Author Topic: I did the taxidermist and my trophy a disservice... (Read 3161 times)

Land_Owner · « **on:** February 13, 2011, 01:46:21 AM »

My November 2010 FL deer, just received from the taxidermist, is mounted on a much smaller frame than the size of the deer when photographed at the skinning pole giving it a significantly younger and less attractive appearance. In retrospect, I should have provided the taxidermist with a photograph so she would know how I envisioned the mount. What can I do now? Can she undo her good work and remount it on a thicker frame?

bobg · « **Reply #1 on:** February 13, 2011, 02:38:56 AM »

What good work do you want her to undo? As far as changeing the frame. That shouldn't be a problem.
Mine are screwed on from the back. Take the screws out and put the mount on anything you want.

possume · « **Reply #2 on:** February 13, 2011, 11:55:40 AM »

you cant undo once its dryied .did you measure the neck before she mounted it and compare to the neck now? are you sure its your cape that was used? most deer seem a little larger after mounted she might not have measured corect or used the wrong cape.

maddogg · « **Reply #3 on:** February 13, 2011, 11:57:54 AM »

Pictures would help.

Land_Owner · « **Reply #4 on:** February 13, 2011, 12:18:25 PM »

Here are the before and after photos. I did not measure the neck before. Only eye-balled it from the before photo and what I see after on the wall.

Let me be perfectly clear, an excellent job was done in mounting this head. I do not want to leave an impression in any way that I am dissatisfied with the technical taxidermy or taxidermist. If there is fault, it is mine and mine alone. I just will know in the future to provide more information.

possume · « **Reply #5 on:** February 13, 2011, 02:22:23 PM »

nice deer its neck does seem little skinny but ive not ever killed a florida deer . and to me it kinda doesnt look the same as the before pic the after pic seems to have more white on the neck. i have a freind that is a taxidermist and sometimes the capes get ruined or damaged and he has to use another cape so i dont know but it doesnt look bad looks like it was killed early before the rut before they swell

possume · « **Reply #6 on:** February 13, 2011, 02:35:18 PM »

sorry about not answering your ? you can get a bigger cape and use the same horns but it would cost the same as having it done the first time she shouldnt have needed a picture they have to measure each deer and order forms in the correct size they can put the cape on smaller forms but not much bigger my freind usually measure froze and takes off a 1/2 inch because it frozen if thawed orders what it measures he doesnt sutract for the nose or eyes

Land_Owner · « **Reply #7 on:** February 13, 2011, 03:53:01 PM »

Here are a few more Before pictures. I am confident and TRUST my taxidermist has used the cape from the deer my hunting partner killed on my land. That's my story and I am sticking to it. If it is now a little smaller in the neck, in time, I will be OK with that too. Starting over with someone else's deer cape just won't "do it" for me. Thanks for the kind words about a good deer possume22.

maddogg · « **Reply #8 on:** February 14, 2011, 01:50:57 PM »

Looks like a well developed young deer.
It's a very nice animal.
Would have been a beaut in a few more years.

Land_Owner · « **Reply #9 on:** February 14, 2011, 03:14:44 PM »

Be that as it may, an animal of this high caliber is nearly a once in a lifetime occurrence in daylight on my land. Only one other buck in 24 years has been harvested that is larger. There is no physical way that I can affect any significant change in the neighborhood herd on my 20 acres within 50,000 acres of Conservation and WMA lands. I make mine more favorable for wildlife and should they choose to grace my shooting lane, it will be sooner than never that it is shot, eaten, placed on the wall, and talked about in reverence for years and years to come.

nhdog · « **Reply #10 on:** February 22, 2011, 03:29:21 AM »

It can be very disappointing to get a mount back that doesn't look like it did when you dropped it off. I had a large black wolf I felt was a once in a life time trophy, when it came back from the tannery it had lost a lot of the under hair and of course there was nothing that could be done about it at that point, the taxidermist still did a good job with it . while it still is a great looking mount I'm the only one who knows it could look better.
In your case, deer forms are measured by the distance from nose to eye and at points on the upper neck. Each suppliers forms are different, some much more than others.Some forms only the measure the neck at the circumference under the jaw, others measure as well crossing the atlas and/or 3"down and around the widest part of the neck. Depending on who you taxidermist ordered the form from is the probable problem if there was not some other "problem" involved. In any case a picture of your deer would have helped. If you taxidermist caped your deer the fault lies there, as he would have had everything right there to take the propper measurements.

