My buck from 11-17-08
 

RE: My buck from 11-17-08
 

Congrats on the buck. Another fast turn around time with poor results unfortunatly. WCL

RE: My buck from 11-17-08
 

Thats a nice buck. I'm not a mount inspector so I can't comment on the mount other than it looks ok to me. If it was mine I'd sure be proud of it. I haven't harvested a deer that nice yet. CONGRATS!!

RE: My buck from 11-17-08
 

Great looking buck!

RE: My buck from 11-17-08
 

That is a beauty. Nice mount... congrats.

RE: My buck from 11-17-08
 

Man that is a wonderful deer, congrats on it. Was it 100 Percent wild or a high fence buck, because a wild deer is way better than a farmed deer.

RE: My buck from 11-17-08
 

That is a dandy buck indeed!

RE: My buck from 11-17-08
 

They are as wild as you can get out here. You can see the wide open country we hunt so they are very difficult to get close to. We can see them from a long ways but they can see us just as far.

Wingchaser, what don't you like about the mount? It's my first one that I have had mounted, and I am very happy with it. The only thing that I could change is maybe the position that he was mounted, but that is nobody's fault but my own. He looks pretty "standard" but at least he looks, to me anyway, just like he did in the field.

RE: My buck from 11-17-08
 

If you like it thats all that matters. I won't say what looks wrong with it unless you really want me to. You are rigth about the position. Upright no turn is the worst pose there is and I wish those forms would be discontinud by all companies. Even the best mounts look off in that form. Congrats again. just curios what did the mount run ya if ya dont mind me askin. WCL

RE: My buck from 11-17-08
 

Congrats great buck!

RE: My buck from 11-17-08
 

Nice Buck. South Dakota has a lot fences (for cattle).:D You guys have some nice deer out there. We usually see a couple every year whenwe're out there phesant hunting. I am guessing you shot that buck in SD. The mount isn't horrible. I thought maybe there was something with the eyes or the way the antlers set on the form (high), but I looked back your field picture and the deer doesn't look that much different. It could just be the pictures of the mount (angles or whatever). Anyway its a nice buck that deserves to be on the wall. Enjoy!!!

RE: My buck from 11-17-08
 

Nice buck I had SD on my list for an outfitted hunt this year but the outfitters price and airfare went up so I am looking for another area again. congrats.

RE: My buck from 11-17-08
 

BINGO!!!

As long as your happy with him, that is what matters. If we point out flaws in your trophy, then you will grow to hate it.

RE: My buck from 11-17-08
 

Very nice buck, congrats.

RE: My buck from 11-17-08
 

thats a great buck. congrats and nice job

RE: My buck from 11-17-08
 

I paid 400 for it.. I know that is probably at the upper end of the spectrum, but it was convenient to take it to the lady I did so thats why I did. I didn't do any research before so once again, that is nobody's fault but my own.

I would really like for you guys to tell me what you think is wrong with it, mainly because I don't see it.. Do the ears not look right? I know that you don't see wrinkles in the skin from the muscle, but you don't see that in deer in South Dakota in November, so I don't think that would be a problem.. Let me know what you think, I won't be offended, so let er rip.

Thanks for the congrats from you guys.. I was really happy to take such a beautiful deer, and hope that I am just starting a yearly tradition.

RE: My buck from 11-17-08
 

Nice buck and the mount looksgood to me. Congrats.

RE: My buck from 11-17-08
 

Congrats on a nice looking buck.

RE: My buck from 11-17-08
 

That's not the upper end where I'm from. I'm paying close to 6 in PA. My freinds, family or myself have gotten a mount done by this guy every year for the past 10 and they're all great. Every year they get better, too!!!

Here's a couple from him. Check out the bottom jaw of the big 5-pointer. It was an 8 year old deer. Nice detail on the sagging jawls.

RE: My buck from 11-17-08
 

Here's the other one. Total opposite. Young buck with a lot of potential.

RE: My buck from 11-17-08
 

Nice buck.

RE: My buck from 11-17-08
 

Not trying to be a smart ass but......what potential?? It's dead, it can't get any better.

RE: My buck from 11-17-08
 

Awesome buck!!! Love that picture of you with him in the field. Looks like it was a great moment.

RE: My buck from 11-17-08
 

Nice buck for sure........that first pic is really nice

RE: My buck from 11-17-08
 

Great looking buck!! Congrats!

