longest you've waited to get taxidermy back?

[flyingbrass]

LAST EDITED ON Mar-27-12 AT 09:37PM (MST)[p]1. longest you've waited to get taxidermy back?
2. what is an acceptable time to wait?
3. Ever pay 100% up front?
4. Ever have a physical fight with a taxidermist, my cousin did!
5. How long do you wait before you demand your mounts back and ask for the 100% payment back?
6. Ever have a taxidermist that you would recommend to a friend? This is the hard one.

I've about had it with the whole profession, I feel like I'm being held captive. Damn! I've waited over 18 months many times and almost 3 years before.
Edited to add: I think 12 months is a reasonable time limit with another 2 month grace period if they have completed projects for you and just to give them the benefit of doubt.

flyingbrass
cold dead hands
NRA Life Member

 

[tx_packmule]

depends on the relationship with the taxi. I sent 3 deer to the taxi in Nov, I figure I will get them in Summer 2013. He stays swamped and I know it.

 

[delmag1942]

1) 4 months
2) Less than 12 months
3) Usually
4) No
5) If it were to happen to me after 12 months
6) Definitely!!!!!!!!!!

 

[mtnview]

1. 2 years and. counting
2. 6-10 months
3. No, usually 50%
4. Not yet
5. Apparenty two years
6. Yes, have a good one now.

I too have been greatly disappointed with taxidermists. I have been teaching myself the trade, but use a real great guy on NA 29 and OIL animals. Learning trade has created further respect for the trade and the animals.

 

[ishootaRUM300]

I waited for a year and a half for a guy to do a pheasant.
I think a year is an acceptable wait time
Would never give 100% up front unless I had the taxi do lots of work and knew he would get it done in the time he says.
Nope no fight got to the point that I asked for it back.
I would have asked for everything back if I didn't get my pheasant back when I did.
Would not recommend anyone at this point hoping to find somebody that I would and I think I will be when I get my elk back.

 

[PleaseDear]

LAST EDITED ON Mar-28-12 AT 05:50AM (MST)[p]6-9 months depends on any habitat work I add to the mount that I do not do myself after it is home.

50% as he wants some income in April---August...pick up time frame.

Nah--never any swing time fighting....

I have been with the same guy for close to 15 years now....makes a big difference to me and him.

I send quite a few guys/gals to him yearly.

Sorry you are having a hassle F-brass.

Robb

 

[elk_horn]

Over three years and counting wont give him anymore work and wont reccomend him.

 

[HunterHarry]

Waiting on my son's antelope.
Dropped it off Oct of 2008.
$500 deposit.
Called with concern in December.
Was supposed to be done this week, now it's next month.

Ain't real happy.

x(

 

[DoeNob]

LAST EDITED ON Mar-28-12 AT 07:58AM (MST)[p]1. longest you've waited to get taxidermy back?

Will be 2 years in Oct.

2. what is an acceptable time to wait?

12 months should be sufficient for any shoulder mount.

3. Ever pay 100% up front?

Never and if someone asked me too, I'd consider that a flight risk and take my business elsewhere.

4. Ever have a physical fight with a taxidermist, my cousin did!

Don't remember the last physical fight I got in.

5. How long do you wait before you demand your mounts back and ask for the 100% payment back?

I'd get an attorney involved and draft a letter letting him know
he needs to resolve my situation immediately or the court costs of defending my suit will well exceed any deposit I paid him.

6. Ever have a taxidermist that you would recommend to a friend? This is the hard one.

I have 2 here in town I would recommend. One for birds and one for big game. If you ever need any ducks done Birdman (no the NBA player) in Colorado is very reputable, good turnaround time and the best in the nation IMO.

 

[Zigga]

I waited 26 months for a bear and I sold a deer and antelope cape in 2006 and 2008 and still haven't got the skull caps back. After a year I get anxious. Never pay up front.

 

[wrt]

I am usualy a year or less out unless sh@t happens, then I call and notify my clients. I only expect 30% down and no more until I complete it. I would never pay anyone up front unless you know them very well. There are still good taxi's out there you just have to find one.

 

[littlejoe]

1. Never been over a year.
2. 18 months.
3. Never been asked to and I would not do it either.
4. I am good friends with my taxidermist and never had or heard of any issues.
5. Never had a problem so I don't know what I would say.
6. Absolutely. I do a ton of research and get quality work and absolutely trust my taxidermist as much as a friend.

 

[Sniper1]

The taxi should notify you up front that it may take 18 months. There is alot that goes into a mount. Plus they may be swamped from the year before still.

I started learning how to do taxidermy on the side for the hell of it. I enjoy it and now realize what really goes into making a bird or whatnot come back to life. Any bird should take no longer than a couple months at most and thats if they are backed up. A good taxidermy can have a bird skinned out fleshed and back up on the wall in a few hours.

I would never pay 100% upfront and I would never wait a year on a bird. If it were me I would show up and have a talk face to face with the taxidermist. Things get solved alot easier than over the phone.

