RE: Off season scouting
Very good advice, expecially about looking outside their show rooms!!!! Sevearl years ago I was looking for a taxidermist, I had looked at a guys show room, excellent work etc, but before I had a chance to drop the hide and head off I was called out of town for work. I decided to go to a hunting store and noticed the horrible mounts(no hair, antlers kinda "off" eyes were bugging out, I made a comment hoping that mine didn't turn out the same, turns out it was the same guy that was gonna do my mount. The shop owner gave me the number to a bunch of guys, I made some calls and turns out everyone of them had bad experince with the guy. since that time the guy was sued and went bankrupt, just happy my mount wasn't done by him.
Kirby