IMO - the turn around time from the taxi is a little faster than I would want to see on one of my deer - not that yours looks terrible or anything, not trying to say that....

RE: My buck from 11-17-08
 

nice buck congrats

RE: My buck from 11-17-08
 

Potential: A 2.5yo old buck with 5 inch basis. Genetic potential. If he lived 2 or 3 more years, he would be a slammer. He has relatives. The genes are still on the mountain. Potential for his brother, dad or any fawns he sired to be big one day.

My buddy shot this. He only gets to hunt with us 2 or 3 days a year. This was only his 2nd buck. He is not in the position to pass on 8-pointers.

In Illionois, fawns are dropped with 10 point racks and 160" deer are called cull bucks. In Pennsylvania, we have 1,000,000 hunters and hunt a lot of deer that only eat poor quality browse in the vast forrested mountains. An 8-pointer is a good deer for most of us.

RE: My buck from 11-17-08
 

If "we" point out the flaws? Who's we? You and that otherfriggen SMACKED ASSwho calls himself wingchaser lab? I'd like to see some of your "awesome mounts" guys. Put up or shut up!! Guys like you make mewant to puke!![>:] That mount looks just fine. Congrats!;)

RE: My buck from 11-17-08
 

$400is about average here in the midwest maybe a lil more. Some of the really goodshops are much closer to 6 but its the midwest, not exactly the richest part of the US. You go down to like texas or theEastyour lookin at an average much higher around 500 or better. WCL

RE: My buck from 11-17-08
 

Alright since he wants the opinions and you do too now. I'll give em. Hope zubbo shows his moutns too cuz they look very nice as well. By no means am I a pro as I have only mounted 11 heads but I do know what looks real. To me mounts should look alive and that buck doesnt looked alive to me.....

Eyes are way off
Eye lashes should be at a 45 degree angle downwards (those are 90 degree or even pointing up.
Some serius drumming issue going on in the throat (drumming, thats just lazy)
Arm pit pockets could use some workalmost the entire lower lip line is showing (hould just be a little under the tip of the nose)
And for the worst.... The ears. There is no ear but and the earls look like they got chewed on my something. They are also way to pink.

Here is a couple finished mounts and in progress mounts I've got going. Not making excusses just stating what I have learned and have changed but I now use a different paint on the noses (they are way to dark) and texture them. And have changed my eye shape setting them smaller cuz I had shrinking problems where they were getting to wide on me once dried. Also I wasnt doing a lower lip onmost of them but am now.I'm no pro yet but for only doing a few heads I think they look pretty alive. If yahave something to proveearlyin why dont ya post some of your work?

Finished






Unfinished, still wet in pics, and not getting the same paint scheduel as the previous ones.

RE: My buck from 11-17-08
 

Yes, your mounts do look good. I give credit where it's due. The main point I was making, and I've had to make it in the past on here, is simply that unless someone ask's for critiquing/criticism why give it? Why not simply say, yes your mount looks nice, and let that person feel good about what he/she just spenttheir hard earned money on, even if you don't think it's quality work? It's called being a good/kind person.
This is my only mount as of now, and I'm very happy with it.

RE: My buck from 11-17-08
 

Don't get your undies in a bunch. You stated that the "young buck" on the wall had potential. I'm just saying no it doesn't........it's dead. It has no more "potential". I see potential as more improvement. It can't.......it's dead.

RE: My buck from 11-17-08
 

If someone posts a mount they obviously are proud of it and want to show it off otherwise they wouldnt post it because they prolly posted it on here when they had kill pics which gets to my point as a taxidermist...

Yes but you have to see it from a taxidermist view too. Although I'm not full time yet because ofcollege, I want to be when I graduate. As a taxidermist it is our career and living.When hunters comment on mounts saying thats a nice mount, looks good, I like the mount... Well then thats just good advertising for those hack shops just lookin to make money, not produce quality mounts because the person who posted the buck tells everyone to go to so and so they do a good job. andotehr people on herewho have mounts at home that look like the one posted, think hey its really good and then they refer to other people. and so on.... Your buck looks very nice but notice how long it took you to get it back. 15 months and it took this guy 4 months when it was killed in this years gun season. Most full time quality shops who do good work should be maybe finishing up there bow kills from the season. Also not to ruffle your feathers but you didnt mount your buck so to be saying what looks right and what doesnt and to tell people that "If it was caped properly, you should see nothing" about a sewing job,is not very relevent........ Product produced is the best advertising and i just wish more hunters would pay attention to quality and realism. Like he said he didnt shop around but I think next time he will. Even though I have nothing to gain from pointing out poor work I'd hope that a fellow taxidermist who does great work and takes pride in theirmountsin his area will get his future mounts and not a person who doesnt care enough to study their subjects and produce real lookingmounts.

