Here is my story. I went to Montana in October of 2002 self guided hunt with my Dad who is 66yrs. and an uncle who is 69yrs and a friend of my fathers. My father probably wont be going on another away hunt so this hunt ment alot to us and me. We went for mule deer and antalope in Jorden and then we went on out to Deer Lodge and hunted Elk. We were all sucsessfull on deer and antalope. I took a nice 4x4 mule deer and a nice prong horn goat. I brought both back to be mounted. I had taken my trophies to a very well known taxi in my area. I then went hunting here in my home area Catskill region of upstate New York. I aquired a nice white tail deer head from a friend and had decided after many years that I would finally try taxidermy for my self. I pruchased a kit from Van Dykes. I started the project in my basement. Then as fate would have it I ran into and old friend who happens to be a very good taxidermist. He had moved from the area several years ago but had returned just a few weaks prior to our bumping into one another. I ask if he was doing taxi work and he said yes but part time. He agreed to help me get through my mount. I did the mount and it came out great. In the mean time my mounts from my trip are at the other taxi shop. I figured they would come out good as the man has been in business for 30yrs. Well here it is. I got them back two days ago. The goat I can live with the nose looks like it has something growing out of it but I can live with it. The mule deer makes me sick and literally brought tears to my eyes to see such crappy work. The nose has glue just smeared in there and never was painted the eyes same way. The ears are quite a site as well no ear butts hair lines not even close to where they should be. Liners if any are not to the edges and the ears are already wrinkled on the edges like an old mount. I want to throw this mount out the door onto the curb. I have spent 695.00 on these and not to mention the hunt itself. I guess what I'm looking for is a mule deer cape to remount my deer. If any one has one they are willing to help a beginner save his memory. I would be willing to pay shipping. I hate to have to buy a cape and spend any more on this as my budget is low. Any sugjestions and help would be appreciated.
Return to Beginners Category Menu
Caveat emptor was the Latin phrase I think for "buyer beware". You left your trophies with a person simply because he had 30 years experience? Didn't you look at his OTHER WORK? I can't imagine this was just a bad hair day for him. And $695 for BOTH mounts? That should have been a big clue right there, especially in the far west where superior taxidermists are around every corner. I'm guessing you went price shopping and got burned in the process. I'm sorry, but that happens in everything you do nowadays. But now you're continuing the same trend. You're looking for a cheap way to get an expensive mount. I'd have figured you'd have learned your lesson by now.
If you did not then you could not tell the story. What you want is your mule deer to look like a mule deer. Did you ask the taxidermist what happened to your mounts? Did they look like the mounts he had hanging in his show room? Go back to the taxidermist that mounted your mule deer. Talk to him first. Show him the things you talk about here and ask him to fix them. If he can not then maybe he can get you a new cape.
The bitterness of poor quality lasts long after the sweetness of the low price is forgotten. Jack, I would hide the unsightly mounts, save my pennies, buy a good quality cape and remount. No matter what the cost, but only if it really means that much to you. If your satisfied with your friends work then my guess is that your problem can be easily solved once you drop some good hard earned money into it.Also be aware that a 30yr not very good taxidermist is not all that uncommon. There is a very succesful shop near me that does mount a deer that lasts forever. The problem is that after looking at them you wish that they would rot and fall apart. Thier customers dont know what mounts are supposed to look like, just want something 3-d on the wall, and dont want to spend money to do it. So good lesson learned. For something that you really cherrish, do alot of research and be prepared$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.
I had a guy, years ago, come in with a ringneck. I gave him my price and he replied, "Can't you do it for less? I'm building a house and can't afford much." ?
Duh...."I'd like to afford a new house to! Would you mind paying more for the ringneck?"
Duh...
I'd like to afford those hunts also!
Oh I am aware of a few mistakes on my part by not looking his work over better. I guess I placed my trust in his years of experiance not on his quality workmenship. I think what I will do is contact my friend in Montana and see if he can get me a cape out there. I would like to take the mount back to the shop it came from but I'm afraid of hard feelings. It just puzzles me to how poor the work was done on my mount, when now with some experiance at mounting. I know that a few extra minutes could have made it look more clean. I have been working along side the taxidermist mentioned before and he has completed two of his comercial mounts that he let me assist in doing and he does exceptional work, ceptums are done nictitating membranes are done all at no extra cost ear position is any pose no extra cost. I would rather spend an extra few minutes on a mount and have people stop and stare at my work and say you know that things going to talk. then to have hurried through it and have some one say man do the ears of mule deer really look like and hey it has buggers in its nose or something and hey thats black paint around the mouth. So far what I have learned is that if I charged by the hour to mount a deer head no one could aford me. There has to be some sort of personal satisfaction that one should get from doing this type of work. I will only be doing this as a part time job. I work a full time job already. And no I did not go price shopping. I had my wife call for me while I was in Montana to get a price so I could decide if funds were there to have them both done. She called me back and he said he got 325$ a each. so I brought them back. And my wife picked them up from the shop as she took the call while I was at work and picked them up as a surprize for me. Well any how I'm glad to hear from you guys. I will re-do the mule deer mount some day soon.
Jack
Don't let the Wife pick up your Mounts.
OH NO!...I can see the Arrows flying already...LOL.
[Hey...I'm jest KIDDING...couldn't resist...hah].
Truly sorry to hear of your expensive tragic experience...but...George said it right...I wish you great luck in your new Exciting Taxidermy venture...Take care...ETCC
one thing you never mentioned ,,, where the skins tanned? if your learning taxidermy,, why couldnt you rehydrate and correct the wrongs in them?
this post is ironic when george and i where just talking about quality in some mounts i seen on public display that were worse than the work that i do . wow we live and learn with art.
good luck
I agree we live and learn. When I dropped off the heads to be done I had no idea about tanning or DP. I have known the younger of the two full time taxidermists and I say taxidermist not wild life artists for several years. I shot indoor archery with him. He was telling me that they had done over 200 heads last year. I would think some one with that kind of experiance could handle my mounts. I have to say my father looked at the mounts as well as other friends and they see nothing wrong with them they would be totaly satisfied. But the knowledge I now posess can not let me be happy with them at all. Your right ETCC LOL but it was her that was suportive of me going on the hunt in the first place. I left oct. 24 and we had just got married on the 19th how could I argue LOL
Thanks guys
Ahem...Ya left yer Dear new bride?...on yer Honeymoon?...for another Deer?
She got even with ya!...hah..LOL.