I harvested a 706 pound male bear in 2011. The taxidermist i used destroyed my skull when he removed it. I had a full mount done and i do not think he used the proper form. The bear has several skin rolls in the neck and under the arms, The skull scores 21 3/16 the way it sits Boone and Crocket says 3 + inches missing. Spent alot of money to be disapointed and get poor service.And no respect for a great bear like this. From some one who is suppose to be a pro. anyone know about taxidermy.
my pa bear
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If I am reading what u are saying rite that would put that black bears skull at over 24 inches. If I am not mistaken I think that would be some kind of record. That's a shame I would imagine that's a once in a lifetime mount for a taxi. U think he/she would take more care with it.
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May i ask who did this mount?
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I heard of a horror story about a huge skull messed up that was a possible record earlier this year. From what I heard it was a taxi on Wismer Road outside of Doylestown in Bucks county. Also heard the taxi first bought the wrong size form for the bear and wanted to charge the customer for a new one even though it was his mistake. How much of thuis is true I don't know. When I heard of the skull size I thought it mayhave been an over estimate. If this bear could have been a state or world record my heart breaks for u and for the state of Pa in having a world class bear taken here. I am sick just thinking of it.
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That would make him one of the 3 largest in Papaulie 67 said:
you herd the story right. my wife and i harvested the bear in Wayne county pa state game land. The estimated live weight was 706. have lots of pics befor and after and great pics of a destroyed skull. When we measured him hanging upside down it was 95 inch from bottom of foot to top of head. so i know it was stretched out. Now that the mount is done its only 6 foot. talked to other taxidermists they all say the thing if it has big wrinkles in the skin the form is more than likely to small or not built up. very dissiponted this guy showed no remorse for the loss and did not care did not ofer a break at the end. He got hurt skinning my animal and kind of brouhgt it up a few times. but i look at it this way. thats not my fault that could have happend on any animal occupational hazzerd.and the head was droped befor that. I trusted this guy from the steart cause i never had to oppertunity to handle something this larg.that was my mistake cant fix it now. Learned alot to help someone els not make the same mistakes. try to get some pics out.
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I'm with Paul C, I would LOVE to see pictures of this beast.
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Who is the taxidermist? And please post pics to back up what you are saying.
As to size, we measure nose to base of tail, not head to hind foot, but a bear over 700 pounds is probably in the 80"+ nose to butt with a belly at least 60" around the middle. There ARE black bear forms in this size, anything bigger requires making those forms bigger or just altering a big grizzly/brown bear form. There is no excuse for any taxidermist to not be able to alter a form to make it bigger. Long blade reciprocating saw, lots of 2 part taxidermy urethane foam, and threaded rods run through to add stability.
As to the skull, how does one drop a huge bear skull when it's raw and break it? If it was already cleaned, it would still have to hit a hard floor with alot of force to really mess it up - and the broken sections got lost? Was he playing baseball with it and it was being used as the baseball?
Now if you shot it in the head, that would cause damage depending on caliber and load, but you can make sure to clean it and save every broken bit and glue it back together. The gluing may still disqualify it from the official record book, but you will get very accurate measurements if it is put back together right. Did you shoot it in the head?
As to size, we measure nose to base of tail, not head to hind foot, but a bear over 700 pounds is probably in the 80"+ nose to butt with a belly at least 60" around the middle. There ARE black bear forms in this size, anything bigger requires making those forms bigger or just altering a big grizzly/brown bear form. There is no excuse for any taxidermist to not be able to alter a form to make it bigger. Long blade reciprocating saw, lots of 2 part taxidermy urethane foam, and threaded rods run through to add stability.
As to the skull, how does one drop a huge bear skull when it's raw and break it? If it was already cleaned, it would still have to hit a hard floor with alot of force to really mess it up - and the broken sections got lost? Was he playing baseball with it and it was being used as the baseball?
Now if you shot it in the head, that would cause damage depending on caliber and load, but you can make sure to clean it and save every broken bit and glue it back together. The gluing may still disqualify it from the official record book, but you will get very accurate measurements if it is put back together right. Did you shoot it in the head?
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Sounds to me like it should have been put on a grizzly form and not a black bear form. I am certainly not an expert or a taxidermist. However, I do know a guy that had a bear similar in size to yours that was done on a grizzly form! It came out beautifully. So sorry to hear!
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Yep heard same thing from my taxi awhile backrizz form for big pa bears
I agree with foxtrapperwoman on the skull being destroyed. It takes alot to damage one beyond repair. My gut feeling is it might have been boiled too long to clean...to a point where it crumbles and there's not much to do with it after that. Sounds like someone who might boil a trophy skull when they shouldn't be cleaned that way.
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