Taxidermy “issue” how to handle?

[Bowhunter999]

Taxidermy work can be criticized as everyone has a different opinion how animals look. This mount is not really too bad, with the exception of the eye work, and the eyes of a mount are usually the first vocal point and thus very important. The lower eye area is built up enough, but the upper lid work and brow bridge need more fullness. Also the eyes should be a little more open and possibly not set quite so deep, but actually goat eyes are not as ’protruding’ as deer eyes. As far as what can be done.........probably not much at this time, depending how much time has elapsed. It is possible to rehydrate the eye area in order to allow some flexibility, enough to add clay for fullness where needed, but that would require considerable time, and also further work on glass eye placement. And the hide paste used in the mounting would be a huge factor in rehydrating possibilities. The price is not out of line for good work, but might be questionable for this particular mount. I wish you luck, but I am afraid you might run into some balking on this.......this is a prime example on throughly checking taxidermy work prior to opening the billfold. As a previous taxidermist, I was pretty much agreeable with customers if there were differences that could be ‘fixed’, but at some point, it just doesn’t work. I would very much be interested if you would update on the results of this issue !

 

[huntinsonovagun]

Nice goat. It sounds to me like you need to kill more goats and get more mounts. Then you won’t be too bothered by it

You know.....I think you’re right. Which unit should I try next?

 

[huntinsonovagun]

Taxidermy work can be criticized as everyone has a different opinion how animals look. This mount is not really too bad, with the exception of the eye work, and the eyes of a mount are usually the first vocal point and thus very important. The lower eye area is built up enough, but the upper lid work and brow bridge need more fullness. Also the eyes should be a little more open and possibly not set quite so deep, but actually goat eyes are not as ’protruding’ as deer eyes. As far as what can be done.........probably not much at this time, depending how much time has elapsed. It is possible to rehydrate the eye area in order to allow some flexibility, enough to add clay for fullness where needed, but that would require considerable time, and also further work on glass eye placement. And the hide paste used in the mounting would be a huge factor in rehydrating possibilities. The price is not out of line for good work, but might be questionable for this particular mount. I wish you luck, but I am afraid you might run into some balking on this.......this is a prime example on throughly checking taxidermy work prior to opening the billfold. As a previous taxidermist, I was pretty much agreeable with customers if there were differences that could be ‘fixed’, but at some point, it just doesn’t work. I would very much be interested if you would update on the results of this issue !

Valid points. This guy does pretty good deer, but maybe I should have found someone in WY to do this one? He doesn’t get enough pronghorns through his shop for me to have really checked thoroughly. I was definitely not expecting a competition mount, but in my opinion it should be close enough (anatomically speaking) to have antelope-like characteristics when you’re looking at it from across the room. Hindsight is always 20/20.

I’m still giving him the benefit of the doubt. I haven’t heard from him since I spoke to him almost 2 weeks ago. I’m trying to be understanding and not too pushy with the issue. Not really sure how to handle it from here. Was thinking I’d give another week and see if I could drop by.

 

[huntinsonovagun]

BTW- I’ll update as soon as I have more info/the mount back. Trying not to dwell on it too much.

 

[OntarioHunter]

Can't beat clients like you. We've had good luck with ours too. Had a client's frozen moose cape go to hell last year. Not sure if it was our fault or outfitters but we took the blame. Informed the client as soon as we made the discovery and we found another cape (actually an exceptional colour). We offered to pay for it, essentially doing the work labour free. Fortunately the client changed his mind and went with a cap mount ... because it turns out a shoulder mount moose wouldn't fit in their dining room anyway. Recently had a mouse get into our storage area and gnaw on two moose racks. Shit happens. Informed the clients immediately. My daughter was more upset than they were I think. Of course we made repairs and neither client could pick out the damaged areas when they picked the racks up. We gave both of them a deal ... and they both still threw in nice tips.

Stuff can go haywire. But it's important to keep the client in the loop when it happens. I got a crappy culled cow wildebeest back from my African taxidermist instead of the fine old blue bull I shot. Presumably something went awry with his hide either at the lodge, the taxidermist, or the tannery. If I'd had the option, and I should have, I would have said just forget it. Instead they take the money and try slipping me a mickey. Another fella I know had a shoulder kudu done in Namibia that showed up with large patches of slipped hair. No excuse for putting something like that on a form! Every one of eight skulls came back from my African taxidermist screwed up. Each was completely painted, smelly flesh attached, bugs fell out, teeth gone, etc., etc. I cleaned them up and just grumbled to myself about it ... till I got to the kudu. They lost half the nose end bone structure (probably cooked to pieces) so they glued on something ... clearly from another species. Looked horrible once the paint was stripped away. That was too much. I sent photos of the whole mess to my PH and the poop hit the fan. They are now using a different taxidermist company.