Ask UTAHBIGBULL about this

 

[sagebrush]

1. longest you've waited to get taxidermy back?

24 months


2. what is an acceptable time to wait?

I don't care how long it takes. I only care if the guy tells me X months, its done in X months. If things go sideways, I expect a call to let me know he needs more time, not me calling him to find out.


3. Ever pay 100% up front?

Never. I offer 50% and had one guy that told me to just pay him on pick up.


4. Ever have a physical fight with a taxidermist, my cousin did!

Haven't had a fight since high school.


5. How long do you wait before you demand your mounts back and ask for the 100% payment back?

I've had a couple of bad situations and worked them out. I just started calling every month until the work was complete. One of the jobs was worth the wait, the other was the last I gave that guy. He did several great mounts for me, but his business is mostly big jobs from Africa, diarama's and big trophy rooms. He doesn't have time for a little guy like me.


6. Ever have a taxidermist that you would recommend to a friend? This is the hard one

I actually recommended the big time taxidermist to a couple of friends and he did great work for them as well. I have a local guy that works out of his garage now and he does some of the best work I've seen. Price is fair and he finished my mount 3 months early. He would recommend him anytime.

 

[gznokes]

I've used at least 4 taxidermists over the years. I've never had anything returned in less than a year unless it was a european mount. I really appreciate the guys who will return your messages and communicate and manage expectations upfront. I had one taxidermist who actually would call me to check in on where he was on my work.

 

[pookiebar]

1. "waited" 4 years after the tanning shop went bankrupt so the hide was sold as "inventory" then the original taxidermist died of cancer after they were able to track the hide down again, so I finally tracked down Marc Jozovich in Butte, MT. The guy new the whole story from beginning to end and was cool to work with on getting the job done. I would recomend him to anyone looking to have a rug done as that is his specialty.

2. Seems like the really good guys are 12 - 18 months out because they are very busy.

3. Never pay 100% up front. Might pay as much as 70% down if needed and the guy was good.

4. No

5. I would demand getting it all back if I couldn't walk back and see the mount was getting done after 18 months.

6. I recomend Dave Butts in Willard to everyone I know. www.davidbutts.com His work on the muscle and face structure of an animal have no comparison in my opinion. No just slapping a hid on a form and calling it good at Dave's shop.

 

[muleycrazytwo]

I've used 4 taxidermists over the years and have never waited over a year. 50% upfront is reasonable. My last four big game heads have been done by Tory Brock in Kanab. Great guy, excellent quality work and gets it done in a few months.

 

[LongRangeBangin]

I had a guy milking it out the last time I took a piece in to get mounted. I used a line that was taught to me years ago. Here it is....
"I know your extremely busy, and very behind, so I will volunteer my mount to be taken elsewhere to help you get caught up" LOL

 

[blindsquirrel1]

Dan Hooper Bonners Ferry Idaho. 6 monthes & a great job. My wife ask @ a show why does his work look so life like compared to the others, have not looked back since.

 

[utahbigbull]

LAST EDITED ON Mar-28-12 AT 09:49PM (MST)[p]>I would never pay 100% upfront
>and I would never wait
>a year on a bird.
> If it were me
>I would show up and
>have a talk face to
>face with the taxidermist.
>Things get solved alot easier
>than over the phone.
>
>Ask UTAHBIGBULL about this

Sniper, getting a bird done can be more of a pain in the rear than they are worth ha ha!! By the way, I am still waiting on my dozen geese, ducks and swan ya putz ;-) I got impatient with one of mine, yes, but it all worked out in the end as I got a mount I am EXTREMELY happy with (eventhough I am sure he would cringe seeing me walk back in his door). My biggest thing is dragging out the time frame promised. If it will be two years, then so be it, I understand a good taxi is in high demand, they just need to be upfront about the timeframe. If you want your mount back sooner, usually the guy doing the work is not as busy for a reason.

 

[delmag1942]

Just how many deer heads does it take to get a 2 year+ backlog!!!!!!!!!!! Must have acres of freezers?

My taxidermist does 125+/- deer heads per year SOLO! In addition the assorted full bodies, Africans, cats, etc. I would like to suggest if possible to watch the process for a day. It does not really take that "long".

The problem is the taxidermy is often a solo propostion and parttime to boot. I have seen many that have a hard time staying motivated!

 

[sigboy66]

1. longest you've waited to get taxidermy back?

2 years

2. what is an acceptable time to wait?

8-12 Months

3. Ever pay 100% up front?

50% is reasonable, never paied more than that.

4. Ever have a physical fight with a taxidermist, my cousin did!

No, figure could resolve problems by taking capes and horns some place else.

5. How long do you wait before you demand your mounts back and ask for the 100% payment back?

Was going to a the 2 year mark hounded the taxidermist every other week after the 18 month period when I kept getting promises next month after originally being promised the mount back after 1 year.

6. Ever have a taxidermist that you would recommend to a friend? This is the hard one.

Bill Mamales - Murray
Mark Christiansen - American Fork.