This is my first time to post here after reading other's advice for nearly two months.
After going on several hunts early this year I got a freezer full of animals that I wanted mounted. The guide (Trey) that took me hunting also did taxidermy and offered to teach me. Trey told me what supplies I needed and where to get them. He also recommended another local taxidermist to flesh and salt my capes (Robert from Wildwood Taxidermy in Victoria, TX ... we'll call him Bob). The first capes were droped off at Bob's and done at what I thought was reasonable price of around $30 each. The next time I took a cape to Bob, he said it would be around $75 to $100 to flesh and salt. My mentor had explained to him that I was getting started and I would be bringing him a lot of capes in the very near future. Bob told me that he offered wholesale prices to taxidermists only. I can understand that, but in a state where you don't have to have a licence to do taxidermy when do you exactly call yourself a taxidermist? Is Bob the almighty god of taxidemists that deems you werthy of the title? I understand that Bob doesn't want to provide these services to every Tom, Dick and Harry at a price that he reserves as wholesale. I did everything that he told me (copy of my sales tax and use permit, etc.) and he rants and raves that he CAN'T give me the prices that I got on the first capes.
Anyway, I've read (it seems like every posting) these forums and archives and found so much useful information and advice without having to put up with Bob who is in fear of loosing some of his business to a "beginner". (inside information, ha ha) Thank all of you "experienced" taxidermists who have volunteered your time and expertise in this forum to help people like myself without being SCARED that someday I might produce a mount that's remotely comparable to one of yours. Thanks also to Trey Ganem of Wildlife Adventures in Victoria, TX for great hunts and the willingness to teach me this art.
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I think it is great that you enjoy our forum, its instructions, and issues. I do wish that people wouldn't engage in personal attacks and the airing of dirty laundry in public. Best of luck to you in the world of taxidermy.
I guess I would not blame Bob for wanting to get a high price. After all it is his tme and his business to charge what he wants. The price mentioned is rather high but if he feels like he may loose some future business I don't blame him. If you really want to learn to be a taxidermist, doing the fleshing and salting is a very important step to master, kinda like taxidermy 101. This is somthing you should learn and master or don't do taxidermy. If a person can't flesh and salt a cape I would not call him a taxidermist either. I have at times been bothered (Bothered may not be the right word) by beginners to get them going or to assist them and in turn get nothing but troubles after that, often times geting beginners mounts in my shop for rework or repairs from angry customers. A good taxidermist is one who has the drive to get in there and learn and do on his own, so if your serious go for it without using you local taxidermist as a crutch.
I couldn't agree more. I usually keep my 2 cents to myself, but I'll throw it in this time. I've been doing taxidermy part time for seven years, and the amount of info. I learn on this site everyday is unbelievable. And the more you do taxidermy the more you learn that there are no short-cuts. Every single beginner (myself included)comes in with ideas that these guys that have been in this business their whole lives, have somehow missed easier ways to do things. There just aren't any easy ways. Fleshing and salting is a very basic and very vital part of taxidermy. I think everybody would agree that doing the actual mount is the fun part, but there wouldn't be much satisfaction in it without doing all the work to get to that point. I would either learn to enjoy that part of it, or get out of the business. How much does Bob charge to set the eyes and antlers?
Bob's charging a fair price if he's fleshing, salting, and doing all the tanning for ya. Heck, I pay $32 to my tannery and when I consider the amount of work that goes into finishing out that cape, it's worth it. I have guys bring me dead stuff all the time that they want tanned. I send it all out to the tannery and charge my customer roughly 225% of my cost to the tannery, which includes skinning, salting, shipping and calling him when it gets back to me. So $70 for a deer cape seems fair to me. Now, regarding the other remarks - there are no real shortcuts when it comes to being truly successful at anything you wanna do. The only way to get where you really wanna be, assuming you're sincere, is by one thing: hard work. Skinning, fleshing, salting and all that yuck work are just a part of the job. No, they're not fun and I'd wager to bet that no one on this forum or anywhere else in the industry considers skinning, blood, and guts to be the "fun part" of the job. Heck, for me, the job doesn't really get fun until I'm ready to tuck the lips, position the nose skin and do the eyes. THAT'S when the mount starts to assume a personality and begin looking once again like it did before it, ummm, passed on. If you don't want to tackle the job of tanning hides yourself, at least learn how to properly split lips and eyes, skin out the nose, turn the ears and salt rockhard, then ship it to a reputable tannery. Well worth the fees they charge and you get a fine quality piece of leather with which to work. You can't produce a good piece of art without having excellent raw materials with which to start. Quality starts long before the finish work begins.
