You took the time to scout out the best hunting spot to bag your trophy game animal. After you bagged it, you wanted to preserve its skull to create a skull mount to hang on your wall. You may have decided to also get the full taxidermy treatment and preserve the entire head.
Hopefully, you used skull cleaning beetles to preserve the delicate structures of the skull and fully remove all muscle and flesh. If not, make a note to use them in the future because they will help keep other bugs and pests away from your mount.
No matter what type of mount you have, there are some important taxidermy aftercare tips you need to know to ensure your mount lasts and maintains its appearance.
Tip #1: Don’t Mishandle Your Mounts
You should carefully handle each of your mounts. Think of them as an investment, much like a painting, collector’s vase, or any other such valuable. Make sure the mounts are hung high enough off the floor so your children and pets cannot get to them.
Tip #2: Do Dust Your Mounts Weekly
Dust can accumulate on mounts and be a distraction. You can use a soft cloth or feather duster to gently dust off the mounts. For full taxidermy mounts, use a soft brush to brush the hair and loosen any dust, and then use a vacuum with a dusting attachment to carefully remove the dust.
Tip #3: Do Polish the Antlers
If you want the antlers on your mount to have a slight shine, you can polish them using an appropriate product. Ask your deer skull cleaning taxidermist which products are best to use for your mount.
Tip #4: Don’t Hang Mounts in Direct Sunlight
The UV rays from the sun can cause skull mounts to fade and yellow. For full taxidermy mounts, direct sunlight will cause the hair to fade. Take into consideration any windows in the room and the direction the sunlight comes into the windows when hanging your mounts.
Tip #5: Do Maintain the Right Humidity Levels Indoors
In the summer, you want to dehumidify the room by running your air conditioning. In the winter, make sure to check humidity levels with a humidistat and run a humidifier in the house to increase humidity levels. Just be careful to not run the humidifier where the water vapor can get onto your mounts.
Tip #6: Don’t Hang Mounts Near Sources of Heat
Heat tends to dry out mounts. Make sure there is not a register vent that is going to blow warm air from your furnace onto the mount. You should also not hang a mount next to a wood-burning stove. However, hanging a mount over the fireplace after verifying heat won’t be an issue is considered safe.
Tip #7: Do Show Off Your Mounts
After you get your mount finished, show it off to your family and friends. Feel free to post plenty of pictures on your favorite social media site. If you used a deer skull cleaning taxidermist, remember to tag them in the post.
By taking the time to use these taxidermy aftercare tips, you are sure to get years of enjoyment out of your trophy game mounts.
For more great tips and professional skull clean services or to purchase your own skull-cleaning beetles, please feel free to contact Kodiak Bones & Bugs Taxidermy through our website or by calling (907) 942-2847 today!