DaveS

Ol' Thumpy strikes again! Good job Rob.....that's a fine doe you have there!

Good hunting story! I love details as well.

What he said.....muzzy tag needed!

Nice...that's some good eating right there!

I seen on another thread here where someone was wanting to know who the "Subject Matter Experts" were. Please allow me to Introduce my self: I am Dave Sayre, "WD-40" on this forum. In 1971, my Junior year in high school, I went to work for a Taxidermist working after school and on the weekends. I was his apprentice kinda speaking. In 1974, during Vietnam, I went in the Army, as an MP. I worked in several locals as a "Rear Area" MP (Game Warden) for roughly 13 years. Never went to "Nam" though. I kept up with Taxidermy when I could. In 1987 I got out of the Army and went to Austin Peay State University and majored in History and a second in Art. I wanted to be a school teacher. As a bet with a friend, I applied for a Firefighter job at Fort Campbell Kentucky. Lord and Behold, I got hired. Never in my life ever dreamed of being a Firefighter. With my work schedule being 24/24, I decided to open a Taxidermy shop in 1989 (Wilderness Taxidermy), in Clarksville, TN. I ran my shop, and continued to enter some of my mounts is shows in the southeastern part of the US until 2009, when I retired from Taxidermy. On July 1st, 2010, I retired as a Firefighter/EMT. A job that I miss every single day. I have many, many years of experience in mounting small animals, reptiles, big game, pigs, deer, bears, and the list goes on and on. I don't claim to know everything, but my work speaks for itself. I have done mounts and shipped to clients in many states. Most were my military customers here that went home and reccomended me to friends and family. A reputation I still enjoy today. After many successful years, I closed my shop to be able to spend more time with family and to do some hunting of my own. I continue to do competition mounts every now and then. Currently, I still do some mounts (I love mounting pigs, keep it clean...lol) and I really enjoy sharing my wealth of knowledge here on TGO. I work on Fort Campbell part time and I work on a couple of local Wildlife Refuges (I do not wish at this time to disclose what I do). As an SME (Taxidermy), I feel that I am more than qualified to keep the TGO readers informed on Taxidermy. I will help anyone of you, advise you, teach you ect., ect.. The only thing I WILL NOT do, is reccomend a Taxidermist to you. Happy Hunting! Dave

I've hunted pig in Alabama with my flintlock. Raises your "pucker factor" a tad though!

We celebrate Christmas, but it has become one MAJOR "Commercial" holiday. BUY, BUY, BUY! Then people get mad because of something you did or did not give them. The true meaning of Christmas went out the door a long time ago. Now you have "Black Friday", and "CYBER MONDAY".....what the $#@??? HUMBUG!! MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!!!!

OK...Thanks. Will check it out.

It will work on other mounts as well, especially those with short hair. Bobcats, Coyotes, Foxes and similiar furred animals are treated slightly different. After spraying and wiping down the fur, use a brush and low pressure air to dry and fluff the fur back up. I hesitate to tell anyone it's "OK" to use a hair dryer on low setting to dry their mount. If you decide to do this, be very careful. Clean the eyes of all of them with a soft cloth and windw cleaner. Most any mount can be cleaned and dusted in this manner. Just be careful as you work on them. Most of the time, just a light dusting weekly or so with a feater duster is all that is needed. The Armor All will put luster and sheen back into fur and feathers. It's good stuff to use, just as with anything else, don't over do it!

Nice yote! Good shooting on both accounts!

Does anyone own a Thompson Center Pro Hunter? What do you think of it, and how does it handle? I've been looking at one in 7mm/08, and want to know what ya'll think about them before I throw my money down. I would really like one for deer and pig (if pig season ever opens again) next year.

OK TGO friends, it's that time of year again. We know in October (fire prevention week) we change our smoke detector batteries. We have been doing this right? Why not? November brings on rifle season, and December brings on...well....time to clean our deer mounts from years past, and lick our wounds from this year if "ol' mossy horns" put the slip on us. So, lets get our supplies together and clean the ol' boy (or girl) up. Although they look cool as heck, the absolute worse place you can hang your deer mount is above a fire place. The heat and smoke will work wonders in destroying your mount if you are not lucky enough. Hanging them above a heater vent or where direct sunlight will hit them is almost as bad. To put a spark of life back into your deer mount, you will surely need the following items. I only mention the brand name products that I do, because that is what "I" use. If you have similiar products, that's cool too. 1. Armor All foaming tire cleaner: Spray your deer mount with foaming tire cleaner and allow it to work for a few minutes. Use a damp cloth and wipe in the direction the hair lays. 2. Using a soft hair brush, brush the deer down (use styling gel for any unruly areas) to include the insides of the ears. 3. Using Windex window cleaner, spray a paper towel or soft cloth, and clean the eyes until they have a lifelike luster. 4. Using Lemon Pledge (or Armor All Protectant) spray the antlers with a good coat (if it's a Doe...sorry about that...lol) and wipe with a soft cloth. 5. If stubborn smoke stains remain, repeat step one above. I have cleaned many deer mounts over the years for customers, and for really stubborn smoke stains, I used a product called "Smoke Away". It is available through several Taxidermy supply houses. I have restored many a mount with it, even some that were in house fires. The stuff is well worth the investment if your deer mount is smoke stained. Well, that takes care of it for now. We still have a couple of weeks of deer season left, so there is still time to get a good deer to have mounted for next year. Good hunting and Happy Holidays to you all!

Good deal buddy....nice doe...she'll do fine on the table! I know it feels good to get one with ammo you load yourself! AWESOME!

+ 1

I would like another Nagant, but I would like to see all my TGO friends, family and close friends wake up healthy and enjoy another day of life and good health. I don't think that is too much to ask for....

Those hours seem so out of whack for me. I've heard other folks say the same times, but I don't do it. My big 10 pointer I got last year, I shot at 12:50 PM. I took the big spike the other day, as I have been sick, and didn't want to pass up a big bodied deer for the freezer. I am dependant right now to have a friend with me. Adamox2 has volunteered to go with me. That will probably wrap up my deer season. I hope he gets one of the big'uns that run the property, at least one of the fantastic does we have!

Nice Coyotes!

I knocked this one down right at 7 am. The buck I got a couple of weeks ago was at 7:20. I don't hunt evenings, so I don't know which is better.

Let's keep it clean for the kids that come on here....LOL I think you just told me on the phone!

I am laughing so hard right now, I'm almost in tears! I keep telling the "young guys" at work, that messing around with someones "gal" is bad news!!!! Wonder what that buck thought when that round went through his lungs...."dang woman... was that good or what?"

I got lucky this morning. Caught a big spike trying to mount a doe.....I hate it for him. Needed meat in the freezer.

Those are some very impressive looking knives......hmmm......

Funny, I was just thinking the same thing about my ducks and chickens. Leghold traps won't work, but I bet I can get that suck'a with a snare where he crawls under the fence!

LOL...whatever it takes to get the groceries home!

I haven't seen any new post here lately on how everyone was doing deer hunting. I really haven't had much time to go. Been working way too much. Seen alot of deer taken while out and about, but haven't hunted. I really want to go. I just need to take the time to do it. I'm still don't feel ready to hunt by myself quite yet. I have found someone who can go with me. Him and I just need to get on the same schedule! Working and all....... So, how is everyone doing deer hunting?