Got an 8 1/2 ft brown bear last fall, the skull and hide are prepared, ready to be made into a rug. I'm having last minute doubts, thinking I want a full mount. Odds are I won't be getting back to Alaska for another brown bear hunt, so which would you do? Here's a picture of the bear (he's lying where he died, we couldn't turn him over (I have a heart condition)for a more traditional shot) as well as some of the mounts I'm considering. It'll be about $2000 more for a full mount.
I probably have to make this decision no later that early next week. The best answer would probably be to make a rug and then go hunting with Phil Shoemaker and get a 9 plus footer for a full mount, but I haven't been to Africa yet and that's going to take priority. I probably don't have the money or time left to do both. Thanks!


My bear:




Some mounts I like:





If I did this mount I'd want his feet much closer to the ground so his relative size would be more realistic.

Rug!

I've got to vote rug also. Great looking bear though. What did the skull end up going?

25" His body was bigger than his head lol. It was a great hunt, I shot him at 13 yards, we saw each other at the exact same time. Can't say enough good things about Jason Fawcett, my guide, and Mark Young for setting up a hunt where my heart condition wasn't a huge issue.

Rug! There,memories will still abound: the first sighting where your pulse escalated, the stalk amd heightened concern to close the deal mounting with every step, that eternal second or three time stood still from first touching the trigger to the understanding the round actually went off, and the sense of elation that slowly cascaded over your whole being once realization that the bear was yours finally sunk in. These will never be lessened because it was not a full mount...

Sounds like you should be going to Africa soon...

best,
bhtr

I'm partial to the first pose.....

My bear is just about the exact same size as yours. I had a full mount done and have never been sorry. Rugs take up an awful lot of wall or floor space, if that is an issue (it was for me). Either way, you will have a magnificent trophy.

Chuck,

My bear was right about that general size too. I had it tanned and could not make the decision betwixed the rug or mount either. I simply have it hanging over a railing right now. Pragmatism got the best of me and I rationalized that with the $$ I saved on a full mount, I'm 1/3 of the way to going back for another.

It appears that i need to go on a big bear hunt! cause those look awesome!

I have two rugs & three lifesize bears in my room.

Rugs are cool but take up a whole lotta room or wall space.
I've had people walk across mine also.



A rug will make a bear look a lot bigger too.

Mounts are expensive.
If you are considering hunting for a bigger bear, save the money towards your next hunt.

Just my $.02

One thing to consider is the fact that the trophy only has real value to you, not to your kin or your survivors after you pass away. A life size mount that cost you $4,000.00 or more will be difficult for your heirs to dispose of and will be worth a pittance compared to its original cost.

The older I get, the more I am starting to think that a tanned hide is a nice trophy in its own right.

You only live so long and only get to go on so many hunts. That bear deserves a full mount. You won't regret it.

Unless you can see and evaluate the work of the taxi you choose, you can't know how true your mount might turn out either. Therefore, the rug is less likely to be screwed up. (Perhaps I make a poor client, but in my view there is nothing worse than getting a nice trophy and having it botched by poor taxidermy.)

Of the three poses you like, the second looks most unnatural, while the first looks most. (The third is a 'classic' pose, though bears don't generally do the house cat pose where it looks like they're ready to swat a ball of yarn. I know the taxi wants to show off the paws, but standing bears generally look more curious - because that's what most often gets them upright like that- but their 'arms' should be more down and ready, rather than threatening.)

I think my bear will look more like the 2nd pose, but like the first pose better. I've emailed my taxidermist to see if it's still a possibility. If not, I'll be happy with my rug!

The major boo-boo in the second pose is the way the bear's right 'arm' is held unnaturally up. Getting it down in more of a 'tool' pose would be more natural, if that matters.

You're right....in my response I meant the first pose, which is what mine appears to be. More natural......

I'd be for the rug.

I am going to have to make that same decision soon. I am planning on a full body mount. My bear is 9'3". I hope once the hide is rewetted and measured that the full body mount forms I am interested in will work. Would like a mount like your fist picture or a halfstanding paws hanging pose in some natural habitat.
Like has been said before brown bears take up a ton of wall space. Thats a good part of the reason for a full mount. Good luck, Dean

FYI, mine measured the same.

