# Care of a Deer mount at home??



## turkeygirl (Aug 13, 2006)

Anyone??


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## runningdeer (Mar 30, 2007)

I just use a feather duster on mine spayed with a little pledge.


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## horsedoctor (Oct 13, 2011)

Ask the person who did the taxidermy about how to clean, where to place, or not place your mount (in sunlight or near a wood stove) bug control etc.. They have a vested interest in you keeping your mount looking good and should be able and willing to offer all this information.


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## Matt D (May 12, 2011)

You really don't need anything on the antlers, but you do want to keep up on keeping the mount clean. Most think you need to use something wet or damp to clean the mount, but the mount should be nice and clean when you pick it up. The only thing you need to do is keep the dust off of it. The best thing that I have found and recommend to my clients is a Swiffer brush. They actually do work nicely in picking up the dust off the mount. Using a damp or wet cloth is only going to rub most of the dust down into the hair and over time, you will destroy the mount. Everyone's place is different in the amount of dust in the air and traffic in through the house/office. Dusting maybe once a month should be fine, and it only takes a few seconds with a Swiffer.


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## Ike1986 (May 6, 2013)

One thing we recommend big time is to put a mothball in its ears. You won't smell it but it goes along way in protecting the mount. Just change me out about every 6 months or so. The game and fish have a few nature centers full of mounts down here that are getting trashed by bugs. Theyve had to close one down to fumigate. We told them we wouldn't do any more work for them until they started taking care of the animals.


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## snapper tapper (Aug 5, 2009)

windex without ammonia


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## dx2 (Aug 25, 2007)

I've been wondering too....thanks for the info guys.


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## turkeygirl (Aug 13, 2006)

Oooh...the mothball is a good idea! I asked my taxidermist, he said windex on Q-tips for the eyes, and he wipes the hide down with WD 40 on a cloth. I like the Swiffer idea.


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## E. Johnson (Jan 17, 2009)

When I picked up my last mount my taxidermist gave me a bottle of Taxidermist Magic. It's a pump spray bottle and adds a great shine to my mounts and supposed to keep dust from staying on the mounts. You can look it up at:

taxidermistmagic.com


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## Big Typicals (Feb 5, 2012)

I too use the swiffer duster and it works great. Fast and easy and pulls the dust right off. I dust the hide, rack, and eyes with it.


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## Matt D (May 12, 2011)

WD-40 will destroy the mount in time. Just do alittle test and spray some on any surface that collects dust. Then try and wipe it off. The oils will penetrate the hair on a mount and when you wipe it down, you will rub most of the dust down into the hair along with an oily residue. A Swiffer is all you need on a mount. If the cape has been tanned, it should already be clean so the mount isn't going to get dirty, just dusty.


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## Mr.Wiggles (Dec 29, 2007)

All I do is wait for a windy day,and hang them on the inside rail of my deck ,the wind cleans the dust off of themI securely attach them to the deck with big screws,they won't blow down or fall off by high winds.Swiffers work great on bears too!


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## mrjeffro (Jul 25, 2007)

Matt D said:


> You really don't need anything on the antlers, but you do want to keep up on keeping the mount clean. Most think you need to use something wet or damp to clean the mount, but the mount should be nice and clean when you pick it up. The only thing you need to do is keep the dust off of it. The best thing that I have found and recommend to my clients is a Swiffer brush. They actually do work nicely in picking up the dust off the mount. Using a damp or wet cloth is only going to rub most of the dust down into the hair and over time, you will destroy the mount. Everyone's place is different in the amount of dust in the air and traffic in through the house/office. Dusting maybe once a month should be fine, and it only takes a few seconds with a Swiffer.


Great tip :thumbs_up


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## turkeygirl (Aug 13, 2006)

Ok, will avoid WD40, will pick up a Swiffer. Any thing else to do to avoid bugs?


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## Matt D (May 12, 2011)

Bugs will eat the best mounts in the world, but they prefer the ones that were not prepped right from the beginning. With that being said, Raid makes bug bombs that will not leave residue on the mounts. Simply close the room off where the mounts are and follow the directions. I use them as added security every other month to just kill anything that might have come in the shop through the doors or on someone's animal.


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## Varmintwade (Jun 17, 2012)

The less sunlight there is in the room the better. Sun lit rooms will fade mounts to a yellow pale color in a couple of years. No windows at all in the room with your mounts would be better.


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## beaverman (Jun 21, 2008)

If the hide was properly tanned you shouldn't have issues with bugs. I have mounts that are over 20 years old and still look great, just dust them off periodically.


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## archeryshooter (Apr 11, 2004)

It does matter where you have them, damp areas are not good on them anymore than a hot spot above a furnace vent or sunlite and it doesnt hurt to keep a eye on them around the ears and such bug bombing cant hurt like Matt said and a clean room is good too. I blow mine off with light air pressure and spray a little liquidgold on a paper towel and wipe it down (deerheads) once a year puts a shine back and helps keep bugs away to , but dont over do it you can get a wax buildup


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## Matt D (May 12, 2011)

That's not entirely true Beaverman. While I haven't had any issues with my mounts, I have seen first hand the damage bugs can do, specifically carpet moth larvae, and all of these capes were professionally tanned. Bug bombs periodically are add security and insurance to keep anything out of game rooms.


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## turkeygirl (Aug 13, 2006)

Well I picked up a Swiffer to use. We have some mothballs but was reading the box, these are the ones that smell that say to use in like drawers, etc, where they are contained...I wasn't sure if this is ok to put in the mounts ears? Will they damage it at all or no? Are there diff. mothballs than what I know of?


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## Matt D (May 12, 2011)

If you routinely clean your mounts and bomb your gameroom on occassion, there is no need to smell mothballs in the comfort of your gameroom.


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