Coyote Ears Bondo Method

A customer recently commissioned a coyote soft mount from me and requested that I periodically take pictures of the process and share them with her. Figured I would go ahead and share some of them here as well. These photos aren't meant to be a tutorial exactly, just a series of photos showing a few things that occur during the mounting process.

I use the Bondo method to sculpt the ears on most of my animals. Bondo is a two-part automotive body filler that you mix up, put inside the ears, and shape the ears from the outside until the Bondo cures. This can take from a few minutes up to half an hour depending on the amount of hardener used. I use this method partly because it was what I was taught when first learning taxidermy, and partly because I like that it gives me more control over the shapes of the ears. Though, to be honest, this can be both a good and a bad thing. It can also get incredibly messy if not handled properly or something goes wrong. There's nothing quite like hearing a *pop* as a hole tears in the ear and suddenly there's gooey, sticky Bondo everywhere...