Cost of Taxidermy

D

doityourself

Guest
I'm having a hard time justifying a mount I need done. I shot a nice lion this year and want to do a life-size mount, so far I've checked with Phil Soucy and Dwayne Dewey and my local guy, looks like I'll be spending at least $3500 just to get it mounted. It's a gorgeous lion and needs a life-size mount done, I'm just having a hard time with it......any suggestions?
 
I vote to get the life size mount. If you don't you will regret it later on if you have even a small question about it now.
 
Well, You get what you pay for. Lion mounts can be some of the ugliest looking mounts around if the wrong person does it. I think I would do a rug before I had someone do it that you wouldn't be happy with it.
 
One of the best cat taxidermists in Utah is Dean Schulte up in the Coalville area. I think he is around $3500 also. Does a great job on cats. Cats can be one of the best mounts in your trophy room if they are done right. If they are done wrong however, which I would say 75% are, they can be a nightmare. I have been there. Check out Deans site, highuintahstaxidermy.com. Great guy and great work. Phil Soucy is without a doubt the best cat taxidermist, but you will wait and you will pay. I have seen quite a bit of his work. If you really want a great peice ask him to do it for competition. His competition mounts are over the top. His regular cats pale in comparison. Dwayne Dewey is great also, but he's known more for his sheep. I have also seen a few guys out there in the $2500 range that aren't too bad either..........be careful, but definitely mount the thing!.......my 2 cents.
 
There are a few good cat taxis out there, and I suspect they are all priced similar. You get what you pay for...
 
If you are having a hard time swallowing the price of a quality L/S mount at this time, have the cat tanned. Then you can have the skin at the house and you can start saving your pennies in the meantime. Once you saved up your scratch, hand over the tanned skin and your cash to the taxidermist and get it mounted!!

BTW,
Phil Soucy is one of the best cat guys out there.. Dwyane is a sheep master, but I bet he can do a mean cat as well!!
 
Tanned skins have a shelf life.
You can extend that life by keeping it frozen after tanning, but a year maybe a little more is about it.

You will sacrafice to obtain the quality, but once you have it, you will NEVER regret it.

HH
 
>One of the best cat taxidermists
>in Utah is Dean Schulte
>up in the Coalville area.
> I think he is
>around $3500 also. Does
>a great job on cats.
> Cats can be one
>of the best mounts in
>your trophy room if they
>are done right. If
>they are done wrong however,
>which I would say 75%
>are, they can be a
>nightmare. I have been
>there. Check out Deans
>site, highuintahstaxidermy.com. Great guy
>and great work. Phil
>Soucy is without a doubt
>the best cat taxidermist, but
>you will wait and you
>will pay. I have
>seen quite a bit of
>his work. If you
>really want a great peice
>ask him to do it
>for competition. His competition
>mounts are over the top.
> His regular cats pale
>in comparison. Dwayne Dewey
>is great also, but he's
>known more for his sheep.
> I have also seen
>a few guys out there
>in the $2500 range that
>aren't too bad either..........be careful,
>but definitely mount the thing!.......my
>2 cents.


Absolutely, Dean is top notch. He did a cat for us, not to mention dozens of other animals and every single one is amazing.
 
I was in the same situation a few years back. I killed a lion that was deserving to be done, but space and money was an issue.
I went with the shoulder pedestal witch was 1/3 the price of a full body mount. I love the way it turned out. It doesnt take up a lot of space and it was a good way to use and old set of antlers. Full body mounts are awesome if they are done right, but rugs just dont do the animal justice, plus they take up a lot of space.
My lion was done by Dirk Barnes, Hooper UT 985-1738
4971742541be82d5.jpg


48a9c86f4e0036c6.jpg
 
HAHAHAHAHA, that is the UGLYEST CAT I HAVE EVER SEEN. WOW!!!! Did he charge somebody for that, I would ask for my money back. Thats horrable.