Sorry if saying a mount is poor makes me a bad person. I did say congrats on a nice buck cuz it is a very nice buck but I will never tell someone who has a poor mount that their mount looks nice. To me as a taxidermist if a mount is posted its free game for any critiques unless the person says please don't critique it "cuz then they just want to show off their rack". WCL

RE: My buck from 11-17-08
 

I was wondering why it took you sooo long to respond to my last post. It must have taken you some time to research how long it took me to get my buck back.;)Listen, I totally agree with what you say from taxi's point of view. Usually you will not get quality work when a taxigets your buck back to you that quickly. But, that's not the point I'm making here.
That was that fellows first mount, and I'm quite sure he's very proud of it, as he should be. That's a fine buck he killed. But he doesn't need to be told on a public forum what mistakes he might have made choosing his taxi, just because you are one. If he had asked for honest opinions on the quality of his mount, that would have been a different story. Do you see where I'm coming from?:) Oh, and my comment on the proper caping/stiching was based on a question that was ASKED.;)

RE: My buck from 11-17-08
 

Disclaimer: I'm not perfect or consider myself a master taxidermist.

If you (or early in) wants to know some things that caught my eye on your mount, I will give them. I will list them before reading WCL's reply. Once again,I don't consider myself a master taxidermist, I just do this part time. But I read, research, and attend everything I can that is taxidermy related. Here are the big things that jump out at me.

Lower lip - too much showing (too long). He looks like he is smiling.
Ears - very rough along the edges, posistion of ear butts are off, and the ear butt muscles have a very unnatural bend to them.
Eyelashes - should angle down at a 45 degree angle.
The pink/flesh in the nose should be able to be seen straight on.
The nose is very black.
Brisket looks crooked.

Below are a few on my mounts. You can pick them apart, as I know the aren't perfect. I don't want to start any fights, I just want to encourage hunters to research taxidermists before dropping their trophy off. Sure, I've seen a lot worse looking mount. As I said in an earlier posts, very nice buck, I would be very proud of that bruiser.

BTW - early-in...nice looking mount.

RE: My buck from 11-17-08
 

Didn't take me anytime to find your buckpost, actually like 30 sec prolly cuz I remembered seein it somewhere in a mount thread recently. took me awhile cuz I was busy worryin about something more important.... I don't think you are seeing the taxis point of view as you aren't one. Let me explain it in an easier way...

- Poor mounts getting good reviews = more poor mounts done by poor taxidermists (which results in more hack shops and less income for the quality taxidermist)
- Poor mounts getting bad reviews = more quality mounts by quality taxidermists (which results in less hack shops)
- The other florida buck post is a much better example of this, as all the taxi needed on this threads mount was some good reference and the major things would be fixed.
- Little things like reference aren't a big deal but simple things like jagged ears, no ear butts, and drumming is just SLOPPY LAZY taxidermy.

Maybe this is hard to understand but whensome of abig public hunting group sees poor mounts as being good its like saying..... O go have your car engine rebuiltlike this.It got fixedsuper fast and did a great job... However you don't know what the inside of your motor is even supose to look like but hey it runs fineso it must be quality built.

Taxidermy is a profession just like any other and quality taxidermists take pride in what they produce. Quality taxidermists are not animal stuffers, they are wildlife artists.

"

[blockquote]quote:

ORIGINAL: tim03b

Can you take a pic of the back of the neck of the deer and post it up for me please. I wanna see the stich job.
Thanks.
[/blockquote]

If it was caped properly, you should see nothing.;) "

It wasn't really a question but you took it as one and felt you could answer iteven though you know nothing about stitchingcapes so do you see where I'm coming from. You gave bogus info.

