After trying to find the best way to show off the big sheds from the Double G4 Buck, I finally decided to ask taxidermist Rick Whitaker (Whitaker's Wildlife Creations) if he would be willing to mount them to a form. Rick had a great looking cape in his studio and a good plan for mounting the sheds to the form. Here is a pictorial account of mounting the Double G4 sheds. We will also be featuring this process in the first two episodes of MW-OffSeason (which starts this coming Monday).
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The first step in the process is to drill holes in the bases of the antlers. Rick then
epoxied square tubing into the holes. The tubing would serve as the method for
attaching the antlers to the form.
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Rick then mounted a bracket onto the form. A square steel rod sticking out of
each "pedicle" provide the support for the antlers. The steel rods fit into the tubing
installed in each antler and fit into a ball and socket joint in the "pedicle" allowing
for all kinds of adustment. The "pedicles" even move side to side to accomodate
every shape head.
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Here you can see how the antlers slide onto the bracket using the steel bar inside the
hollow tubing glued into each base. Of course, Rick has already adjusted the "pedicles"
and ball and socket joints based on trail camera photos of the buck. You need to be able
to remove the antlers for transport so you don't accidentally tweak the mounting bar and
then have to take the head apart to fix it. This also allows you to potentially put a
different set of sheds on the same form!
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Rick shows where he built up the form to fit around the mouting plate. It is
ready for the hide at this point. He used several trail camera photos I had of the
buck to get the antlers adjusted perfectly.
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Almost done. Rick still has to do the finish work on this mount, but man does it ever
look awesome! Rick found the perfect cape for the buck. You can see poor old G5
Buck in the background. He doesn't get any respect in this photo.
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Just for fun, here's the G5 Buck almost completed. He sure looks like a bull. He
really was a bull. I look forward to getting both heads on the wall in our house.
It is a fascinating process, isn't it? I was very intrigued when Rick first told me about it; after seeing it, I am very impressed. I will have both of the mounts in our booth (#620) at the Iowa Deer Classic next weekend. Stop by, take a look and say hello. Also, if you are interested in having Rick mount a head for you or possibly mount a set of sheds, please look him up at his website (Whitaker's Wildlife Creations).
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