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01-29-2006 | 10:09 AM

#52

Michelles_Taxidermy

Joined: Oct 2005

Posts: 112

Likes: 0

RE: deer mounts

Quote:

Windwalker7 1/28/2006 8:33:39 PMWhy wouldn't you touch it for $550? The same guy did a life size 200 lb. black bear for me 2 years ago and charged $600 for it. He does good work cheap. I know his work isn't competition quality but its good. I'm typical of most hunters.I want my animals back without waiting years for it and I don't want to pay twice as much, either.

It is true, there are guys out their that won't make you wait, are cheap and do good work. Look at those 2 moose. One cost twice as much as the other.

I know taxidermist need to make a living and all, but some of us hunters still like to price shop.

I've even been messing around a little with taxidermy myself. I want to save even more money. I mounted a doe for a 12 year old boy and have only around $75 dollars in it.

I used a pressure washer to flesh it and used JRTS to tan it. I think it turned out OK

First offI do taxidermy as a part time job in my garage. I have a full time job at a local Marine as as a Civilian Heavy Mobile Equipment Mechanic. I am probably the cheapest in my areaI am setting at $300 for a Whitetail shoulder mount.

Why wouldn't i touch aMoose for $550 dollars? BecauseI am not making any money, thats why.

Form (avg. size moose)............................$135
Tanning (sent off to tannery)....................$200
Eyes, Clay, ear liners, etc.........................$30
Shipping for the form and other supplies......$20
Shipping to and from the tannery...............$35
----------------------------------------------------
Total.......$420

Just for supplies it is costing me $420 dollars, and thats for a small to medium moose. It would probably take me 20 hours to mount that moose. I would be working for $5.05 an hour. Would you work for that? I might have a day job but I'm not going to work for free. I make $16.40 an hour at my day job. I figgureI should make that doing taxidermy. I put more hours in doing taxidermy thatI do my day job.

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