Ok one last attempt.....
- You are an arborist (early-in). So if someone showed you a pic of their prized rare species(trophy) tree orpretty yard full of trees they just had trimmed by a poor arboristand looked poor, you are telling me you wouldn't say something to them to prevent them frommaking the same mistake when they get their nexttrophy tree trimmed knowing that a hack did their trimming the first time????? Just think about it. I feel like I'm beating a dead critter here so I'm done. WCL

RE: My buck from 11-17-08
 

rimjob rob- Sorry for the thread hi-jack. I'm done....... Its a great buck you got man. Congrats again. Good luck in 09. WCL

RE: My buck from 11-17-08
 

You seem determined to skirt the point I've been trying to make. I guess you just ignor what I've already said, and it doesn't/won't change. You just used poor judgement, plain and simple. Andfor whatever reason, yourefuse to admit it.I'll live with that.:)
As far as my comment on stiching goes. You're correct, I'm no taxi, but I do know certain proper procedures regarding cape prep, asI've watched professional guides do it several times.These are are the guys whogive you what you'll have to work with.;)
Also, the guywho said"Can you take a pic of the neck of the deer and post it up for me please? I want to see the stich job" is indeed asking a question regarding stich work. My comment "If it was caped properly, you should see nothing" is certainly a reasonable answer to that question. Me being a taxi or not! My answerwas fact, not opinion.
Lastly, if someoneshowed me (being an arborist) a pic of work done by another tree man, and I saw it didn't agree with the way I would have done it, NO I wouldn't say that to the person. Idon't slander other peoples work. It's buyer beware out there, and if someone needs to learn the hard way, so be it. BUT, by the same token, if that same person said, "Jeff what do you think of thework I had done on my tree's"? I would THEN, andONLYTHEN, give them my thoughts on their tree work. Now do you understand?

RE: My buck from 11-17-08
 

I don't have a dog in this fight per se, but I agree with both sides here. The man is/was happy with his mount, so good for him. He did not come on here and ask for a critique, so thus should not have been given one. Although I agree with the things that were said, it may have not been the right place or time for it.
But I am in agreement with wingchaser's comments (maybe not in how it was discussed on this post). "We" as wildlife artists fight an uphill battle everyday trying to promote better quality work and teaching our client's what they should be looking for. There are many details that take mounts to the next level, ie. the bottom jaw on the pic posted earlier. Clean crisp ears, eye anatomy, eye shape, etc. I have spent years studying live deer, carcasses, muscles, skeletons, etc just to get where I am today (which really isn't that far just able to mount a decent deer) I will never be a World Champion Taxidermist, although I know a few, I just want to be able to mount a better deer than those around me.


Wingchaser - please do me one personnal favor, "prolly" is not a word, "probably" is. I hate that one:D:D:D:D

RE: My buck from 11-17-08
 

I hope that everyone will read what I put in bold/italic from "early in's" post.

I have no dog in this fight, and btw, VERY nice buck. If your happy then that is all that counts.

I learned a very humbling lesson related to "early in's" statement above one time in the past. Unrelated professions but I think the message is relevant here.

I was a professional farrier for 18 years. And not to toot my own horn, but I was pretty fair at my job. College educated, went to continuing education classes, memeber of National Association of Equine Practicioners, American Farrier's Association certified journeyman farrier etc, etc,etc, etc.

Now, one day a new client called me and had a pretty bad problem with her favorite pet. Her horse was crippled as hell. And funny thing was he was just fine before his "new" farrier took over the care of that horse.

I took one look at the job on his hooves and said.........

"My lord that is the worst shoeing job I have ever seen. Joe Farrier's certification should be taken away from him. My goodness Mam, how could you expect otherwise. Those shoes are at least one size to small, he has two 'hot' nails that I can see so far, his heels have been trimmed to nothing, and the imbalance between his front feet is atrocious. How could you ever expect to be able to use this horse? I would not call the guy again Mam!"

There were several people around when I said that. Bad mistake on my part. Well to wrap this little synopsis up........the "other" farrier eventually heard what I had said about him.

His words that got back around to me have stayed with me for years!! And a big lesson was learned on my part.

His reply to my SLAMMING his horrible work was, "Well, thats too bad. I wish I had known about the problem and I would have gone back and done my best to fix the damage at no charge to the client. I just can't believe he would say that about me, because I really look up to the guy."

From that day on, no matter how horrible a job was........I never bad mouthed it. I came up with a generic response of "well, I would do things a little different here."

I learned my lesson!

Oh again, very nice deer. It looks great to me. Congrats.