 

[Bowhunter999]

P

BTW- I’ll update as soon as I have more info/the mount back. Trying not to dwell on it too much.

Thanks huntinsonovagun for the update. Wishing you the best in this issue, but the longer it extends without contact from your taxidermist, the less the results are likely to be good. There are differences in the quality of work and the talent of the taxidermist, as well as the differences of personal attitudes as to how issues are handled. Hide and cape conditions prior to a taxidermist receiving them are out of his control, but the mounting work itself, falls solely on him/her ! You are pretty much a rare exception in this matter, as probably 75% of people do not know what to look for in a mount to determine it’s quality and do not question errors in work. You are the type of fellow that a good taxidermist likes to mount for, quality of work is noticed and appreciated........!

 

[Redman]

I have a good friend that had an elk shoulder mount done. The taxidermist even added a rock formation at no extra charge. When he brought the mount the head angle was not right even after my friend went over what he wanted. It was a beautiful mount but would not work for the spot my friend wanted. My friend had the taxidermist remount it just as he wanted. The taxidermist wasn't happy and felt like he went beyond the scope of work with the rock formation. Regardless it wasn't what was the customer asked for. End of the day my friend got what he wanted. I used the exact same taxidermist for a mule deer, antelope, and a whitetail. I had someone else mount a muley that I wasn't happy with and told this taxidermist the story. He assured me that the muley would be perfect. Well the antelope and whitetail were. The mule deer was a disappointment. Most people say it looks great but this was the biggest bodied mule deer I have ever seen on the hoof and even measured before I caped him out. You can see the loose skin on the mount. I didn't throw a fit or even demand it to be fixed. I just won't use that guy again and if he asks I will tell him.

 

[shrapnel]

BTW- I’ll update as soon as I have more info/the mount back. Trying not to dwell on it too much.

It’s best to realize it is better to dwell on it now and get the look you want, than to spend the next 30 years looking at a mount you wish you had done something about when it was fresh.

 

[OntarioHunter]

I have a good friend that had an elk shoulder mount done. The taxidermist even added a rock formation at no extra charge. When he brought the mount the head angle was not right even after my friend went over what he wanted. It was a beautiful mount but would not work for the spot my friend wanted. My friend had the taxidermist remount it just as he wanted. The taxidermist wasn't happy and felt like he went beyond the scope of work with the rock formation. Regardless it wasn't what was the customer asked for. End of the day my friend got what he wanted. I used the exact same taxidermist for a mule deer, antelope, and a whitetail. I had someone else mount a muley that I wasn't happy with and told this taxidermist the story. He assured me that the muley would be perfect. Well the antelope and whitetail were. The mule deer was a disappointment. Most people say it looks great but this was the biggest bodied mule deer I have ever seen on the hoof and even measured before I caped him out. You can see the loose skin on the mount. I didn't throw a fit or even demand it to be fixed. I just won't use that guy again and if he asks I will tell him. View attachment 172638

The guy clearly ordered the wrong size form. He didn't measure the cape properly before ordering. Should have been obvious when he was pulling the cape onto form. He could have easily at that point ordered another correct size form. Problem is he'd be stuck with the other one. So he stuck you with a shitty mount instead. Make you pay for his mistake. That is not the way we do business.

I can almost certainly deduce what went wrong with your friend's elk mount. McKenzie sells their forms facing a direction from the ANIMAL's perspective. A left facing sneak is facing the ELK'S left, not the client's left as he would be looking at it. When we confirm instructions from a client we ALWAYS attach a sample photo of what the final product will look like. Easy enough to cut and paste from McKenzie's website. That way there's no misunderstanding before materials are ordered.

 

[huntinsonovagun]

Once again guys, I appreciate the insights.

Looks like I need to plan a day to go look at it in person. I’m cautious of coming across as “overly-picky” but I truly feel like I’m being reasonable and hope that I can effectively express that to him. I’m definitely not expecting the little nuances that can only be seen up close, with a flashlight, of a live antelope.

I feel like, under normal circumstances, that I should have received the call to come pick it up by now. Those pictures were sent to me 2 weeks ago now. Think I’ve given enough time for discrepancies to be resolved and the mount to be dry?? I’m just trying to be reasonable.

 

[OntarioHunter]

Once again guys, I appreciate the insights.

