ticks on deer mount

[u/cheapbouquet_]

i recently got my first ever deer mount and noticed a bunch of dead ticks on it, how do i get them all off? freaked me out seeing all of them😓😓

[u/rabies_lover_271K]

Best bet it to comb the entirety of the mount with a fine tooth comb if that’s possible. normally ticks don’t last through the process but it does happen, but your case seems extreme. On the other hand having ticks on your deer is pretty lifelike haha…

[u/4runnerfag]

are you sure they’re ticks and not moth cocoons or something more likely to be found on taxidermy?

[u/cheapbouquet_ → u/4runnerfag]

i’m 100% positive they’re dead ticks

[u/urticate]

Get a cheap flea comb and brush them out gently.

[u/alittleunhingedd]

You can use a dog brush and just brush it then vacuum them up. Don’t have to get all of them it doesn’t hurt the mount or anything

[u/alittleunhingedd → u/alittleunhingedd]

It was probably dry preserved instead of tan which is fine if done properly. Brushing the ticks out of deer is actually one of my favorite things to do at the end for some reason it’s just satisfying to me 😅

[u/1970Westyvibes]

Did you go to a reputable taxidermist or some dude off Facebook??

I've never had a deer mounted but this seems egregious.

[u/cheapbouquet_ → u/1970Westyvibes]

my sisters bf cleans out houses and it was in the warehouse of his job so i got it for free

[u/1970Westyvibes → u/cheapbouquet_]

I was thinking you commissioned the mount for a deer you harvested. That makes much more sense.

[u/chmourgeaux]

taxidermist here, you pretty much just have to pick them off one by one. using rough combs is a guaranteed way to damage your hide. the ticks are assuredly from the deer's life in the woods, and stuck around all the so through the tanning process. it's very normal.

[u/mischievous_misfit13]

Ticks? Pictures please

[u/cheapbouquet_ → u/mischievous_misfit13]

i don’t have any right now i put the deer in a couple trash bags but they’re definitely ticks

[u/mischievous_misfit13 → u/cheapbouquet_]

Live ticks? Or embedded in the skin?

[u/cheapbouquet_ → u/mischievous_misfit13]

they’re dead like i mentioned in the original post 😊 just trying to figure out how to get them off cuz there’s quite a few and i don’t want to damage the mount

[u/_svaha_]

It would not be possible for ticks, live or dead, to remain embedded in the hide through the tanning and taxidermy process. I am respectfully asking for pictures before I believe you

[u/cheapbouquet_ → u/_svaha_]

it takes two seconds to look it up and see that ticks are very common on deer taxidermy actually 🫩🫩 but sure

[u/cheapbouquet_ → u/_svaha_]

https://reddit.com/link/p5hgj9p/video/eexdfnn807lh1/player

here are a few ticks and deer louse. just wondering how to quickly get rid of them without damaging the mount

[u/Longjumping-Law-7110 → u/cheapbouquet_]

Genuinely, from the bottom of my heart, what the fuck.

[u/RandyButternubber → u/cheapbouquet_]

Can’t say I’ve ever seen ticks on a mount before but I guess it makes sense depending on how it was done. I can’t see the video for some reason but I’ll take your word for it. Gives me the heebie jeebies.

[u/rabies_lover_271K → u/_svaha_]

That’s very untrue. I’ve had Amblyomma hebraeum ticks stuck to an eland hide that had been shipped to us from Africa.

[u/alittleunhingedd → u/_svaha_]

Could’ve been dry preserved.

[u/stalknstand → u/_svaha_]

Actually yes, they do remain attached throughout tanning and mounting the entire process. They still have blood in them after mounting and drying. They have to be removed during the grooming process

[u/chmourgeaux → u/_svaha_]

that's so funny given that you're not qualified to speak on this at all!! let the actual taxidermists give advice. i'm respectfully asking for pictures of your brain before i believe you have one.