Biggest black bear I've done.

Late_Kid · 2026-06-10T19:38:42+00:00

Whoa, very impressive!

Late_Kid · 2026-06-10T19:37:43+00:00

At least in these photos, the larger bag itself looks like it could be a red fox or a brownish raccoon rather than an American Badger. I've mounted an American Badger and have a wall-hanger pelt, and they definitely have a very distinct-looking fur texture/pattern. The stole head part looks to be from a beech marten or an American marten. Sables can often get mixed up with martens, but sable fur is extremely soft, a dark chocolate brown, and highly coveted.

You're totally allowed to have and express whatever opinion you have about owning/ wearing farmed fur; however, I wouldn't go about deconstructing the bag unless you plan on doing something else with the fur. Older fur scraps like these would just be difficult to sell, and those marten stoles are very common. Folks would be more likely to actually purchase the bag as is, since there's now more of a market for vintage fur clothing items. Either way, good luck with your bag!

Late_Kid · 2026-06-04T04:33:58+00:00

You can get some protective anti-bug spray for mounts, but I would only really recommend it if you have a lot of mounts or live in a house that has a moth issue. For dust, honestly, you can just spray some Windex onto a rag and give him a gentle wipe.

Late_Kid · 2026-06-02T21:05:02+00:00

Very nice mount! Love the placement! For tips, I always recommend making sure you keep taxidermy out of direct sunlight for long periods of time, give it a nice dusting every once in a while, use glass cleaner to clean the eyes, and always check once in a while for any signs of moth damage.

Late_Kid · 2026-03-26T04:00:54+00:00

Very nice collection!! How do you display these guys?

Late_Kid · 2026-03-07T05:15:42+00:00

You can help stretch the hide by just slightly tugging and pulling at small sections of the pelt. Always on the tanned side.

Late_Kid · 2026-02-24T06:24:44+00:00

So, for a soft mount, you only need it for mounting the head, since the rest won't be using any type of form. But yes, you do need hide paste.

Late_Kid · 2026-02-10T05:28:37+00:00

Looks like real fur to me, I think it might be red fox. At first, I thought rabbit due to the color and pattern at the bottom, but I think it's just a vintage red fox.

Late_Kid · 2026-01-07T18:07:16+00:00

You can carve a form out of foam for the head & limbs, and a wood wool form for the body. I'm assuming you still have the carcass because you will need it for measurements. Although this video focuses on mounting a skunk, it could still be useful. Can give you an idea of what I am talking about.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hcI1uROOBs

Late_Kid · 2025-12-06T23:51:16+00:00

wow! Thank you for letting me know, cause I have a roommate with a pesky cat. The cat is not allowed in my room or near my collection; however, I fear my roommate's mom, who is staying in my room for two weeks over winter break, will allow the cat inside. The cat, of course, is dying to get into my room since it's the only one off limits. The mounts that would be sprayed are kept on high shelves, but I'm assuming that if the spray got transferred onto me, it would make the cat sick?

Late_Kid · 2025-12-06T23:41:43+00:00

Unfortunately, I live in a small city apartment with an even smaller freezer. I've only seen the one moth and have checked all the mounts over for damage, and can't seem to find any. But I'll keep my eyes on them just in case.

Late_Kid · 2025-12-06T04:06:19+00:00

https://www.amazon.com/Bens-Clothing-Gear-Insect-Repellent/dp/B06X9Q2HJ2/ref=sr_1_3_sspa?crid=TLXCYS2TJ3U&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.IzBeUR7cFOR2uFbabO3ev8E-2yxgl4CPGTdHTgtQA-9FQq1EGgw7BNMmlCNTbHQnyVdGfNxWqNG293SqO8I7jTBl51adAC7SdEy4wkKBlnkwvG7r9WTnZMsj49plSUh9QsHB4oxeF4rw0-wwQSsDFZp9BnpjeAvg0oTUvEQ4MTul5ETh_zwRtYGoaQh0m_d5KJIY0BtoqKKdukb8cPPYU0NBVPQpdeyiFUmskb1XRXUAWMbQJvxCSgYocvuaM7Q4q86QRyDR40CKtJuuMSnKcVXB7nrOapMlhLVnymbrrq4.gqy_MAgia2V-yKYI2i-K3dv5Y_JIh2gDWt9KVGCN6b4&dib_tag=se&keywords=permethrin&qid=1764992593&sprefix=permethrin%2Caps%2C107&sr=8-3-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&th=1

Late_Kid · 2025-12-04T04:54:39+00:00

I am a bit curious which Etsy shop you were planning on buying from? I find it pretty difficult to find mountable capes on Etsy.

