At what point do you start calling your taxidermist?

[nontyp]

I know a very good and VERY reputable taxidermist in Montana who will flat tell you two years to get your stuff back.

I wouldn’t be worried about timelines so much as lack of transparency and honest communication.

Sounds like he needs to raise his prices. I agree though, if you have good communication and know that timeline going in, then it’s all good.

 

[JLS]

Sounds like he needs to raise his prices.

LOL no…..

 

[rwc101]

Threads like these make me remember I still have an animal at the taxidermist's. No rush though. The animals in his shop were nice enough I'll wait.

 

[WhitetailHunter24]

My taxidermist is a family friend so thankfully I don’t have that issue.

 

[jt13]

I like to have stuff back before the next hunting season if possible but not a deal breaker.

My taxi is wonderful and turnaround is 9-14 months. He had to stop taking new clients because he doesn't believe in getting any more backed up than he already is as he works alone. To him there's no benefit to taking all those jobs, getting crazy backed up, and pissing off clients. He's got enough work to be busy every day and make a comfortable living.

 

[OntarioHunter]

I like to have stuff back before the next hunting season if possible but not a deal breaker.

My taxi is wonderful and turnaround is 9-14 months. He had to stop taking new clients because he doesn't believe in getting any more backed up than he already is as he works alone. To him there's no benefit to taking all those jobs, getting crazy backed up, and pissing off clients. He's got enough work to be busy every day and make a comfortable living.

My daughter needs to talk to this guy! A very wise business philosophy.

 

[Boarmaster]

I always asked them to give me a realistic time frame to complete my mount. I only had one time where they went passed it and I called them to check on a new date.
He got it done about a month later.

 

[buffybr]

My taxidermist does good work and his prices are reasonable. He has done over 60 mounts for me, but right now I'm waiting on I think 8 mounts that he's had from as far back as 2005.

I'm booked on an Alaskan Brown bear and moose hunt this fall, and if I'm successful I think they will be mounted by someont else.

 

[Cheesehead]

My taxidermist does good work and his prices are reasonable. He has done over 60 mounts for me, but right now I'm waiting on I think 8 mounts that he's had from as far back as 2005.

I'm booked on an Alaskan Brown bear and moose hunt this fall, and if I'm successful I think they will be mounted by someont else.

Yeah, I think when it’s measured in decades that’s a bit much.

 

[Currycm]

Good news. Spoke with my taxidermist on Friday and I should have both back by the end of June.

 

[OntarioHunter]

Good news. Spoke with my taxidermist on Friday and I should have both back by the end of June.

If he can text you some images of progress that would be nice. We usually do it to keep the client informed ... and interested. They really like being kept in the loop.

 

[Wildwest_09]

I am extremely patient with taxidermists as they have a skill that I do not and I generally just leave them to do their work and hope to be called in a reasonable time to pick it up. At this point, when I take something in, regardless of who it is, I expect a full year to pass before I expect to hear from them or I even think to bug them about it.

What I have going on right now is a different situation. I took a whitetail in December of 2019 and it's still not finished. The taxidermist has posted several completed animals that were killed during the fall of 2020. I understand maybe those people paid more to get their mounts done early, but getting my mount and money pushed to the back of the pile and now being almost 18 months out rubs me the wrong way. If he was having issues with supplies, materials, tanning, etc that was pushing work back to 18-24 months I would be understanding. But seeing social media posts of animals done in 4-6 months and still I am waiting at damn near 18 months is becoming an issue.

I have got the same issue with my November 2019 whitetail. Taxidermist said it would be done in 7 months. Then I called him in September 2020 he said 2 more weeks. I messaged him at the first of may and he said a month. Won’t answer half my calls. Getting pretty inpatient with the run- around.

 

[OntarioHunter]

Did a client's black bear euro this afternoon. Bugs died so I cooked it clean. Just finished making the plaque and checked the forum while my hernia gets a rest. I'll stain and finish the plaque before bed. Client brought that bear in Saturday and euro will be in his hands tomorrow when he gets off work. Wait ... it COULD have been in his hands but he wants a shell casing and engraved name plate on the plaque. I'll have to wait for him to provide that stuff. Tomorrow a.m. he'll have photo of skull mounted on the wall and that should get him moving. He's a young fella from the Ukraine who shoots clays with me. Nice guy. We have done several euros for him. Tips well.

 

[Bobbyosan]

I took a bull elk in September of 2019 and a buck pronghorn in October of 2020 to the same taxidermist. He does incredible work and takes "limited customers" each year. To date, I've gotten neither back. At what point do I start making calls to him?

I have had several bobcats done and both took about 18 months. He is the best so I didn’t bother him because he told me a dead of time the timeline. If your taxidermist gave a general date and it is past I would definitely call.

 

[Currycm]

If he can text you some images of progress that would be nice. We usually do it to keep the client informed ... and interested. They really like being kept in the loop.

 

[Trap]

Mine is random on timing. Some are ridiculously fast and others quite a bit longer. They don’t tan in house so he usually blames the tannery which I believe. He treats me really well but the timing is random I’ve got 8 animals there some from 2017 and should be getting a bear this month from last spring ? It’s random and I’ve gotten stuff back in 5-6 months. I don’t really worry about it but I would if it was a taxi I didn’t already have a lot of history with.

 

[Currycm]

If he can text you some images of progress that would be nice. We usually do it to keep the client informed ... and interested. They really like being kept in the loop.

 

[OntarioHunter]

That's a weird one for sure. Looks like that drop tine thing never completely turned to bone. Kinda rotting off? I recently finished a moose cap mount that also had a sort-of second horn growing out of its left side. Turns out the bull had some kind of serious trauma when antlers were starting to grow in velvet. A round stick was still impailed in the crotch between the two left side antlers. It also had a sort of brow tine growing backwards on that side. It was a challenge to mount just the rack. I think there's a pic on the phone ... let's see ... yep. Client wanted a grey barnboard look. I made the plaque from 1" rough cut pine and a couple different stains mixed together.

 

[Wyominghunter]

Here in Wyoming, my taxidermist has done dozens of mounts for me. Quickest was 5 months (he took it to state taxidermy meet ) longest is 18 months. I have not pushed him for any of my mounts, and I have never been disappointed in the quality of them either. I would guess that if it took 2 years to get it back, I would start asking. But I also keep in contact with him throughout the process just as updates. He is alway willing/able to keep me up to date with progress.