Taxidermist?

[50bowhunter]

I’m looking for some suggestions on dealing with a taxidermist. I killed a buck in Oct 2023 in an area where CWD restrictions prevented me from transporting it home. This taxidermist was highly recommended and was incredibly nice on the phone. He picked my buck up from the processor and I sent a deposit. I never asked how backed up he was and of course he never offered the info. 8 moths later I noticed the bucks he was posting on social media were killed 2 seasons prior. I text him and he said I had “quite a few” in front of me but he would move me ahead on the list since I put down a deposit. 4 more months and I text him again. He said my hide was pickle tanning but it would likely be the first of the year since he’s busy taking in new deer. Talked to him today and he said he would likely be tanning my hide next week and it shouldn’t be long. I’m getting very frustrated that it’s taken so long, but I’m really ticked now that he’s lied to me. Is it worth calling him out on it risking him rushing through it and giving me a crappy product, or should I just suck it up for a few more months?


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[waspocrew]

Personally, I’d wait it out. Taxidermy (especially from good taxidermists) takes time. My brother’s mountain lion took about 2 years to get back - mount looks fantastic.

 

[Jtb.kfd]

Maybe I have had a run if bad luck, but the last three taxidermists I have tried ended badly. If I read your text correctly you are just over 12 months which doesn’t sound unreasonable to me. I literally just got a bear rug and deer shoulder mount back a few weeks ago that I dropped off November of 2021. I do believe many got backlogged over the past few years with supply chain issues, but they should be upfront and honest with timelines. Not much you can do at this point, I tried playing nice with the last taxidermist as she had two animals my kids killed. Never got the bear skull back (she lost it) and the final products suck, but at least I got them back.

 

[Larry Bartlett]

Not recommended to make waves at this point. Lesson learned, but it's kinda like telling a fast-food "cook" you didn't get the mayonnaise you ordered. What you get back may look like mayonnaise but it probably ain't right. Just saying, apply pressure but gently. Maybe after you get it back you can release some gasket pressure and he'll mull it over, but powerless to the passive aggressor he could have been to your mount. You gotta look at that thing all the time, but you'll only need him one last month.

 

[50bowhunter]

Maybe I have had a run if bad luck, but the last three taxidermists I have tried ended badly. If I read your text correctly you are just over 12 months which doesn’t sound unreasonable to me. I literally just got a bear rug and deer shoulder mount back a few weeks ago that I dropped off November of 2021. I do believe many got backlogged over the past few years with supply chain issues, but they should be upfront and honest with timelines. Not much you can do at this point, I tried playing nice with the last taxidermist as she had two animals my kids killed. Never got the bear skull back (she lost it) and the final products suck, but at least I got them back.

Next week will be 15 months, which I would be fine with had he been honest and up front. If I lied at my job I’d be fired and blacklisted on the spot.


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[LongWayAround]

I think taxidermists as a group are probably the least reliable trade. Imagine if you called a plumber/electrician/HVAC/anyone and they gave you an estimate of sometime between "maybe" and "when(if) I get to it."

They're followed closely by gunsmiths...

I just got a duck back this summer that I sent in 2021. Totally had forgotten about it. The guy basically doubled his timeline.

Good luck. Let him know you haven't forgotten, but you probably just have to ride it out.