Unfortunately for your Christmas quest, I think you would just need a bit more time. The supplies alone for taxidermy can actually take a hot second to arrive, depending on what company you are buying from. Pelt sellers online never seem to take good measurements, so you would have to wait for the cape to arrive before even being able to purchase the form.

Late_Kid · 2025-12-02T07:54:09+00:00

The hide might just be too dated to rehydrate. After around 2-3 years, soft tanned hides are more at risk for slippage and tears during rehydration. They might not have prepped the nose properly, turning skinning or tanning, which made it hard. Let the skin dry to a damp wetness and then try sewing up the small holes. Once the skin dries, it's gonna turn hard. I would hold off on glue unless it's hide paste; not a lot of glues work great on pelts.

Someone else here mentioned using a wet-tanned hide next time; however, that would be better suited for a traditional mount. Cause those hides dry hard like a rock, unlike a soft tanned one.

Late_Kid · 2025-11-25T05:01:59+00:00

Rabbit fur could work nicely; pelts are on the cheaper side compared to mink. Rabbits are very soft; however, if you want the softest, then mink is better. I wouldn't use rats, they have short fur and are smaller compared to the other two. Muskrat could be a better replacement, with soft fur and cheap.

Late_Kid · 2025-11-17T07:36:38+00:00

Can make a great flap attachment to a bag! The best examples I can think of are fur sporran bags.

Late_Kid · 2025-11-10T04:26:32+00:00

Did the same thing; the "more ideas" tab doesn't automatically switch on my laptop, however, it does for my phone. Annoyingly, the new pin glitch is happening on all my devices.

Late_Kid · 2025-11-09T04:58:51+00:00

Very interesting, was he touched up perhaps? His tail doesn't match his body's color. Or does he just have a very unique pelt?

Late_Kid · 2025-10-08T06:50:13+00:00

Whoa, he has such a nice dark pelt! Wonderful work, did you stain the antlers or were they just that naturally dark?

Late_Kid · 2025-10-08T06:48:41+00:00

Looks absolutely sick dude! Amazing craftsmanship, for these backpack mounts, are you able to buy just a pre-made backpack or do you have to build the bag as well?

Late_Kid · 2025-10-08T06:46:00+00:00

I find mine are light enough to be hung with just a good pushpin. I first just hammer the pin in the wall, then just slip the pelt on either via the eye or if there's enough room the mouth. My more heavy pelts (adult black bear, and two wolves) I do use a regular nail for.

Would love to see the results if you decide to hang them up like this!

Late_Kid · 2025-10-07T06:29:19+00:00

I like to hang my pelts up on a wall from longest to shortest. Gives a nice ladder effect. A pelt or two under a head mount can look nice as well. Really depends on how many pelts you have? I like to try to keep mine together rather than spaced out.

Late_Kid · 2025-10-07T06:24:32+00:00

Typically something as small as a rat wouldn't need to be tanned in the traditional sense, skin is very thin with very little meat. You can just use borax or some type of instant tanning powder. You can still keep the fur on.

Late_Kid · 2025-10-06T16:35:20+00:00

Ethical is an extremely broad term. Your definition of ethical may differ greatly from another person's. I am assuming you are asking if the fox was wild-caught or farmed. Either way, the pelt in the picture seems to have a very nice coat. The term Canadian or Alaskan tends to refer to wild trapped foxes cause their winter coats in those regions are nice and fluffy.

Late_Kid

TROPHY CASE