The Finished Product in 30 Days
 

I received my deer mount last night ...this deer was shot on November 29th of this year and I received him back from the taxidermist on the 22nd ... here are the pictures of the finished product. The taxiedermist name is Scott Dixon in Hollywood Alabama.

dd

RE: The Finished Product in 30 Days
 

another pic

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another pic

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another pic

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Nice buck. Question...Whats the box?[&:]

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Sweet buck. I think that is a surround sound speaker!:)

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looks to be a speaker to me to. AWESOME BUCK and great mount! i havenever seen one that big in the wild. mind taking another hunter on your land??:D:D;)

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Yep that is a surround sound speaker in my computer room .. the only room that my wife lets me control ...I am running out of room for my mounts and had to place that one under the speaker .. and thanks guys for the compliments ..Im pleased with his work ...just goes to show you it should not take a year or two to get back a WT deer ..

dd

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Awe, come on Doc, I didnt expect that cheap shot from you. Geewiz,after all the IMs you and I exchange! Hahaha, no seriously, they sure dont take that long to do. But, 400 deer heads DO take that long though, and somebody has to be the 399th!

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Well Bill not EVERY Taxiedermist has YOUR clientel ... I am SURE you do have that type of volume but most do not ... and I know you do a lot more then just deer ... Im sure if you go to "the man" to get the work done you will have a wait ... I did with Brian Dobson and it was worth the wait ...but in general a person should not have to wait 12 to 24 months for a WT deer ..

dd

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very good looking mount.....and nice buck........here i am waiting 2 yearsfor a measly squirrel......last time i goto that guy! lol

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DD, you know I was jerking your chain. Theres guys out there I know that can get 300 plus heads out in 8 to 12 months, every year. Thats alot of work! With time frame, the key is honesty. If youre told up front what the estimate might be, you can choose to wait or go elsewhere.

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nice rack and great color

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Would you post a pic of this same mount in 60 days please, specially the skin around the antler base ?

I would like to see what bone shrinkage will do to this area,Thanks

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Will be happy to .... thats an interesting thing to consider.

dd

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Now that is a mojor cheep shot. Just like Bill Said your deer isn't theONLY one in the freezer and someone has to be next to last. How in the world did you manage to get yours back in one month? I've brought in 32 deer so far and we still have 2 weeks of deer season left.I tell all my customes 9 months wether I think it will be that long or not. I don't have a client base like Bill does either. I have a full time job and Taxidermy is a Hobby / Side Buisness. I give every deer personal attention whenI mount it. The problem with people now a days is they don't want to wait for quality! ! !

I am also interested in seeing pictures of this mount in the next 2 or 3 months. Thanks.....

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A friend of mine will let them hang on his wall for a couple months at least to dry out and show their problems. He then does a final finishing and touch up and delivers it to the customer. I am sure that if any shrinkage occurs that your taxidermist would happily touch it up.

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My guess would be drypreserve and a days worth of labor. Realistically he could have got it back in as fast as two weeks using that method.

It don't look to bad Doc. Glad to see you have it home, congrats again.
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That is a helluva cool rack. Congrats.

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That is not exactly true buckeyebuckhntr. You are correct thatI can bring in a deer in the morning and given I have all the supplies in the shop ready I can mount a Dry Preserve deer in a day and have it hanging on the wall drying that evening. The customer can take it home in about 2 weeks.

But their are also quicker tanning methonds that could have been used. One being a new tan called Krowtan. I have never used it butI have been told it is good. I have a bottle of it on the shelfI plan of pulling an extra cape out this week and trying it. One month was plenty of time to tan a cape and mount it, but he would have had to have gotten right on it.

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How is this stuff supposed to be on the hide? Any shrinkage? Post back and let us know how it goes with the new stuff.

