Taxidermy ?? What would U Do?

[Muleyslyr]

OK......here's my situation!

I drop off a Mule Deer and Antelope head with my taxidermist. The date is October 5th, 2004. This is a taxi that has done three heads for me so far. Does pretty good work.

The first head he did for me took about a year. The other two closer to a year and a half. So he has a little bit of a rep for not having the greatest turn around. He works strictly by himself and refuses to have anybody help him. Anyway, I have not gotten those heads back yet from 04'!!

Here's what I've done so far. Last May, I called him. That was about a year and a half. I says, just seeing if your still alive and in business......how's it going? You know, the typical. He says, my Mom's been sick lately.....yada yada, they should be done in July. Ok fine, no big deal. So July passes, August passes, then huntin' season comes, I figure he's busy taken in heads, whatever. So then comes January. Now granted, I still have not heard from him since I called him in May and he said they would be done in July!

Anyway, it's now January. It's now been 2yrs. and 3 months since I dropped those heads off. Oh, by the way.....each head is $500! I gave him 5 hundy up front, I'll pay the rest upon pick-up. That alone should be motivation for him to finish my sh.t, right? January, I take a drive up North with the wife and kids on a Saturday and figure I'm gonna stop in his shop. Maybe he's done and just hasn't called. Ya right.

I was prepared to kinda rip the guy a new one if my stuff wasn't done, but the guy is too nice and I couldn't do that. He says his Mom died in June and his Dad died in November. He had a rough year and was totally apologetic. He says I'm working almost round the clock now, give me about a week and half and I'll get your stuff done. Cool.

Tomorrow....that will make it 2 months ago!!

Honestly.....what would you guys do??

 

[HEEFMAN]

This goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway. Find a new taxidermist for any new mounts. As for the the late mounts, I'd just give him a call every two weeks or so just to check in. Whenever he gives you a new completion date, call him instead of waiting for his call. He may give you some priority if you stay in his face (in a nice way). It sounds like he is overbooked and has had a run of bad luck in the family.

 

[Hunterdan]

I know how frustrating this is. I am having the same problem. This wouldnt be in Arizona is it??

 

[Roy]

I agree with Heefman. If you trusted the guy in the past, give him the benefit of the doubt. He sound like a good guy and probably feels pretty guilty about it. I bet if you talk with him openly, honestly, and frankly, he will be glad to hear from you as it is probably bugging him too. Be kind but persistent. It isn't worth ruining a friendship over.

UTROY
Proverbs 21:19 (why I hunt!)

 

[Silentstalker]

Be persistant and respectful. It sounds like he has had quite a year. Remember the squeaky wheel gets the oil everytime. Call on each completion date and follow up. Good luck!

Chad

 

[Muleyslyr]

Actually it's in WA.

The guy really is a nice guy, so I have given him the benefit of the doubt.....but c'mon, 2 and half years! I guess maybe I'll call him today.

Unfortunately I'll probably find someone else. He just takes on way too much work and it kind of freaks me out. I've heard too many horry stories about lost animals.

Thanks for the input.

 

[JACKELOPE]

as nice as the guy is and as rough a year he's had, i'm sorry but i'd want to at least see the heads. make sure he still has them...maybe i'm too negative, but stranger things have happened.
where's the guy at in wa??

 

[Huffmad]

I keep the horns at home and tell my tax to call me when he is ready for the horns. That way I can look at them for the long wait for him to be ready for them.

 

[deerhuntsalot]

i gave a taxi an elk to do in october of '05 (17 months) and i am still waiting. 2.5 years is pretty bad. I spoke to another taxi in the area and said the situation and he said sometimes it takes that long due to being busy, waiting for all the items being shipped in order. i'f i were you i'd find a new taxi for your new mounts. goodluck and let us know when you get them back.

 

[Lien2]

2 1/2 years is complete BS in my opinion. I have syimpathy for what he has possibly went through, but c'mon..........he has not kept one promise he has made to you. If he couldn't make his first completion date he told you, he should have called you back and apologized. Guys that string me along and never meet a date or keep their word absolutely drive me up a wall!!!
I would be calling him AT LEAST every two weeks!

Lien2

 

[ForkWest]

My comments come from being on the otherside of the coin, I've been that taxidermist that was a year and a half out. Besides previous work taken in, tanning is the only hold up and it runs 4 months at the most. He is the sole reason the work isn't being done. Keep bugging him, I gurantee I prioritized the jobs of guys who bugged me the most.