Looks like I need to plan a day to go look at it in person. I’m cautious of coming across as “overly-picky” but I truly feel like I’m being reasonable and hope that I can effectively express that to him. I’m definitely not expecting the little nuances that can only be seen up close, with a flashlight, of a live antelope.

I feel like, under normal circumstances, that I should have received the call to come pick it up by now. Those pictures were sent to me 2 weeks ago now. Think I’ve given enough time for discrepancies to be resolved and the mount to be dry?? I’m just trying to be reasonable.

I suggest you text or email asking politely what's the progress. I hope you documented your concerns. Electronic communication is great because it doesn't interrupt anyone's work day, it keeps things focused, and it provides proof if needed. Good luck.

Taxidermy is costly for sure but expense aside, the artist is dealing with someone's prized possession. Something that represents a very special moment in the client's life. It is more than just money, hide, and horns. The product represents a precious time and place that is otherwise gone forever.

 

[Bowhunter999]

These eyes look much more natural to me. What a trophy!!

Redwood’s goat mount is an excellent piece of work. He has shown two other pieces of his work here, and both are better than just good. He stated he hopes to go full time, I don’t know why he isn’t already, he is wasting his time doing anything else !! His face work and anatomy are super as well as his hide grooming. Even being self employed myself as a full time taxidermist, I would recommend him without hesitation to anybody !

 

[huntinsonovagun]

I suggest you text or email asking politely what's the progress. I hope you documented your concerns. Electronic communication is great because it doesn't interrupt anyone's work day, it keeps things focused, and it provides proof if needed. Good luck.

Taxidermy is costly for sure but expense aside, the artist is dealing with someone's prized possession. Something that represents a very special moment in the client's life. It is more than just money, hide, and horns. The product represents a precious time and place that is otherwise gone forever.

I suggest you text or email asking politely what's the progress. I hope you documented your concerns. Electronic communication is great because it doesn't interrupt anyone's work day, it keeps things focused, and it provides proof if needed. Good luck.

Taxidermy is costly for sure but expense aside, the artist is dealing with someone's prized possession. Something that represents a very special moment in the client's life. It is more than just money, hide, and horns. The product represents a precious time and place that is otherwise gone forever.

Totally agree. I am self employed and prefer texts for the reasons you mentioned. The one caveat to text is that sometimes we can sound a little more off-putting than intended. I fully intend to give an extra bone for work that is well-done!

You also mentioned the reasons as to why I would not be a full-time taxidermist...they’re irreplaceable items that often carry strong emotional connections. I sort of wish I could detach from that a little better, but on the other hand that’s part of what keeps the memories so vivid and exciting.

 

[Redman]

The guy clearly ordered the wrong size form. He didn't measure the cape properly before ordering. Should have been obvious when he was pulling the cape onto form. He could have easily at that point ordered another correct size form. Problem is he'd be stuck with the other one. So he stuck you with a shitty mount instead. Make you pay for his mistake. That is not the way we do business.

I can almost certainly deduce what went wrong with your friend's elk mount. McKenzie sells their forms facing a direction from the ANIMAL's perspective. A left facing sneak is facing the ELK'S left, not the client's left as he would be looking at it. When we confirm instructions from a client we ALWAYS attach a sample photo of what the final product will look like. Easy enough to cut and paste from McKenzie's website. That way there's no misunderstanding before materials are ordered.

Yea, I should have got on him about it. What really got me is when I gave him the measurements he didn't believe me and I even showed him the pictures of us measuring the buck. I thought he took me seriously then....wrong. My friend has far more resources aka cash and has several life size mounts so he had the guy by the wallet so to speak and I am less to complain. I just won't let him do any taxidermy work for me. I found another guy who does great work but he is a 6 hr drive.

 

[OntarioHunter]

Yea, I should have got on him about it. What really got me is when I gave him the measurements he didn't believe me and I even showed him the pictures of us measuring the buck. I thought he took me seriously then....wrong. My friend has far more resources aka cash and has several life size mounts so he had the guy by the wallet so to speak and I am less to complain. I just won't let him do any taxidermy work for me. I found another guy who does great work but he is a 6 hr drive.

Your measurements won't help him. He needed to measure the cape after tanning THEN order the form to fit his measurements.

 

[wytex]

Your measurements won't help him. He needed to measure the cape after tanning THEN order the form to fit his measurements.

Not so sure on this. Our taxi requests the neck measurements for the form order. A tanned cape will stretch back out to size after rehydrating then dry to form.
Taxi always asks for the neck measurements at base of head and 6 inches down. He's been at it for at least 34 years.

