Taxidermist - How long should it take?
 

I dropped my deer off at the taxidermist around the middle of november 2005 to be mounted. Is it outrageous that I still don't have it back? I was told April when I dropped it off.

Anyone else still waiting on their deer from '05?

For a little more background, this guy is very good andcosts over 400

RE: Taxidermist - How long should it take?
 

The taxidermist I took my gun kill buck from november of 2005 said it would 2.5 - 3 years to get mine back. It is his life and all he does so he is super busy with tons of mounts

RE: Taxidermist - How long should it take?
 

that seems like a very long time, if you want to give him a call maybe he forgot

RE: Taxidermist - How long should it take?
 

Just call him and bug him. I didn't get mine back for 1.5years. It turns out all I needed to do was to tell him I'm ready or more to the point, I have his money for the mount. I guess some hunters choose to get mounts but are short on cash to pay for it.

RE: Taxidermist - How long should it take?
 

my guy usually takes bout 8-18 months. Just depends on how early in the season you get the mount to him. I dropped off 2 antelope at end of Sept 05 and i am going to pick them up tonight after work.

RE: Taxidermist - How long should it take?
 

I still havent gotten my mount back yet either fomr 2005 and i brought it in to him at the end of october. Im expecting it at the end of this month though. Since i brought it to this one guy, i have become close with a cousin of a co-worker who is a taxidermist. He does it full time and he claims that it takes about 15 man hours to complete a deer head sized or similiar animal. Now granted those 15 hours arent taking drying of glue time and all, but he was saying that when he used to work for someone else ( works for himself now) he would have to have 3 deer capes and racks on a manican a day. He was saying that it can take a while to get the cape back from the tannery, but if they really want to they can get it back quick. I was at his shop when he got a catalina goat in and he had the head completely done in 3 weeks. Obviously this is not the norm, but how in the heck it takes around a year to get them back is obsurd to me. Needless to say, my new buddy will be doing all my future mounts.

RE: Taxidermist - How long should it take?
 

I've only had one deer mounted. The taxidermist does it part time in the evenings. He still works and is a avid outdoors man and a super nice guy. He was recomended by friends and some times I swing by his shop in the evenings just to shoot the breeze with him. I shot my buck on opening day of the 04 rifle season and it took about 9 months to get it back. He mounts them in the order they come, unless there is special circumstances. He has to finish the fish mounts for the year before he switches over and does the deer heads.

RE: Taxidermist - How long should it take?
 

I took mine at about the same time and have not recieved it either. I called him a couple weeks ago and he said it would be another couple weeks, which it has been. Of course, I don't want to rush him.[8D]

RE: Taxidermist - How long should it take?
 

BE PATIENT! Good work takes TIME! And there are MANY delays that could be out of the taxidermists hand, including waiting on your cape to be tanned and returned.

There's nothing wrong with giving him a call (stopping by is probably nicer) and asking how things are coming along and when he expects it to be done. Perhaps he's waiting for a deposit from you or a decision on what pose you want so he can order the form. If he told you April, then he should be able to explain the delay though.

Most good taxidermists consider themselves artists and try to perfect their art. Rushing them can be done, but the results are often poor. I have seen rush jobs from very good taxidermists and the difference in finished quality between the rush job and a good mount is litterally like night and day.

My first mount took 1.5 years to get back. I'd visit him from time to time, I'd get to hold my rack for a while and see different phases of the process. It's pretty cool.

PS: Don't forget, if you brought yours in in November, then you could be the 100th or more in line too. One guy can work on no more than a few mounts at at time so he can't even start on yours till he gets the other 99 or so (or whatever) done. Throw in a delay in returning hides, ordering forms or God forbid an illness and a guy could get socked WAY behind.

RE: Taxidermist - How long should it take?
 

Thanks for the replies. I already paid half. I call every couple/3 weeks and have stopped by once just to talk for awhile.

I was told the tanner was the hold up in April. Looks like it isn't that far out of the norm to take this long.

thanks again.