Man I'm glad I don't do that anymore. Find you a good full time professional. Not saying the garage guys aren't good, buy do yourself a favor.

 

[Muleyslyr]

Thing is....this is this guys profession. He does it "full" time. When I first starting going to him, he pretty much only did deer and bear. Now you go to his shop he's got piles and piles of hides, rack after rack of antlers, deer, elk, antelope, whatever. Even saw him working on a life size cougar. The guy definately needs to hire some help. At least to do all the little teedias(sp?) work. Have no idea how to spell teedias!

BTW....called him this afternoon, got an answering machine, left a brief, but to the point message. We'll see.

 

[AndymanSavage]

tedious? Anyway, my buddy god a call from his taxi once saying "If you want your elk rack get down to my shop, I haven't mounted it and the cape is rotten, but I am going to jail so if you want it at all, go get it , oh yeah, I don't have your deposit, sorry"

Andy

 

[Taxidermy]

I agree with ForkWest stop being the nice guy, be polite but firm start calling him every other week and you will get your mounts faster then you think.

 

[D13er]

I was watching the soprano's last nite and saw Tony sitting in the car while his boy fugio talked sense to a couple of chinamen that owed him money. That approach worked for Tony Soprano.

JB

 

[couesbitten]

I don't know where in WA you are, but if you're anywhere near Pendleton, OR, I've got a great Taxi for you, just let me know. For example, I dropped my son's muley off to her Oct. 16, '06, and she called me last week and said that it would be ready to pick up in two weeks, so I'm planning to throw my son in the car in another week or so and go down and pick up his first buck. He'll be surprised, and I can't wait to see his face. Scott

 

[supersider34]

Sorry to hear your predicament. Just got threw one here. Mine was practicing without a license and got busted twice for it. First time F&G just pushed for him to pay back taxi license and court costs. Then he gets hit again for it and I start hearing everyone saying he has there stuff. Well he had some bears and some other hides of mine and I ended up having to take him to small claims. Get this one. The guy calls in the morning of court and tells the clerk he was in a car wreck so they called me to let me know they postponed it till April. Well I was in the eye doctor so figured I would jump over there after I was done. They explained to me again what happened. I told them I saw him driving his truck that morning and told them I would go get pics of him on his job site as he is attempting to do Siding now. Well I find his job site a hour before court and I pull up and had my video camera with me and I hold it up so he can see I have it and ask him and he says no he was not in a car wreck and I tell him well the court clerk called me and told me that and he says I never told them that. I told him I would see him in court then and he says Lets go. Well I head back to my town and go to court house and I walk in and the clerk said he called in. My case was the first called and the judge was not thrilled that this guy lied to him and that he did not show up in court that he gave me the max on small claims. As that is what I was asking for anyways.
So when I went to his last sentencing hearing on the No taxidermy license found out there was about 50 cases of this on him. There was a guy from MT that him and his wife went to Africa and shot 10 game animals that he had and the guy wrote him a check that was cashed for over $8000 for him to mount there stuff.
But I would never take another animal to anyone unless they have been in business for multiple years and have a up and up business.
Good luck on your stuff Bud.

 

[Muleyslyr]

D13.....the ol' Rocko and Bruno trick huh? Good idea. Break a knee cap or two.

SS.....that sucks! That's a helluva mess. Did you get any of your hides back? I'm going to Africa in Oct. myself, sure as heck ain't sended my sh.t to that guy.

coues....that's a great turn around.....I'll keep ya in mind.

 

[boneaddict]

His name wouldn't be Butch would it. I had a guy in Washington that used to be local up in the Valley. I have no clue where he is now. He had my bear for 3 years. I finally went and sat at his shop until he finished painting it. He said that I can do a better job if you aren't sitting there watching me. I told him I wanted to make sure that he was working on it. He told me a year at the most and we are now over 3. I'll bring it to you at work tomorrow he promised. He finally did, and waived $300 because it took so long. He did do a great job.

 

[supersider34]

No I did not get any of them back. Figured that I would never see it again. The guy turned into a flake. Who knows what happened to him.

 

[Pre64]

I've yet to get anything back on time either. I think its got something to do with the fumes they breath all day. For now on I'll choose a taxi based on ventilation.

 

[BuckSnort]

SS,

You would be supprised to know the info you could get on someone by just a name search on the internet like google,ect...

