buck617

What is your time on getting your mount back?My taxidermist has a 6 month guaranteed turn-around or the mount is half off and he stands by it,missed mine by one day and he would not accept the balance due.Great work, easy to get a hold of, 10 years in the business, operates a tannery as well so the hides never leave him, he will even clean and refresh the paint years down the road for free.350.00 for deer mounts i can't see changing unless there is a heck of a deal somewhere else. Located in central IL.

BOWHUNTERCOP

He is quick cause he does his own tanning. But if you saw the difference between a commerical tan and a in-house tan, then you would understand. As far as touching up years down the road, if the mount is done correctly you should never need touching up, unless you have the mount in direct sunlight, over a fireplace, etc. My guy takes anywhere from 9 to 14 months depending how busy he is, he does wrk all-over the world, for differnt musems

whitetaildreamer

I'm not sure of the exact day total but it would have to be an easy 5-6 months. He does museum quality work (actually does do some work for our provincial museum) and definitely looks at his work as a piece of artwork that will be appreciated for a lifetime. Is $350 total (all taxes etc.) and worth all and any wait. Just a reminder for all those wishing to get a mount (esp. for the first timers). When you dress out the deer make sure the cape is uncut from the beginning of the ribs (just peel it back). His biggest complaint are the hunters that leave little cape, not realizing shrinkage during the tanning process.

buck617

If you read my post you would have seen(operates a tannery).he has a commercial tannery, i wasnt taking a shot at any taxidermist like i feel you did mine,mounts will get dirty and gloss will fade overtime,350.00 is the total cost and well worth it IMO.

jeff barwick

my taxidermist runs his shop right behind his home.....i have not had a deer done there yet, but the wait on my turkey is predicted to be about 10 months. Not really bad for a one man shop that has enough work backed up for the next year if he never answered his phone. The turkey was i think $390...?? can't rememeber exactly.

BOWHUNTERCOP

buck617, by no means was I taking a shot at your taxidermist, I'm sorry you took it that way.

There arevarious ways to tan a hide: commerical which comes back like leather, dry tan using dry powder to dry the tan, pickle tan as well. I know of taxidermist that do tanning for added business, they just don't do what a commerical tannery can do, the equipment is to expensive and time consuming. When a taxidermist uses a commerical tan, they ship out many hides all at once, the process can take an average 3 to 6 months

superstrutter

I've done a lot of business with my taxidermist throughout the years. IHave even taken him duck hunting. He cuts me a little deal usually. My last deer mount, 2006, cost me $280. I don't ask for a special rate. I know he has to make a living too. I got it back in one month. That is usually notthe norm. Normally it takes 3 to 5 months. If he is really busy, it will take longer. His biggest problem is that he loves to hunt. He goes on out of state hunts quite often, so during hunting season he is not working full time at all. This is when he gets behind. He has to work his ass off to catch up, but he does a great job. He has been doing it for over 30 years.

buck617

BC, He operates a commercial tannery, many machines .he has allowed me to come out and watch him work.Every commercial tan is pickled using various acids, some use citric some use formic,he uses citric due to the hazzards of formic,seems like the shaving machine is the hardest part,we have one taxidermist near here that takes 2 years to get them back to busy hunting and fishing,not trying to argue so please don't take it that way.Most commercial tannerys are using a wet-tan for mounts,a dry tan is the same process just tumbled until dry and must be rehydrated,dry preservative is a powder that doesnt hold up over time typically.Yes i had to call and ask for knowledge..lol..i don't know how he does it.

nctaxi

It's always interesting hearing this topic come up, at least from my side. This and price. If you guys are happy with your taxidermist, I think that is what you should be looking for. I hope that every client of mine walks away with the feeling that they made a friend and got a good deal. Now granted I charge $475, so the idea of a good deal is subject to what you are expecting. Prime example, I had a guy bring me a deer this year. After talking a few minutes, he asks "You know why I brought you this deer?", No sir I have no idea. He states " I had my first deer mounted in 1983 and it cost me $275. I called 3 other taxidermist and they all quoted $275. You were the only one who didn't. And I figured that any fool that would work for the same wages they did in '83, really didn't need my work" Here is an example of my work, now granted this one with base would run right at $1100........

CamoCop

$250 per deer and under 6 months. he makes his own forms anddoes his own tanning.