 

[OntarioHunter]

Not so sure on this. Our taxi requests the neck measurements for the form order. A tanned cape will stretch back out to size after rehydrating then dry to form.
Taxi always asks for the neck measurements at base of head and 6 inches down. He's been at it for at least 34 years.

You are correct. The tanned hide is rehydrated before measuring. I'm not sure I would trust clients to get the measurement right. Also, as I know too well, the original cape can get lost or switched during the process. We haven't had real good luck with the tannery up here. Customer disservice with a capital D.

I know for a fact I did not get my wildebeest hide back from the African taxidermist. It was clearly an unremarkable dark brown coloured cow shot once ... while laying on the ground. Entry wound was in the back just left of spine. Very long exit hole was at right armpit. It also had hair rubbed off above the tail from being dragged. I shot my nicely striped blue bull square in the right shoulder and what was left of the Nosler partition was hanging in the hide of left shoulder (dropped him on the spot). We drove the truck up to it so no dragging was needed. Someone (lodge staff, tannery, or taxidermist) screwed up and rather than own up, simply sent along a hide stripped from a management cull. It's easy to wind up with a cape that's not the client's ... unless the taxidermist has tattoo equipment to monogram the green hides before sending to tannery. And even that's no guarantee. We wait till we have the cape back from tannery before ordering a form. That way if form doesn't fit and we have to order another one, we know who to blame: taxidermy supplies company.

 

[huntinsonovagun]

I just wanted to update you guys on this, as I REALLY appreciate the advice.

I picked up my antelope a week ago. The mount was super clean, hair patterns are very detailed, eyes look good, and the “brows” looked better in person up close. I even left $100 tip. I could tell they weren’t perfect, but I’m super reasonable. Once I hung him up, I could tell they still didn’t look “right” but I lived with it a week. I did reach back out to the taxidermist, very cordially, and expressed my concerns once again. He apologized for not meeting my expectations and said that I was expecting a show mount. He then seemed to get pretty irritated in his texts and told me to find someone better and “good luck”. I was seriously going to pay a couple hundred more if he made it right. I mean, he named his price, not me.

I am a little disappointed, but it is what it is. I just wasn’t informed ahead of time that the anatomy wouldn’t be right, otherwise I would have been willing to pay $100 more (or honestly whatever he would have charged) to get it right. I’m a business owner and I know time is money, but I just didn’t know what I “wasnt’t” getting.

At the end of the day, he looks ok, and everything material will burn. I guess looking back, I would have done research and found someone out of state that specializes in antelope that has examples I could have seen. There are so many horror stories with taxidermists, and mine doesn’t look THAT bad. I do realize I’m pickier than most though.

Moving forward, I’m probably just going to learn taxidermy myself. I really wanted to pay the local guy, but it seems if you want it right you gotta do it yourself!

Guess I just need to get me another one!

 

[Carl 9.3x62]

I just wanted to update you guys on this, as I REALLY appreciate the advice.

I picked up my antelope a week ago. The mount was super clean, hair patterns are very detailed, eyes look good, and the “brows” looked better in person up close. I even left $100 tip. I could tell they weren’t perfect, but I’m super reasonable. Once I hung him up, I could tell they still didn’t look “right” but I lived with it a week. I did reach back out to the taxidermist, very cordially, and expressed my concerns once again. He apologized for not meeting my expectations and said that I was expecting a show mount. He then seemed to get pretty irritated in his texts and told me to find someone better and “good luck”. I was seriously going to pay a couple hundred more if he made it right. I mean, he named his price, not me.

I am a little disappointed, but it is what it is. I just wasn’t informed ahead of time that the anatomy wouldn’t be right, otherwise I would have been willing to pay $100 more (or honestly whatever he would have charged) to get it right. I’m a business owner and I know time is money, but I just didn’t know what I “wasnt’t” getting.

At the end of the day, he looks ok, and everything material will burn. I guess looking back, I would have done research and found someone out of state that specializes in antelope that has examples I could have seen. There are so many horror stories with taxidermists, and mine doesn’t look THAT bad. I do realize I’m pickier than most though.

Moving forward, I’m probably just going to learn taxidermy myself. I really wanted to pay the local guy, but it seems if you want it right you gotta do it yourself!

Guess I just need to get me another one!

I did my last mount myself. Yours looks WAY better, haha. Bummer you are still not the happiest. Sucks. Thats how it goes sometimes.

 

[huntinsonovagun]

I should specify, probably wouldn’t try anything other than deer for a while, if ever. They’re readily available around here lol