Try this call any tannery across the U.S. and ask them how much it cost to tan a cape. Then ask them how they want it. Then ask how much additional it would be if they split the lips eyes nose and turned the ears and fleshed it then salted it. For a tanned cape salted that means all the above is done, 30 bucks is you average price. Don't do the above and you will pay more. So don't think that Bob is trying to rake you over the coals. Learn the above and get the 30 buck price. If someone is showing you taxidermy surely they can guide you on how to do that. This is a good site this can be a lesson too. Not to rag on you or anything just part of the learning.
I think Bob did you a small favor for the first few skins. You did not have the knowledge, did you? You want to learn more join the Texas Taxidermy Association. I feel $75.00 is more than fair.
Each and every year, many of my clients go out west for elk, mule deer, bear and PRONGHORN. Since I have a list of quality taxidermist in several states, I recommend one close to the area where my clients are hunting, (3 Hour drive) to do the caping, turning and salting. Most of the taxidermist out west are charging $100-$150 for these animals.
Shut up and pay Bob you got a deal the fisrt time.
I didn't expect to get this many responses. Maybe I went into too much background information to make my point. I understand that taxidermy is an art, not just a "job" and that it takes years to master. In this forum, you have taxidermists of every level, most of which are willing to share their knowledge. As evident, some are still stuck on theirselves and don't want to let anyone new into the business or feel like newbies need to be "hazed". This is life ... I've experienced it first hand with two people that I've met in this business and seen it on this forum also. The ultimate point of my inital posting was simple and for those of you who may have missed it, I'll try to make it a little clearer, here goes:
Not everyone is willing to learn and even fewer people are willing to teach. Special thank you to Trey and everyone in this forum that is willing to donate their time and knowledge to help new people like myself. This forum is an OUTSTANDING source of information and resources and I'll continue to use it as questions arise.
Thanks again,
Kevin
Kevin,
I have been a "beginner" for about 6 years now. I have developed new and better skills through the people on this forum, video tapes, a few pointers from other taxidermists.....and LOTS of hard work. I started working with a Taxidermist when I first began 6 years ago. The only thing he let me do was take the cape off the skull, and turn the lips, eyes and nose.....for weeks. I know how to do that, but i am still getting better at it. In your initial post you give the name of the taxidermist and his business, and then you go on to slam him. If he took the time to do your dirty work and only charged you $30.00 you were lucky. I would not touchit for that. I also would not even consider you as a serious student of the art if you want someone else to do that for you. I have never had anything but a good experience with this forum. I suggest you re-evaluate what you want out of taxidermy. If it is just to do the final mounts, then be willing to pay the extra. I would charge you $350.00 for a w/t mount. lets break that down. $26.00 for the mannekin, 12.00 for eyes, 5.95 for ear liners, $28.00 for tanning. @ $275.00 for my efforts. I guess you are still saving $200.00 by letting "Bob" make a fair $$.
I think you owe him an appology!
Dave
Everybody has a different one. If you don't like it find someone else. I pay to have my hides fleshed and tanned and work it into my price. If the customer dosen't like it they can go elsewhere. This forum is the greatest and we all learn from it in one way or another. My mentor has over 20 years experience, does great work and admitts that I have taught him a thing or two along the way as he trained me. Most of the ideas came from this very forum which I take time to look at most every day and constantly learn something new. My prices and my mentors prices are not the same for everything (some of mine are higher than his). He's not worried about me taking any of his business as he has more than he wants at times.
Bobs wholesale prices probably go to volumne customers which make since and is practiced in most aspects of business, all types. Shop around till you find what your looking for.