DD - I only do this part time. Heck, I agree with you, I wouldn't pay $800, but I know of a few taxidermist that charge and get $650. I can't afford it, but they get it. Of the deer that I took in this past season, the longest took me 70 days to get back to the client. It is all about regions, in my region, the average is between $275 and $450. But they are as low as $165. The way I look at it, if you drive a $30,000 truck, shoot the deer with a $1000 gun and get it out with a $8000 four wheeler, why are you going cheap with something that is what you'll spend years looking at? I would rather drive a beat up truck, $350 gun and pull the deer out and spend the money on what is going to hang on my wall. IMHO. Every one has their limits, but we have all seen terrible looking mounts, I won't put out something that I wouldn't have on my wall.