Just sucks to see a snake get away with someones money/property. You may get info like adresses,ect.....Then you may be able to "contact" him again,If you know what I mean.

 

[Camo]

It is a frustrating mess to deal with. The same thing happened to me on a archery mule deer. I called everyday and got some B.S. reason why it was not done. Dad died moms sick have a new full time job etc. He was paid up and then I got a call that his shop was broke into and my head was stolen. So much for the head and the money. The taxi wasn't out anything and now I don't have a head or $500. The head was in his shop 3 years before it was stolen.

 

[Muleyslyr]

Camo.....that's my fear! I've heard enough of those stories to have that thought in the back of my mind always.

Just an update.....I called him, I think it was Thursday or Friday, and left a message. His wife called me back Sat. but I was gone. She said he was outta town for the weekend, but she was pretty sure he was done with my stuff. She remembers him working on em'. She said she didn't see why we couldn't hook up sometime next weekend.

 

[RELH]

Camo;

The same thing happen to my Father-in-law when he left a antelope head to be mounted in Wyoming. The antelope just made the bottom of the B&C book. He was told it would be done in 8 months. After over a year, and several excuses, the taxiermist told my father-in-law that the head had been stolen from the shop.
My Father-in-law contacted wyoming Fish&Game and they got involved. Turns out it was not stolen and somehow it was found in the back room, where it was misplaced, and the completed head was returned to my father-in-law. The head will be on display at the new Cabelos store in Reno.
I think the fish& game investigator did not buy the storey given by the taxidermist and leaned on him to produce the head or risk losing his license. The investigator told my Father-in-law that he suspected the taxidermist was intending to sell the head, but he was unable to prove it.

RELH

 

[KNOPHISH]

I've been waiting since Feb 2002 for a couple fish that I expect to never see again. Always excuses & even heard the "It'll be done in a month" one. That was like 2 years ago. Frustrating to say the least but I'm only out $100. Well I still got pictures.

 

[antlerless]

I WORKED FOR A TAXIDERMIST FOR SIX YEARS AND STILL GO HELP HIM NOW AND THEN. THIS IS WHAT YOU DO GO GET YOUR STUFF TELL HIM THANKS AND TAKE IT TO ANOTHER TAXIDERMIST AND DON'T GIVE HIM ANYMORE MONEY. TRUST ME IT WILL LIGHTEN HIS LOAD AND HE WON'T CARE BECAUSE THERE IS PROBABLY 100 OTHER OF HIS CUSTOMERS JUST LIKE YOU. IT SHOULDN'T TAKE MORE THAN A YEAR FOR ANY ANIMAL.





"SAY NO TO BIG ANTLERS"

 

[fossil]

Well the Taxidery nightmare sticks again!!!!! I too was taking to a bad Taxidermy...
I had caught a really nice "Northern Pike" wanted to get it mounted.Never had done a mount before,so I was new at the taxidermy game.
Someone told me about a young pup in a town not to far away,so I gave him a call.Sure come on down,just bring a 25% deposit.
So,long story short,I dropped it off there in July of 2005.
Well 9 months go by,so I call,no answer(leave message)..12 months go by,I call,no answer,I call his cell,no answer,I leave message again!
Finally after two years and many calls,still nobody...
Well the deer season of 2006,my son gets his first deer,so I want to get it mounted for him,but by a different taxidermy.
I knew a guy in a different town that does great work(but expencive)I give him a call,he said sure I can do a European mount for him.
I take it there to drop it off,he is showing me his work(oh my God,its great too)..I start telling him my story on my "Pike"..
He says,oh ya',I'm suppose to go to this guy and get some deer sets from him,because some other guys in Wyoming are tired of waiting for their mounts to get finished.
I say,well can you see if you can get my fish back to and the money I have giving him?
Well last week I got a call from the new taxidermy,said my fish is at his shop and my money too..(oh my god,GREAT!)
So I say switch to someone better.They can retrieve your stuff if its close enough to go visit the dude...
It seems the taxidermy's know each other enough to bail each other out of a jam...
Give it a try,it worked for me...
Good luck....

PS: You can also call the "Game Warden" on this guy too.Get him checked out!

 

[fossil]

>I've been waiting since Feb 2002
>for a couple fish that
>I expect to never see
>again. Always excuses & even
>heard the "It'll be done
>in a month" one. That
>was like 2 years ago.
>Frustrating to say the least
>but I'm only out $100.
>Well I still got pictures.


As I said,call the "Game and Fish"...You will get results.
>