Taxidermist to fix mtn goat.

[bascott1]

So just got my BC goat done at the taxi and it turned out terrible. Anyone know of someone that does repair? Reached out to a couple places and they are completely booked and not taking any repair work right now. Just looking to hopefully salvage my mount.

 

[LongWayAround]

That mount looks like it has cancer. I hope you are able to get it fixed.

 

[Billy Goat]

Is that a pic once you got it home, or that the taxi sent you?

The lips are still pinned, I can't imagine they let it leave the shop like that.

 

[butcherboy]

It hasn’t been finished yet from those pictures but I can see a ton of stuff wrong with it. Hair patterns are all wrong, it hasn’t been blow dried yet to fluff up the hair, ears have been done with bondo but it looks like the
Bondo was probably too thick or it wasn’t worked the whole time it was setting up. The ears are curved which indicates a few things. Like I said, either too much bondo and they were just left to set or too little bondo and weren’t worked as the bondo set. Ears are also set way too far back from the horn bases. Hard to say about the eyes without a close up picture of each one. Same goes for the nose pad and nostrils. Just a few of my observations without seeing it in person. Would be interesting to see it as a finished piece.

 

[skeptic]

Holy cow. That is far too nice of a billy to be treated that way. Was that actually the finished product? I can't imagine the lips still being pinned like that, and the eyes and ears appear to be fu-bar'd.

Monarch taxidermy did my goat (life size) and I couldn't be happier with how mine turned out. They are really expensive, but for me my goat was probably a once in a lifetime so it was more than worth it. I have no idea if they salvage mounts at all, and of course they are really busy. Might be worth a call though.

 

[buzzy]

Who do we need to stay away from? Sorry that happened as that’s a beautiful goat that the taxi really messed up on.

 

[WCB]

Like a couple others said/asked/inferred....Is that at your house after you picked it up. Or a progress picture from the taxi?

Looks like it hasn't been groomed. I have found a pin or staple in a mount before no big deal but 3 in the lip like that and the taxi didn't notice them? Looks un painted around the eyes and mouth. The one curved ear is unacceptable. But grooming and finish work can change the appearance greatly.

Again if that is how the taxi let it leave...wow. I wouldn't have taken possession of it like that.

 

[Dexter Grayson]

Didn’t you just shoot this goat in august? Something seems fishy about this situation.

 

[Decker9]

That’s a gorgeous billy!! I’d be requesting a new cape and refund, the taxi sure messed it up it looks like. You’re not in BC by chance? If you are, I can recommend a few great goat taxidermists.

 

[skeptic]

Didn’t you just shoot this goat in augus

Hmmm. Yeah. If the goat was shot in August then there is some weirdness happening.

 

[RPWS1989]

As a taxidermist I will say this with no criticism towards whoever is mounting your goat…
1. look at live pictures of mountain goats, their ears actually do curve forward, maybe not as pronounced as what your taxidermist did, but they do curve.
2. That goat is far from being finished. Looks like he’s freshly sewn up. He’s super wet and still needs blown out and groomed.
3. I would rarely send a picture to a customer of their mount in progress or the first day of “roughing” one in. Personally the first day I mount something is absolutely not a representative of what the finished product is. I spend several days drying and tuning mounts as they dry. Capes pull and move as they dry and this is why it’s key to slow dry them and tune them as you go. I start putting detail in on day 2 and keep a close eye on them and tune them in.

Now here is some criticism.
1. The hair lines on the legs are not correct, especially towards the bottom. This usually occurs because most forms for animals do not have a deep enough arm pit and to keep from having wrinkles, some taxidermists will just pull stuff to where it doesn’t have wrinkles and call it good, not giving account to correct anatomy. (This is the number one thing that drives me bonkers when looking at some “taxidermists” work. Misplaced hair lines and incorrect anatomy)
2. As wet as that mount is, it can be tuned up a lot, but that all depends on the taxidermist whether it will be or not as I know a lot of taxidermist who set it and forget it. I believe this is one of the big differences between a taxidermist and a wildlife artist.
3. Voice your concerns to your taxidermist first instead of asking a bunch of people on a forum. Obviously some people can see the difference in good work vs not good work, but before calling on the people of the internet I would have talked to the taxidermist.
4. ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS vet your taxidermist!!! There are some taxidermists who are absolutely great at everything but quite honestly those are few and far between. Maybe your taxidermist does a decent deer but how many mountain goats have they done and was there reference of their previous work on them? I know the old saying you get what you pay for, but quite honestly I can’t say this always applies to taxidermists, but for the most part is very true….I have friends who charge $1100+ for a shoulder mount deer and they are still overloaded with work. But at the same time I know guys who charge a competitive rate but their work is absolute garbage. Again, vet your taxidermist, go to a state competition and look at the work there, and figure out who’s work is top of the line if you’re wanting a top of the line product

