Posts Tagged ‘cactus skeleton’

Monster Desert Mule Deer Buck     

     This trophy desert mule deer relief carving on the Mauser rifle is completed.   The relief carving features a huge Mule Deer buck jumping over a downed Saguaro cactus skeleton.  The desert mountain backdrop with more Saguaros and a rocky foreground with Prickly Pear cactus complete the scene.    The harsh landscape of the Southwest Desert produces some enormous Mule Deer.   Like this one.  

     The forearm and grips were carved in a basketweave pattern.  Hand carved oak leaves accent the basketweave on all sides.   I also carved a nice 4×4 Mule Deer antler shed on the opposite side of the buttstock just below the cheek piece.   I took a photo of an actual shed that the client had and carved an exact copy of that shed antler.

     When I completed the carvings, the staining was done by using oil paints diluted down to work as more of a stain than paint.  The more coats I put on an area, the darker it became.   This allowed me to blend the light colored rump and belly of the Mule deer with the darker brown of the back and sides of the deer.   This brings in a more natural look.   The carvings were finished with a couple of coats of Tung Oil finish.

     This custom carved gunstock is ready to be both a rifle for hunting and a family heirloom for years to come.   The client and I spent quite a bit of time designing what he wanted in his custom carved rifle.   If this interests you, contact me, you and I can design the perfect carving for your rifle, shotgun, or handgun. 

Thanks for stoppin’ by……

Lance Larson

Gunstock Carving of a Desert Mule Deer 

    I am starting the design process of a newly commissioned gunstock carving.   The owner wanted a Mule Deer buck in a southwestern desert landscape.  As I think I have mentioned in past articles, you have to do your research on not just the animals but the environment the animal lives in to make it a natural scene.  

     The design the client and I came up with is a Mule Deer buck with Large typical  4×4 antlers jumping over the skeleton of an old Saguaro cactus.   I sure hope to see a buck like this in the desert someday!   There are normal desert surroundings including rocks, Prickly Pear cactus, and giant Saguaro cactus in the distance.  I want to show the client all the steps so I will post a photo journal of the project for him as it goes along.   That means you get to see it too.

       This step #1, The Design.   I used desert landscape photos, many deer photos, skyline photos, and cactus photos to develop this design idea.  Some of the photos were provided by the client, many were from my own research files.   Now the fun begins.…    

     I’ll post more as this project move along.

    If you would like to follow this project to it’s completion, please subscribe to my website above.   I will keep you updated on all new posts.

Thanks for stoppin’ by……

Lance Larson