Well mine was only 8'6" but he was really really fat lol!

Just one thing worse...........


posting a pic of the banjo bear on the 24HCF!!!

But, good point about knowing ahead of time what to expect from the taxi. Also, a lifesize bear will take a bit of room space as well. I vote rug!

My wife will be happier with rug, though she'll only let me put it downstairs in the "man cave" lol ... A full mount would have to be a "surprise"...

Great bear there, and I wish I had your problem. If one has a lodge like room and enough ceiling such that the bear fits in as opposed to dominating the space, then do a full body. I'd be more inclined though to do a rug. A wall displayed rug can complement a smaller room than a full body.

I have what I consider to be two huge living rooms, one with a 16 ft ceiling. A walking postion mount, shelved about 8 ft off the floor might work in the taller room. Anything else standing on the floor would be a bit much for either room.

I live in some pretty fair elk country, and one see numerous elk shoulder mounts around town. Most are handsomely displayed in garages. A face on 6 by elk mount under an 8 foot ceiling has the nose bumping most folks in the navel and projects out about 3 ft into the room. That leaves a lot of floor space that is unusable. Mounts simply look a bit more imposing to me if we look up at them.

The monster Kodiak bear from this spring is likely going to be a full body mount "climbing" around a door frame so the head is at least 10-12' off the floor and looking down with a "You owe me money" sort of look...

But it is going to require a remodel to get there...

Rugs take up too much space. I give away my brown bear hides because there simply is not enough room to display them in the average home. I have two places where a typical brown bear rug COULD go... Either would require moving a number of other critters around and that would not work.

Still waiting to see what a certain webmaster is going to do with one from some time back...

how about a 3/4 mount?

STILL LIFESIZE!

I just spoke to Tom Hardesty, owner of Atcheson Taxidermy where my rug was being made. Good news on two fronts. My bear has not gone past the point of no return and my wife Ok'd a full mount! Tom will credit my payment for the rug towards the full mount, do any of you have any experience with Atcheson Taxidermy? Tom has been absolutely fabulous with me and as long as their work is comparable with Animal Artistry, Jonas Brothers, etc. I'd like to give him my business. If there's any doubt I'm going to go with Animal Artistry. Please PM me with your opinion?

Thanks!

One peek at the website does not show work in the same league with Animal Artistry or other top taxidermists, IMO... But then their prices are quite a bit lower...

Thanks, Sitka, same input I'm getting from others. I'm going to call Animal Artistry tomorrow and have Tom send my bear to them ...

Thanks

My 10 footer is the focal point of my trophy room.
I had wanted a standing bear since I was a kid, they do take up less room, but I've seen some great looking bears on all fours too.

I wanted his arms down and his mouth agape as if testing the wind or checking something out off in the distance which is they stand in the first place...

That is one awesome mount Salmonella!

Beautiful! My bear is on his way to Animal Artistry. I like this bear (from a wildlife photo) but he needs to be a bit meaner looking otherwise I'll get a lot of grief.



So maybe the bear above with a look like this?

Real, not meaner.

That's a great mount.

Here's one a buddy of mine shot on Kodiak -- a good example of a mount on all fours. Beautiful bear -- big skull, thick fur, only a small rubbed patch on his rump.



It was a 10+ footer, and the skull is solid B&C. I wrote the story for Sports Afield magazine (March/April 2011). The title is "A Kodiak Promise." Way back when we were kids, Tom and I built a treehouse together and while wrangling scraps of lumber up into a big red oak we dreamed about hunting Alaska. Some 40 years later Tom made a 5-mile stalk right at the end of his hunt, and connected on a 315-yard shot for this bear.

Steve.

Scalp and ears on the wall, teeth and claws on a necklace. You can make him any size you want!

A full mount brown bear is only "magnificent" justice that they deserve.

