This might have been better suited for the taxi industry segment but here goes.
I've been reading about the Iowa giant that was killed by a youth hunter recently and it seems the youth's parents are negotiating for exclusive coverage rights with a magazine for the story/photos, etc.
And I also noticed that their is an ad with the taxidermist who mounted the Beatty Buck from Ohio as well as for Ben Mears forms.
My question is: How much competition is there in getting these monumental deer for mounting? I mean when word gets out about a truly giant deer that could be a potential world record, like this Iowa deer, do the big names in the game actively try to recruit that deer to their studio? For instance, Joe Meder, Bill Yox, etc, etc, are well-known names in WT taxidermy. Mounting a world record is certainly a boost for image and business. Would those guys call out to Iowa and say "I'll mount it for free but here's what I want in return for marketing?"
I'm not trying to say there's anything wrong with that if it happens. Just curious as to how the process works.
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Ujst take a look through the "DEER HUNTING PERIODICALS" its not often you see a nice mount. Most often is seems the hunter jumps at the first taxidermist that makes a offer of FREE.
Tony, we have emailed before, give me a shout I have a couple ideas for you.
We all would love to be chosen to do the world class bucks, of course. Its quite flattering to be asked, to be sure. But instead nowadays when a big buck is taken, it ends up being like an ambulance chaser. Most of us in this industry know the guys who each year track down the guys who kill record bucks and call them and offer free mounts and other promises in return for the "notoriety". They often claim to be world class taxidermists and use previous freebie heads as their proof. But guys like Joe M. and others dont do that. They are often contacted for such special bucks, but all too often that lure of "free" plus promises wins out. I can tell you another thing you might not have guessed. Many of the big boys I get to mount, using me as the example, come much later after the deer was taken. I get calls for the replicas and mounting the final mount after the antlers have been sold, which happens more then you might guess. It winds up showing up later as collection work. I still consider it a priveledge. I hope you get that opportunity some time too. Just charge full price so you can do your best work. I remember giving the mount away for the opportunity way back when. It never really gave me the "instant fame" I was chasing, and I later felt like I cheapened my name. Good luck!
Just wanted to make sure no one thought I was trying to get one of these deer in my shop.
I'm still learning and a long ways to go at that. If somene asked me to mount a world record, I quite honestly would refer them to folks like Mr. Yox. And that's no B.S. The reasoning behind the questioning stems from a recent Field and Stream story about the "biggest bucks of 2002." They had the stories and photos of the mounts and, basically, I could have done better than 3/4 of the mounts featured. So that got me to thinking about how guys who kill those huge animals could make such poor choices in taxidermists and so on . . .
I certainly didn't mean that I plan on chasing any of those big bucks down. I'm content to learn my way through and mount our nice 130-160 class deer (many smaller). Someday I hope to have the ability to mount a king but, for now, that should be left to the "kings" of our world.
Thanks for the info.
What a thrill it must have been for the guy to kill a great buck and, business as usual, call his regular taxidermist hes always done his business with, to mount it. No reputations, accolades, credentials, etc. Some mounts do look crappy, but you know how that goes. ANY buck being mounted deserves the best it can be done, of course. Again, I hope you get some of the same opportunity I have, its fun!