I notice a lot of shrinkage around the bases on a lot of the mounts I see of my buddies. It bothers me to no end....... Best of luck with the Krowtan.
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Just to clearify things ... I took the head and cape to him two days after I shot it ...so it was never frozen ... however he did put it in a fridge after he fleshed it out until he received the form which he ordered the next day ... I think he actually started on mounting it about a week to 10 dayslater ..I know he allowed the cape to soak in the Krowtan for 4 or 5days ... he also told me he uses a preasure washer to help flesh the cape ...

dd

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So he did use Krowtan to tan your cape. I don't see why he would leave it in the frig for ten days unless he put it directly in the Krowtan after he fleshed it and after the Krotan did it's thing he oiled it and put it in the frig. A raw hide will start to slip if left out of the freezer to long. I've used Dp for around 3 year and I never left a raw cape in the frig longer than over night. This year I am sending my stuff to a tannery in SC.

Buckeyebuckhntr,

I have yet to sit down and read the directions to Krowtan. From what people tell me you flesh and turn everything and put the hide in the Krowtan and let it set for 3 days (stiring 2 x a day). Than I think you nuetralize it oil it and mount. Or you can freeze it until you are ready. I know their is a shaving process inbetween their but I am not sure where they recomend it. I will have to sit down and read the instructions tonight. Bill Yox might be able to tell you more if he checks back in on this post.

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Well Mike I was not there with him so he could very well have put it in a freezer and not a fridge ... I just know it was never froze before he got it ... I imagine he knows what hes doing he does it full time and is not a part timmer ... but I will ask him and clearfy ..

dd

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Sorry Michelle, I cant comment on Krowtann in here. DD had asked me via IM about it too. I told him the same thing. He couldnt understand why I wouldnt say IN PRINT, and I even offered to have him phone me so I could explain...hahaha, you know how that goes. Anyways, theres a very good reason why those of us who tan and leatherize our stuff do so, and put up with being called slow because it takes longer. I did my first deer mount when I was fifteen. Thirty years later Im not gonna screw things up!

Buckeye, as for the skull shrinkage...some taxidermists know to compensate for the skull shrinkage and shaving and tissue removal by building up the skull with fibreglass.

Theres plenty of things that are obvious shortcuts to just get decent work out fast. We taxidermists see it as obvious, but the average customer would never notice...and if he doesnt, why tell him? There are those who wait, and those who wont. Those who wont say they shouldnt have to, the ones who will recognize why. Many bitch, but all are happy! Its a win-win!

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Hemmmmm seems to me there it a little "attitude" building here...maybe professional jealousy..as for skull shrinkage this "Taxidermist" used bondo AND fiberglass to compensate for any future shrinkage .. as for the phone call Bill I appreciate the offer but I thought that was the "sprit" of this forum ...was to share things on hereso others couldlearn..I can understand why one might not want to come right out and dog or slam anothers work BUT to just voice an opinion on a product seems like it would allow others food for thought ...had I not respected your opinion I would not have asked ...Ive learned my lesson. As for asking you about Krowtan it was not in an PM but is a previous post about two weeks ago ... THEN it went to PMs ..just to clearify

dd

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If you don't want to answer this Bill thats ok. Just for personal information. Is Krowtan a "Tan" or is it just another preservative?

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You know, I wonder how I get into these situations...

DD, I thought I hinted around enough for you to know what I meant. No, it had nothing to do with speaking about a guys work. I judge great work at competitions, but in these forums, its you guys who are the judge. In this case, its your head, if you like it the way it looks, thats the beauty of it! Heck, when you were showing off your Dobson head from up north, I was the guy who sang Brian's praise, remember? I AM professional.Thats alsothe reason why I say nothing about the others. The deal with krowtann was equally as simple. Yes, you did PM me after I wouldnt mention it in here. I dont know why you needed to clarify, but thats fine. Look, plain and simple...I am on retainer with taxidermy companies, and because of this I also "endorse" certain products. I cannot talk about a product, especially one thats looked at by some as being a competing product. Again, its all about professionalism. I know all too well that ifa person were togo to google or some other search, these conversations can come up. I for one will not be in print that way, because I wont say so on the www. Thats how simple it is!