40 plus years up here and I have never killed one- nor desire to do so. Sure watched a bunch tho - even sampled the eating a couple times. Meat ain't that special that I'll kill one for eats, even secondarily.. and killing one for hide and hair only seems wasteful.

Personal preference - YMMV, and have at it. But that's a right fine bear!

Thanks much las.

salmonella that is a beautiful mount....very life-like.

Harry,

I thought long and hard about a standing mount for mine, after seeing your mount in pics some time ago.

Ended up deciding to go with him on all fours, partly because he has some thin belly hair, but mostly to keep him as natural as possible.

Should be done in next couple of weeks....

Salmonella - took this photo a few weeks ago, not far from Cordova, AK. Curious bear trying to get a look at a bunch of us fly fishermen after the silvers. Sorry for the photo quality - I didn't feel like sneaking closer for a better shot, armed with my 8wt rod...



Very natural pose - I've seen it many times. They stand up to look and scent. What is that over there? Your bear mount reflects that well.

Regards, Guy

Just to clarify, should it be needed, my "natural" comment wasn't directed at Harry's bear or bears in general, just in context of what my bear was doing at the time....

Definitely not uncommon for them to scurry through a willow patch or cross a small rise and then raise up on their 'hind legs' to get a last look at the bothersome troublemakers that have challenged their space. They're dominant, but not dumb; and they're never pretentious like some poses suggest. (And their threatening postures certainly appear much more fearsome than snarling mouths and raised paws!)

That cartoon hits the mark! I have no clue why folks want aggressive mounts typically... used to hear it all the time, want my bobcat walking through the woods snarling mouth open. How many have you seen like that?

Lifelike is how I"d want my stuff done. Boars are about the only thing that I can deal with, mouth open, unless it fits the scene. Rugs I even feel are much better off closed mouth.

I agree, but he can't be so cute that I get grief for shooting Yogi from every woman that comes in the house lol

If it was my bear, I would full mount it....beautiful animals.

I decided to, thank you. I'm having my bear sent to Animal Artistry

Funny how this trend came along of bashing open mouth aggressive mounts, like the more docile you make it the better you are????
I've seen as many horrible (smiling) closed mouth mounts as I have open/aggresive mounts.





I'm cool with any natural pose as long as the taxidermy is of HIGH quality., and who says open mouth poses aren't natural?

To my way of thinking, jaws and claws are what makes a predator in the first place, so why not show those features off if you want?

What the animal is doing don't dictate the quality of the mount as long as it is anatomically correct.

Power.

I think your mount is gorgeous sal as is your bear, I'm just trying to figue out what's right for my bear.

When I shot my bear at 13 yards (he was walking towards out of sight along the lake shore), we saw each other at the same instant. He rolled twice then tore off into the willows. I couldn't get a second shot in without blowing my guide's left ear drum out (the bear moved from my left to my right towards us, but my guide was two feet ahead of me to my right) out so I held fire. I'm sure his mouth was open at one point but I couldn't see him at that instant because my guide was between me and the bear. I wish I could've seen him, because I would've dropped him there and saved a lot of grief dragging him out of the willows (though going into the willows after him was exciting). I was going to have my rug closed mouth, but I definitely want the standing mount with his mouth open. You guys have been a great help so keep it coming ...


So far for the taxidermy I've seen, I like this pose for my bear

Have you see the selection of bear poses on Animal Artistry's web page?

http://www.animalartistry.com/pb/bears-b.php

I have, of all of the standing ones, I like number 5 best ... They do beautiful work.

Thanks

The subject of Animal Artistry pose #17 above used to live on Chicagof Island, but he now resides in my greatroom.

I can like #17 real easy...

The bear is actually much darker/less red "in person" than the picture. It was done with a walnut base, and it still looks good 11 years later.

Perhaps you might consider a chest mount. I did this with my 2nd brownie I took. It clearly shows the size of the animal, takes up little space on the wall, is less expensive than a rug, far less expensive than a full mount. I have a ceiling spot lite on it; hard to miss it when folks walk into the room and I enjoy it every day/Chaz