 

[RPWS1989]

I’m not 100% sure what these are technically called, but they’re almost like a donut shaped, greasy gland on the back side of most Billies. Looks to me like your taxidermist did the typical doesn’t know any better method and cut them out and just sewed the cape with hair on it up to the horns, which is incorrect and could potentially make his ear butts look long…and they do look a little long..

 

[RPWS1989]

This is where the hair line on the front leg should be….

 

[RPWS1989]

This is a live picture. The eyes might not be that far off, but also hard to tell from a mount that’s roughed in and not finished, but being honest, I wouldn’t expect them all I be great at this point, even with finish work and paint just judging by the other problems I see with anatomy I don’t see it being a priority with your taxidermist…

I will state this, I am far from being the best taxidermist in the world, but I study live reference of animals constantly and strive to make the next mount better than the last always. Does it always happen no, but honestly I’d be ashamed to let that thing leave my shop. I’m by no means trying to talk smack about other taxidermists but when it comes to once in a lifetime type trophies please research your taxidermists folks. I have no problem referring someone to a more talented artist for a specific species or asking my customers if they’d allow me to take it to someone who specializes in that species to mount it with them and learn.

 

[TaperPin]

This goat won’t be any better than the last goat he did. Poor judgement to let a client see work in this stage because it doesn’t look good and everything gets picked apart. Let him finish. Nobody wants to have anything to do with the goat because you’re being the client they don’t want.

 

[bascott1]

Like a couple others said/asked/inferred....Is that at your house after you picked it up. Or a progress picture from the taxi?

Looks like it hasn't been groomed. I have found a pin or staple in a mount before no big deal but 3 in the lip like that and the taxi didn't notice them? Looks un painted around the eyes and mouth. The one curved ear is unacceptable. But grooming and finish work can change the appearance greatly.

Again if that is how the taxi let it leave...wow. I wouldn't have taken possession of it like that.

That was a pic sent from him. I haven’t picked it up yet. I mean my main thing is the head. Wayyy too small. Looks like a goat in someone’s pasture

 

[bascott1]

Hmmm. Yeah. If the goat was shot in August then there is some weirdness happening.

Yeah. It was shot opening day in B.C.

 

[bascott1]

That’s a gorgeous billy!! I’d be requesting a new cape and refund, the taxi sure messed it up it looks like. You’re not in BC by chance? If you are, I can recommend a few great goat taxidermists.

I am 100% requesting a refund. It was shot in bc right outside of Hazelton. I’m almost willing to take it anywhere to get it done right.

 

[bascott1]

Didn’t you just shoot this goat in august? Something seems fishy about this situation.

Yeah, beginning of august. I had some reservations about him getting to it so quickly. And he assured me he could do it and had done goats before.

 

[bascott1]

This is a live picture. The eyes might not be that far off, but also hard to tell from a mount that’s roughed in and not finished, but being honest, I wouldn’t expect them all I be great at this point, even with finish work and paint just judging by the other problems I see with anatomy I don’t see it being a priority with your taxidermist…

I will state this, I am far from being the best taxidermist in the world, but I study live reference of animals constantly and strive to make the next mount better than the last always. Does it always happen no, but honestly I’d be ashamed to let that thing leave my shop. I’m by no means trying to talk smack about other taxidermists but when it comes to once in a lifetime type trophies please research your taxidermists folks. I have no problem referring someone to a more talented artist for a specific species or asking my customers if they’d allow me to take it to someone who specializes in that species to mount it with them and learn.

I agree 100%. Vet your taxidermists. I’m from the south and won’t trust anyone in the area to do specialty animals anymore.