I started doing my own taxidermy about 9 years ago for one of the main reasons I read on this site. Taxidermists taking in work and charging a fee to ruin someones trophy,because they don't know what they are doing. I read many examples like this> doing first turkey,where do I start or slippage problems on all my deer hides,or how do you skin mount a saltwater fish ? When I read further into the post many times it gets mentioned its a customers trophy.You should not be learning and practicing on someone elses property.By the time you take a customers deposit to do a job you should dam well know what you are doing. Buy ,catch ,or kill your own practice subjects and when your satisfied with your work,if its any good it will bring the customer.
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thats so true last night i had someone bring a large yote that smell like aweek old roadkill in july. the poor guy paid good money for it and he was robed. that yote was not tanned or DPED .
We all had to start somewhere. And we all needed to practice. But to do it on a paying customers mount is fool hardy. The reputation one can get for poor work, is one that is hard to live down. Now Mind you I can understand an accomplished deer taxidermist asking for pointers on an elk. Although most of the principles are the same. some minor differences that could easily be instructed could make all the difference. But for someone who has never mounted a single bird, or fish. What have you. it is foolish to try to learn on a customer mount. I make it a point never to condemn someone who is trying to learn. But have noticed some of the same things you are referring to. and often wonder how someone can be a professional Taxidermist. And be willing to gamble their reputation on such a venture.
In some cases I would have to disagree. If the customer knows you are still learning and you are up front about your experience than I think It would be ok. I have had people call with turkeys to mount, I havent done any yet so I tell them up front I would try it but I have not done any yet. So far they havent brought any to me but if the do it is whith the knowledge that I have no experience with them. If you are up front with the customer than I think its ok.
We should never take some ones trophy and practice on it for the first time. I have never done turkeys as well. But i have several guys asking me about doing them. So the first turkey I kill will be my learning bird. I also have one in the freezer from last year that I will be working on soon. If we as taxidermist are going to take this stuff in for money we owe it to our selfs and the customers to give them a quality mount that will last them a life time. I will learn turkeys inside out before I mount one for money. Jack F
go a head and do some turkeys there the best to do so easy tell them your learning , but dont worry about it u cant screw it up
go a head and do some turkeys there the best to do so easy tell them your learning , but dont worry about it u cant screw it up