whipple

I have hunted for several years and never got a big, BIG,buck. This year I did. So of course I want to get it mounted. I have never had anything mounted and I just started inquiring around my area for a good price yet quality work. From all that I have been told down through the years and read here on the forum, everyone sends their hides off to be tanned and this is a big part of the time involved. So, I was really shocked when I spoke to this lady on the phone today and she told me she does not send her hides off to be tanned. She says that she has something that she "dips and or puts" them in that cures them out very quickly. She said there is no shrinkage like you sometimes get from tanning and she has been doing it like this for going on 20 years now. She said that it takes her no more than 3 weeks to complete a full shoulder mount, considering she was working on only one at a time. Have any of you ever heard of the process she uses? Does this hold up over time? I have been told by several people that her work looks great and they would continue using her as long as she kept doing it. Just thought maybe I could get some helpful info before I jump into this with all four hoofs.

Snoogsdad

Whipple,

You can get real good info at the forum at www.taxidermy.net. Ask them and they will give you their opinions, there are some good helpful people over there.

I have spent a lot of time reading that forum and have done a whole three deer myself(I'm far from an expert) but I do know that you can get a good quality deer mount done in a hurry and you can get a poor deer mount done in a hurry.

It sounds like she has happy customers.

Good luck.

Tree climber

sounds like she has coustomers that will return,so that says something.check and look at her mts. and if your happy thats all that counts.
Doing one at a time,gives her the time to do it quick and right?????? ask to look at some that she did years ago.if there is gonna be a problem it should show up in a few years.

Bob H in NH

The thing that would mainly concern me is that she isn't very busy right now. Our local taxidermist will not even accept deer any more deer close to the end of the season, to many, to busy. I gave him one to do, I gave it to him around Thanksgiving, I got it back during the early summer the following year, another one I know of it over a year wait.

My uncle didn't want the wait, went to one who was not so busy and was VERY unhappy with the result.

Alot of the time is the hide, but if they don't have the artistic side down, the paint around the eyes etc. the mount won't look right, this takes time.

---Bob

timbercruiser

The taxidermist I know take cedar shavings, mix in some borax powder and put it in a tumbler like a clothes dryer without heat and put the capes in for a period of time for the preserving.