatar
Sure dont look like the same bear. Have you figured this out yet?
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AntlersOutWest
Well.. I honestly still have mixed feelings about it. I called the taxi He told me that they take special measures in marking the hide different ways so that situtations like this dont happen. He said that any animal is going to be dirty. Well they do live in the woods, roll in dead stuff, mud, ect ect.. and when the tannery gets ahold of them they go through several detergent / solvent washes to clean the hide. Which makes sence
We skinned the bear on the mountain because we were 3 or so miles back in, the taxi did not have the exact measurements so the bear looks like he was on a major diet since I took him.
Also on the head.. I did not cape out the head because I was afraid of screwing it up. Who knows maybe the kid at the taxi did a shitty job skinning the head out hence the scars
He reinsured me that this was my bears hide and he would do anything to make me happy.

Honestly I dont know what to think. Still dont think hes mine but there is nothing I can do so Ive come to terms that Gary the Bear is mine and one of these days ill get a Bigger one lol

Sharpstick- You should come over and look at him in person and tell me what you think. His ears have been chopped in half I think maybe to do with the taxi process. give me a call 640-6796
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killerbee
your between a rock and a hard place. i dont think it's the sme, but at this point you would just have to be down right mean and angry with the guy to get something together.

he does have a point, but mud and dirt dont change the color of the hair on the nose :-k
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AntlersOutWest
I know I know.. I make myself sick just thinking about it! Its hard to trust anyone anymore. Whatever animal I get mounted next im definetley going to pay more attention to the hide before I send it in.
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a_bow_nut
That really sucks that you have had to go through this. One suggestion that I will make for the furture hides you send out. Make a mark on it once it has been fleshed out and is ready to go to the tannery and when it gets back ask the taxidermist if you can check the hide before they start the mounting process to ensure that it is your hide that came back.
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fatrooster
Thats a good idea bownut. fatrooster.
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amp713
i like that idea to and think ill try it if i ever take something to get mounted instead of doing it ourselves but what kind of mark would you do?? Pen or marker could get taken off in the process of getting it ready and everything, maybe a cut somewhere???
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a_bow_nut
We will leave some extra hide on the shoulder area and then cut some notches or V shapes into the edge of the hide. We leave enough hide that when it's time to mount it up it will be trimmed off as extra hide and thrown away that way the cuts won't affect the mount. We haven't done any full body mounts yet but I think that a couple of cuts in a place that it would be easy to sew up and hide would work also.
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Default Avatar
Might want to look into that one, I think I'dbe doing the same thing.
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