drdougrx · « **Reply #11 on:** February 22, 2011, 10:10:48 AM »

I have over 20 mounted heads, rugs, etc.... just picked up yet another boar last weekend. Paid way more than any other hog mount by a "World Class Taxidermist." Believe me, I feel your pain....can't tell you how many times the taxi looks dejected because I wanted a form that wasn't "in-stock" in the shop at the time. Some of these guys buy a bunch of standard measurement forms at a discount and then "fit"as many capes on them as possible. Had this happen a year ago when I wanted a boar done closed mouth and the taxi said, "Gee...I have a big form that's open mouth that I'd like to use...been hang'n around here for awhile....we kinda like to use what we have."

REALLY......does that mean I get to pay ya what i want?

I've come to the conclusion that most taxidermists see themselves as artists....but few artists become taxidermists.

Land_Owner · « **Reply #12 on:** February 22, 2011, 04:28:10 PM »

My taxidermist is considered a friend. I have invited her to my home to see how I have displayed her works. If she wants, she is free to photograph and display those on her web site. I have encouraged her to branch out, advertise, work the business. She is quite an artist. If she does, I will ahve to share her and wait for my mounts (the reason for this thread). I will discuss options, if any, on the form she used and show her the before and after pictures. It is, in my mind anyway, not her fault that I didn't convey what I knew before commissioning the work. I live and learn.

Doug, I get the distinct impression that each of us is learning how to negotiate with service professionals. In your case...

Quote from: drdougrx on February 22, 2011, 10:10:48 AM

......does that mean I get to pay ya what i want?

...makes a whole lotta sense to me. To the Professional: "Give me what I am ready and willing to pay for. Make me a reasonable offer to satisfy what I want. Because if you don't, then I have choices, and today, you are not it."

Lessons Learned. The voice of experience. We get one shot for them to turn our trophies into something to last a lifetime, to be prominently displayed, to be proud of, to reminisce about, to gaze upon favorably, to remember in our own minds where it really matters. If mounting goes badly, in the ways that we describe herein, the fault is our own on the one hand, and paying full or half price isn't going to make any difference. The damage is done. That mount will never be the same. Our living eyes will see to that.

drdougrx · « **Reply #13 on:** February 23, 2011, 04:30:07 AM »

EXACTLY!!!!

I brought my last taxidermist, in a 4 year time period, a bison, 4 boars, a bear rug, 2 fallow shoulder mounts, 2 fallow euro mounts, 2 sheep shoulder mounts, a hide to tan hair on and bear skull for a euro.

I threw the hide away as it came back destroyed with holes everywhere (a waste of $80); had to refit the teeth on one boar mount (cutters or bottom tusks need to mate with whetters or top tusks),he set the teeth up like a wart hog; he mounted 2 fallow incorrectly, a shoulder mount and a euro on a plaque that had the antlers positioned beyond the back of mount/plaque preventing either from being hung anywhere without a 4" or 5" extension behind the mount...I could go on but won't.....and then there was an embarrassingly painful discussion over a price discrepancy which was an issue of his incorrect addition......(I actually had to take a piece of paper and rewrite the prices less the deposits and show him on my blackberry what the final total should be and he said after all of this..."if you say so...")

Nice fellow and all....but I shop with my feet and my feet are taking me elsewhere......

Buckskin · « **Reply #14 on:** February 23, 2011, 05:11:19 AM »

Did your taxidermist cape the animal or did you? Measurements should have been taken prior to caping, eye to nose and 3" below the neck. Also, did you hang it by the antler's? This will stretch out the neck/cape for measurements. Measurements should also be taken after tanning, to compare with original measurements. Some girth can be regained after tanning by fleshing, taking a little hide off to allow stretch.

Feel on the back of the neck, is there bunched up hide where she sewed the seam? If so, the maniquin is too small. It should be a nice smooth seam like if you would have gotten stitches, although rougher.

Depending on what chemical was used for tanning, it can be rehydrated and remounted.

