This year, I've taken in about a dozen deer heads which, when coupled with a fulltime job, two active children
and a busy life, is more than enough to keep me busy, along with elk, antelope 'cats and coyotes. Of those, three
came in with antler damage, two with main beams broken off. In both of
these severe cases, the customers had nearly abandoned hope of having their trophies mounted
until someone with whom I'd done business in the past advised them
that I could fix their horns for a nominal charge above and beyond the
base shoulder mount fee. Without the advice and wealth of information
available here from all the seasoned vets in taxidermy, I'd be far less
informed and knowledgeable about how to handle what is in reality a fairly common
problem. It surprises me that the local competition doesn't know how
to repair antlers, but so be it. To all you rookies just getting
started, make it a part of your business day to log on and check all the various categories that apply to you for new postings.
Ask questions and seek answers when you need them. Review the archives for gold nuggets of
valuable information. Above all else, be patient, realistic with yourself and your abilities,
persistant, and innovative. The first big step in becoming a capable taxidermist is realizing
that as long as all the pieces and parts are there and in reasonably
good shape, any repairs can be done. Antler repairs are a good example of just that very thing.
Thanks to George, John B., John C., ave and the countless others that take the time to make us all a little
better, and especially to WASCO for providing such a valuable forum
for us to interact. Salute!
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