Jake H. MM Member since 1999.
458738e374dfcb10.jpg
 
My taxidermist here in Colorado Springs is around $2000 and he will do an awesome job. He will have a display at the Denver Expo. next weekend and he will have a cat on display if you will be around. You can ship the hide to him to have done. Google Mount N' High Taxidermy and you will find his website. Alot cheaper here because alot of competition.
 
My wife just got out of bed and came down stairs to find out what the hell I am laughing so hard for. Thanks CO, I owe you one.
48a9c86f4e0036c6.jpg
 
>My wife just got out of
>bed and came down stairs
>to find out what the
>hell I am laughing so
>hard for. Thanks CO, I
>owe you one.


Me too....I woke the kids laughing...LMMFAO





great post/pic, thanks for sharing

JB
jb.jpg
 
That's too funny!
Looks like the lion was bludgeoned to death with the logs on the base!

Who has a link to the post a while back with the "horrible mounts"?
I need a good laugh again!

4678aec03a21ae00.jpg
 
>My taxidermist here in Colorado Springs
>is around $2000...Alot
>cheaper here because alot of
>competition.

False.
 
Oak,

That is the worst cat I ever saw! Ha ha ha ha aha ha! OMG! Looks like Tammy Fay did that SOB! HAHAHAHAHA!

Thanks for the laugh buddy, I will buy you an extra beer for that laugh!
 
Marley.
I googled your taxidermist.
His gameheads looked OK.
When it comes to predators and cats in particular there is a huge degree of skill needed to mount them correctley.

Here is a Leopard from your Taxi.

http://www.mountnhightaxidermy.com/Gallery/images/leopard_jpg.jpg[/IMG]

Here is one that Phil Soucy mounted.

http://img292.imageshack.us/img292/8920/s6ik8.jpg[/IMG]

Any Questions?

When I was younger, I compromised too and regret it.
Bottom line (for me at least) is that if it's special enough to hang on the wall, it's good enough to spend the extra cash for the best.
 
I suspect CO and marley use the same guy?;-) Maybe marley's is a bit better?;-) One shrinks heads and the other puffs 'em up?
 
ColoradoOak...Please don't post that lion again. I'm going to run out of clean underwear if i keep laughing this hard
 
LOL that thing is Hideous


THE LORD IS MY ROCK
COLORADO,USA
NRA LIFE MEMBER
HUNTING PASS IT ON
 
I have never had a cat done by them but they have done all my other animals and I think that everything they have done has been top notch.

4972eb300347e03a.jpg
 
PM me if you want my guys number......he is just as good with cats...
4972edb4071a71b9.jpg


great post/pic, thanks for sharing

JB
jb.jpg
 
LAST EDITED ON Jan-18-09 AT 07:55AM (MST)[p]I am not one to rip on other taxis work, but I will point out a few things.

For example, when someone only charges $700 for an elk it either means:

A. Their work is not very good.
B. They are a poor business man.

Direct overhead on an elk is around $400, not to mention shop overhead. And you cannot blame charging low prices on competition, if that were the case, then none of the competitors would be charging high prices, and that isn't so.
 
Oh my Gawd D13!

I cannot decide which I like more? Oaks cat or your dog! Ha ha ha ha ha ha!
 
PLEASE stop posting those pics...I'm not going to be able to explain these pee stains in my drawers to my wife...to funny
 
Dirk Bawden of big stuff taxidermy in erda utah did a life size leopard last year that won the taxidermists choice at the utah show. I believe he also won the Idaho state championship. I think his costs are around $3500 to $3800 but more than worth the price for a custom mount. I would compare his cat work to phils and you don't have to drive to montana. my boy smoked a big tom in december and dirk is the ONLY person I would trust with it. 801-635-6871
 
I am always wiling to pay shipping or drive when it is something I am going to have to look at for the rest of my life.