Buckskin · « **Reply #15 on:** February 23, 2011, 05:25:49 AM »

Looking at the pictures again in more detail, that is a terrible mount and I would be very disturbed if I were you... There are other issues besides the lack of girth on the neck. He's smiling at you, have you ever seen a deer in the woods with a smirk on his face? She wasn't watching it as it dried and the corner of the mouth curled up giving it a smile. Aslo look at the neck interface with the shoulders. It looks like she carved away a portion of that area.
I'm no expert, if you want a few expert opinions go to taxidermy.net, and post those pictures.

http://www.taxidermy.net/forum/index.php

I will say that they will tear up that mount. I would ask her to do it over, friend or not she will understand. If not, she won't be in business very long putting out work like that... Truth hurts sometimes.

dukkillr · « **Reply #16 on:** February 23, 2011, 05:56:00 AM »

I think the neck looks too skinny, even for a youngish deer. Is this the fast turn around or the slow one? I'd like to see pics of them both so we can compare the work done vs. speed.

The reason I say that, I just was at the taxidermist yeserday with a new project. I asked about 2 elk (October) 2 pronghorns (September) and two whitetails (November). All were scheduled to come out about 12 months after they arrived. I've got several of his mounts already and they always turn out fantastic. I think I posted a picture of the 2008 achery buck he did...

My father and I each caught huge wipers in Missouri many years ago and we took them to different places (This was before we found the guy mentioned above). His was put on a frame that was too small and the fish is terrible looking. Mine was put on a perfect frame and it looks great. Now mine looks like it could eat his. We learned that perhaps the most important skill for the taxidermist is buying the right frame, and starting over if the frame doesn't match. It sounds like your lady needs to work on that.

Land_Owner · « **Reply #17 on:** February 23, 2011, 12:14:57 PM »

Quote from: dukkillr on February 23, 2011, 05:56:00 AM

I think the neck looks too skinny, even for a youngish deer. Is this the fast turn around or the slow one? I'd like to see pics of them both so we can compare the work done vs. speed.

This one is the fast turn around. I will take pics of the 15 mo. one too. Maybe my reality is flawed. The world HAS seemed so surreal since Jan. 20, 2008.

I will try to take some quality pictures, the ones posted above in the AFTER condition are dark and IMO, not very good quality for making qualitative complaints. Let me work on that; get some good pics up; then take shots at the taxidermy.

3030guy · « **Reply #18 on:** February 26, 2011, 07:18:16 PM »

From what I can see, it looks like a nice mount. As a taxidermist, I have heard guys swear their deer was bigger than the ones I mounted for them. They brought in a 21" deer, I put it on a 21" form. Why would I use a smaller form, you're just opening up a bunch of problems and making the mount that much harder. The taxidermy companies are just starting to offer truley anatomically correct shoulder mounts for whitetail. In the past they've been ballooned out to keep the customers happy with a big deer. That's the taxidermist's dilemna: offer a mount that is correct and have an unhappy customer or one that is pumped up like it's on steroids and incorrect, but a happy hunter.

catkiller · « **Reply #19 on:** March 09, 2011, 12:48:27 PM »

Actually ,you take the measurements from the meat after the deer is caped.That's what the form is, the meat without the skin.I'm a taxidermist and the reason for the long wait is most taxis take in too much work.More than they can do in a year.I only take in what I know I can get back to my customers in 4 months at the latest.First come first served so the first several deer get done and back within a month.That is bad taxidermy work by the way for the reasons mentioned.

mcwoodduck · « **Reply #20 on:** March 09, 2011, 01:38:11 PM »

Land owner.
I think you have a good mount.
I think the difference is in the neck on the wall there are contours to the neck muscles making the neck look thinner.
The deer on the ground is dead and has no muscle contours.
Also I think the taxidermist did a good job of bringing the deer to life.
The Eyes are what make the deer look young to me. Too big or too bright. not sure. She may be able to dull the eyes a little and I think you are going to be happier.
But I am never happy with my mounts, and most of my friends too find faults with their mounts but like mine.
Ok all except my one friend that his 8 point has a really thick neck and smallish antlers but they are sitting back on his head like he has a hat perched on the back of it's head.

drdougrx · « **Reply #21 on:** March 14, 2011, 03:56:38 PM »

Hadda spanish goat mounted once....the taxi set his own eyes and picked the hair....looked like a white fluffy praying mantis with horns......finally sold it.....twit!

Land_Owner · « **Reply #22 on:** March 16, 2011, 11:32:49 AM »

'scuse me. You got a rag I can borrow to wipe the blown coffee off the front of this monitor? That was good...

drdougrx · « **Reply #23 on:** March 17, 2011, 04:28:33 AM »

Shame of it is....it's true. (BTW...I did trim the face a bit.....sprayed the hair down and used a black marker to straighten the pupils)