DD, I offered to talk to you about this, as you have been running through deer hunting, bowhunting, taxidermy forum about this 30 day mount, and not all the way informed. I know you didnt quite get what I was trying to say earlier. I didnt want to embarrass you, I just wanted to see you informed, thats all. You seemed like a nice guyfor asking. Thats all, nothing more.

Look, Im swamped with work. I dont need extra by trolling in here for it, or by knocking others methods. I dont approach anyone in here about mounting stuff for them, not even the local guys in here. Heck, Phade lives 15 minutes from me, hes in hunting forum all the time. Read the posts, I always referguys back to their local taxidermists. Itscertainly notprofessional jealousy...what jealousy? I think you have no idea how some studios are run. I too havetaxidermists around methatll mount all their mounts in months. Those guys customers think Im nuts, to "take so long". Or charge so much. Thats just how it is. Thats not jealousy, youre mistaken.

Man, Im sorry you dont understand it, but lets just move on.

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Bill it's obviously just a misunderstanding on my part ..you sure had no obligation to me to answere or reply to my original post asking the question. My reason for asking the question about the tanning process Krowtan was because I feltif in reputable Taxidermistto give me a straight answere as to ifthis was a cheap or shortcut way of tanning the cape I would have time to change my mind and stop this guy from doing it ... I was just looking for some defintive advice about something I had no experience with ... I guess I was asking for advice that must cross the Taxidermist code of ethics in giving... I have no hard feelings about it Bill and understand your position. The mount is done and at this point Im very happy with the work so all turned out well. I am sure you do great work and I wish you nothing but a prosperious new year !

dd

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Scott, Ill always be happy to help you out, both personally as well as in these forums. You seem well-liked by many in here, and I think we just had a minor misunderstanding is all. I work with McKenzie Sports Products, which has a product called McKenzie Tan. Bruce Rittel, of Rittel tanning products, is a personal friend. At one time I built the reputation I now have on a product from Dale Knobloch called LiquaTan. I know Brian Harness, who sells the Krowtann. So, I can always sing the praise of a product. But when I have concerns, or when something isnt clear, I must take a pass. The idea behind krowtann, from my understanding, starts from a recipe thats been used for quite some time, which would suggest it already has its track record, good or bad. I hope its all good, for all involved.

See, in taxidermy circles, we debate over true tanning, quick tans, and dry preservative all the time. Up north we feel DP is a shortcut, or that it suggests amateurish work. Yet in the south, its standard with many successful studios. Thats in general, as theres also northern shops who also swear BY it rather then AT it. So, with this ongoing debate, I stay clear of it all as best I can. I do, however, like to devilishly refer to those who use dry preserve as "powder jockeys", lol. And you dont even wanna hear how we argue over bondo ears vs earliners!

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Hey, since Iam not in retainer by anybody and with 40 yeras + in taxidermy, I will say that most home tannings leave a lot to be desire, that might include krowtan, I don't know because I never used it.

Now if I had to endorse anybody's product it will be Rittels, first I will endorse Bruce as a person of honor and knowledge and second most of his products have worked as he has advertised.

Iam now in the process of opening a tannery exclusively on fish skins and bruce has provided us with all of his knowledge and chemicals ,which have worked beyond expectations.

But hey if your deer head hold together looking like that say for 25 years or so, then be happy and enjoy it.

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It didn't take me long to learn their are 2 questions you don't ask on Taxi.Net:

Which are betterBondoor Earliners?
Whats the difference between DP and Tanning?

Did the DP/Tanning question whenI first started out doing taxidermy. NOT GOING THEIR AGAIN......

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Well all can say is if the taxidermist ask you if he can try something new take your deer and run. My dad had a mount done and the tax did something different to it and I a year the hair was dissapearing. And dd nice mount and buck