Bad taxidermy or high expectations?

[Lytro]

Sadly, it's going to look a lot worse as time goes on. I had two shoulder mounts done when I was in high school that look so bad now that I've been contemplating just removing the skull caps and throwing the rest away. Similar mowhawk in the back, pins poking up from around the eyes and nose. I just euro everything myself now unless its in velvet. I let a taxidermist preserve the velvet and still do a euro.

 

[Szwampdonkey]

Looks fine to me

However, i have personally mounted every single animal ive killed on a skull plaque since i was 10 and always will. So take my opinion on it with a grain of salt as I personally dont see the value of mounting animals in general. Heck, i dont know where id put all my animals if i actually mounted them all! lol If you really hate it cut the skull plate out and just put in on a plaque. I think a wall of plaques in the man cave looks great and youll be able to fit way more animals in there that way.

 

[whoami-72]

Most issues I see are skin placement and that affects hair patterns. The area between the antler base and ear in your one picture shows to me, there are issues with the ear placement and mostly ear muscle anatomy isn't correct. That is affecting how the hair lays and hair patterns. Some of this can possibly be grooming related during mounting and drying time. I'm a Taxidermist for over 25 years but don't claim to be an expert, just sharing opinion like others have. In my opinion it isn't a horrible mount, most likely middle of the road quality that matches your comment on middle of the road cost for your area. I always recommend people look at mounts from these people that recommend a taxidermist, then go to the shop and look at the work. If all looks good and you like the price and the finished products, then you have your choice made. Not everyone has the same level or ideas of good or acceptable taxidermy. Yours is obviously different than those that gave you the recommendation.

Thanks for the input. None of my friends have mounts so I was getting input from folks online. I wish I could've seen some work before hand. Everything in their shop looks phenomenal but that's stuff they want to show off not they're normal.

Fun fact, I looked on their website and they are now tied for the most expensive around me.

 

[ProStaffSteve]

For reference, we asked for a mount like what is my "reference buck" aka the buck from the 40s or 50s i mentioned in the original post. They even had us text them photos of it. Very vertical, my wife was very specific that she wants it to stop at the neck the dude said its old school buy could be done, and that it's straight on. It my be hard to see in the last photos i sent of my buck but they got close but didn't hit any of those. Mine is turned slightly to the side, has what she calls the gross legs, and is kinda pointed out instead od being vertical. After dropping it off, I was pretty worried we weren't going to get what we wanted style wise but over the last 10 months we kept saying as long as it was good quality we'd be ok with it. Hence why I'm wondering if it's even good quality lol.

Gotta shoot a prettier deer to make it look like that

 

[whoami-72]

Gotta shoot a prettier deer to make it look like that

Hahahahahah yeah, this deer was not the greatest deer I've ever seen. In fact, I thought it was a spike when I shot it. Unfortunately, the wife who said she'd never have animals hanging in her house decided it looked cute.

 

[whoami-72]

Well folks, taxidermist responded and said the ears are normal for them.

If anyone knows any good southern idaho taxidermist let me know. Obviously I'm looking for something new for this season lol.

 

[ProStaffSteve]

Hahahahahah yeah, this deer was not the greatest deer I've ever seen. In fact, I thought it was a spike when I shot it. Unfortunately, the wife who said she'd never have animals hanging in her house decided it looked cute.

Believe I saw that post in another thread. Show her a video of some really good awful taxidermy being made with before & after a that look atrocious. Tell her, “I think I’m going to get into this next time we want a shoulder mount done” and she will probably opt away from that recommendation again maybe this one is bad enough that she won’t want it don’t again, it’s not that bad, it’s just okay. Think I paid almost $300 for a Euro mount this year, worth every penny, wouldn’t shoulder mount till I have a mansion & kill a bull elk

 

[stonewall]

Well folks, taxidermist responded and said the ears are normal for them.

If anyone knows any good southern idaho taxidermist let me know. Obviously I'm looking for something new for this season lol.

not idaho, but close enough:

Taxidermy Shop | Cedar Mountain Taxidermy | Cody

Cedar Mountain Taxidermy has 23 years of combined experience in the taxidermy field. Specializing in custom taxidermy work on all species.

www.cedarmountaintaxidermy.com

also, not sure if he's still doing retail work , but Dave Ferguson in Utah would be good

 

[johnnycake]

If you're in southern Idaho then it's a no brainer who I would recommend.

Yuri Rulin in Taylorsville, UT (Taxidermy Art Studio) is who did the whitetail I posted for comparison. We've had him do dozens of mounts over the years and his work is simply phenomenal.

A very close second is Mike Christensen at Sage Basin Taxidermy in American Fork, UT.

Yeah, both are going to be more expensive than $900 for a shoulder mount, but they're worth it.

 

[Dust Rider]

Looks good enough. Do you really want to spend more money on it? After a few months you won’t even notice or care anymore.

 

[Mlkman55]

For reference, I've already decided to use a different taxidermist in the future because these guys didn't really do any of the requests we asked for. However, this has me worried they also did a bad taxidermy job but I may just be overthinking it and wanted opinions from others who have more taxidermy experience. My only other reference is a buck done in the 40's or 50's. Also, I already asked them about my concerns and have yet to get a response. Ears: this is really my biggest issue. The ears have entire sections with no hair on them. Also, it looks like they didn't cover the plastic liner. On my reference buck, if you get up close you'll be able to see through the hair but on this one it's noticeable from a distance. I'll include a picture of the ear in the field also. Antler and hair: small nit pick but it looked like they didn't fit up the hairline into antlers very well. Seam: the curvyness to the seam is 100% on me. I cut it bad in the field. However, is it normal to be this noticeable? On the wall it's not a big deal. Just trying to understand if it's normal. View attachment 586306View attachment 586310View attachment 586311View attachment 586313

 

[WCB]

Plain and simple it is a bad taxidermy job. Who has ever seen plain white insides of a LIVE deer. Pink is really normal or a fleshy color, bad sewing, bad eyes, improper fit. BUT you did tell them to copy an old mount so......

Not directed at the OP but I can't believe how guys look at a bad mount having seen an actual live examples or up close in the hand dead examples and think some of the taxidermy around is anything but bad.

 

[TSAMP]

Not to hijack the thread but why don't we post some other mounts to compare, rather than 15 people who admittedly only do euros telling us what they think.

 

[whoami-72]

Not to hijack the thread but why don't we post some other mounts to compare, rather than 15 people who admittedly only do euros telling us what they think.

Thats a good call

 

[TSAMP]

 

[CHL]

Thats a good call

No offense man, but I couldn’t get that thing off my wall and “re-done” fast enough. But that’s just me.

 

[johnnycake]

Here are a few I've got at my place.

 

[8grenade]

I believe you just have high hopes for the outcome, i have seen worse Taxi.

 

[GSPHUNTER]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

you just need to use ur good eye.

 

[mi650]

There’s nothing wrong with mounting a small buck and saying your wife made you do it even if it cost $800, happens to the best of us, but you gatta show it now

I have a Whitetail spike mounted.

About 30 years ago, it was the 1st buck I ever killed with a bow. I had a cousin who was trying to be a taxidermist, so he asked to mount it for me, for cost. $40.