Quality matters.
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d63/HunterHarry/bcb.jpg[/IMG]



OR, you could save a few bucks....
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d63/HunterHarry/bca.jpg[/IMG]

The choice is yours....
HH
 
These pics are killin me, then you throw that bobcat at me. stop it just stop it. HeeeeHeeeeeeeee.............
 
i dabble in taxidermy and think i do some of the best cats in the business at a reasonable cost. Contact me if you like what you see.
lionmount.jpg
 
The best thread ever!

My stomach hurts and my wife is crying!

Please keep this one going daily.

TOOO FUNNNYYYYY

HK
 
LAST EDITED ON Jan-23-09 AT 02:49PM (MST)[p]This bobcat is amazing. Not just the expression. Look how the cat is clinging on to the limb with it's back paws. That mount is flawless.
bcb.jpg
 
LAST EDITED ON Jan-23-09 AT 12:53PM (MST)[p]Harry,
Your bobcat is excellent. The pelt on a cat makes or breaks the mount. The pelt on that bobcat is 100% primo. I wouldn't waste the money mounting any predator which had a marginal coat.

Here is a photo for the family--- great habitat.....
[
mothervr6.jpg]
 
The funniest thing about shitty taxidermy is that people are so proud of it. I'm in hundreds and hundreds of homes every year and most people have no idea how bad their taxidermy is. I'm going to start taking photos of it from now on to share.

HK
 
Quote...
>
>Harry,
>Your bobcat is excellent.

Those are not my cats but I do know the guy that did the mount. (the good one)
He is located in Michigan.
He sells a bunch of his mounts on ebay.
I think he is the best bobcat guy around.
They are his specialty.
HH
 
I have to agree with shedicated Dirk Bawden of Big Stuff is top notch! he does great work and well worth the price! He is not a shameless self promoter either, he just quietly and consistantly turns out the best work around! YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR, SO CHOOSE WISELY!
 
Freeze your cat and save your money....I've been a taxidermist for over 35 years...remember this.....the price you pay for a quality mount will fade with time....but if you get a poor quality job you will be sick of it every time you look at it!
 
I've taken into consideration all of the advice posted. It's been helpfull. I've decided to go with Dwayne Dewey up in Cody, Wyoming. Seems like he does as good as anybody can and has a reasonable turnaround time. Still gonna run me $3500. $hit! Does anybody wanna chip in a buck each? I'll send you each a picture of it when I get it back!
 
Harry's bobcat is not a mount, that thing is still alive & snuck in someones house. Best mount of any animal I've ever seen. Sweet!! Now I want one like that.
 
This freakin post has made me laugh harder than anyone I've seen over the last 9 years. The yote mount D13'er posted was insane along with the bear. Good way to start off the day- lmao


T264
 
Wow , some crazy taxi's out there! You GET what you Pay for!!. My first mount i took to some guy that was working out of his garage, guy was cheap and the work was cheap also. Decided not to go cheap nomore. Now I take my heads to best in the buisness here in EP...he's expensive but great work.
 
O-my-god... I'm on the ground laughing. Thats got to be the funniest post I've ever seen. hehehhehehhe
 
I am sitting here at work and people keep walking in and I look like a total dumb azz cause I am grinning and laughing at all those chitty mounts! I literally LOL.
 
none of those mounts made want to laugh. every single one made me want to cry knowing the fact that some poor SOB actually had to pay for it.

"Life's tough... It's even tougher if you're stupid."
- John Wayne
 
A good taxidermists is hard to find. Some of you may have seen my post about my wife's oryx mount. Not only did I get the run around for more than a year and a half (paid $685 for a juvenile oryx mount), now that I have had the opportunity to compare my wife's mount to other oryx mounts, I am not happy.

The only saving grace is most guys that will be viewing it in my house know nothing about African game so they won't know how
$h!++y it looks. This taxi had great referrals, references and I even stoppped in the shop to view the taxi's work before we hired them. I am disqusted, fed up and feel like learning taxi for myself. I guess I will do some more research, pray for the best and try to find a new taxi before my Dec oryx hunt on Rhodes Canyon.
 

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