Taxidermy time

[WCB]

For all the guys saying taxis cant get supplies etc. Not sure how I got 4 deer done last year and an otter pelt back from the tannery. All hides were sent out and all the forms were different and order once the cape was back in my taxodermists hands. I must have lucked out. I think 99% of it is most guys are taking 2 legit years worth of work. WAY too long to wait for a mount IMO.

 

[MTPipeliner]

I’d believe that taxidermy is affected by the current supply chain issues, but as was already mentioned, it’s amazing how many of them don’t have very good customer service. My dad had two different animals that he never got back from two different taxidermists, and getting them back late seems to be more the norm than the exception. I’ve seen similar things from other business owners who are very artistic and do beautiful work but just aren’t very good at running the business.

 

[Pat253m]

It’s 100% affected by supply chain issues. Especially glass eyes! And several taxidermists that actually do good work and might be priced higher than others are very specific to what they use as far as materials. There’s good and bad and it all shows in the end product.

 

[FLATHEAD]

I've had an Aoudad and a Javelina at mine for 18 mos. now.
He said it would be a year +.

 

[TSAMP]

You can blame supply chain and there is some truth to that. The main fact is some guys are just poor planners. It's an odd field to be in so don't expect them to be as organized as your tax guy..
My bears aren't done but my buddy has his back already and on his wall. We used two different taxis but both sent them to the same tannery. Mine just sat in a freezer for 4 months before he shipped it out. He has a whitetail since last Nov. We just talked and I mentioned why don't you order that mould if it'll take awhile. He said yea good idea...I'll bet he hasn't done that.

It is what it is. I like the guy and he does good work so I deal with it. You should be polite but consistent on your follow up.

 

[Pat253m]

I understand it can get frustrating but it’s also frustrating for the taxidermist himself, especially for someone who does it full time.

 

[Pat253m]

Agree 100% on the above post about being polite and consistent.

 

[IDspud]

Well it’s one year now, I called them again and they said they don’t even see when they can start working on it because hunting season is here and all the new skidding shuts them down.

To make it worse, I called some other shops to get an idea about taking it to them. One guy immediately knew which shop I was talking about and said he just had a project brought to him that was there for five years without being worked on and the guy wouldn’t refund his deposit.


Wtf do I do? Cut my losses pick it up and take it somewhere new? One guy said he could have it done by January but it would cost $1100 bringing it to him.

 

[IDspud]

Oh god. I think I’m just going to pick it up. Lesson learned… Don’t go for the cheapest or the quickest.

 

[FLATHEAD]

I've had an Aoudad and a Javelina at mine for 18 mos. now.
He said it would be a year +.

Called the other day, apparently he hasnt even started on them.

 

[IDspud]

I’m going to try and make this dude a deal. I will take over skinning his damn animals and work for free if he works on my rug while I handle his inability to manage his workload.

 

[TheWhitetailNut]

Its a business.. He has to cape and flesh everything coming in, there's no way to store 100's of raw heads until last years stuff is out.

I've used the same taxi for many years now with 1-10 projects a year. He ran 4-6 months like clockwork for years and now is 8-12 months. The guys that told you a year are probably like 2. I know guys that wait 2-4 years for very reputable providers. Many larger firms usually use lower cost labor to do the grunt work and skilled artists for finish work, there isn't much low cost laborers to use. Further, the time it takes to answer calls from 100's of guys wanting to know where their stuff is makes it impossible to actually get it done and out.

Even in my own business we have been 2 weeks out for a same day service since February.

 

[adamkolesar]

I've been lucky. My taxi stops taking new work every November. Once her quota is reached during Whitetail season, that's it.
She keeps hunters up to date on FB. All the mounts are ready by the following season. (This includes all species brought in every Fall).

 

[long hunter]

My taxidermist is right around a year on every thing, except euros last year took a 8 point to him for a euro gave me a 6 month turn, he called and said his wife fell hunting deer and busted up her hip and it would be a bit longer on the skull, things happen.

 

[mattbeldon13]

Please I need a Tannery in Ohio, any suggestion

 

[30338]

Stories like this make euro mounts seem very attractive.

 

[Scrappy]

Taxidermist lie and work on dead animals. It's what they do

 

[Northpark]

I learned to do my own euros and tan my own hides. Not hard to do on a weekend. That said I left a bear with a highly reputed taxidermist in AK this spring for a soft tan and euro on the skull just so I wouldn’t have to fly with it. Hoping to have it back by Christmas. He was really awesome helping me out too. I took the bear in and had never skinned out a bear skull or paws and they did it right in front of me and taught me how to do it right for next time.

 

[IDspud]

I picked it up and got a whopping $75 back from my $600 deposit. Not sure where he sent it $525 to get tanned. He couldn’t even guarantee me it would be done in the next three months in which the other taxidermist said he would so I took my losses and went.

Turns out he was full of it. He gave me a line about the extended time being due to my walls being so large having to custom mount the head for. Saw it on the table with my name and it was a stock one unmodified.

I offered to work for him skinning and turning ears so he could work on mine and he said don’t worry we’re starting to work weekends so it’ll be done soon. 15 minutes later he said with your schedule I can’t do that because we aren’t going to work weekends.

Take it to the other taxidermist who unrolls it it shows me the butcher job the first guy did. At least 15 to 20 holes from skinning it along with giant patches where the fur slipped. My first very sentimental wolf is butchered. He said he suspects that’s why the guy has been putting it off.

Dude was semi-polite asking for it back but obviously was very offended and kept throwing in things that didn’t need to be said like how valuable he is and how many people want to use Him.

 

[Gunnersdad49]

Damn shame to see the condition of that hide. I went bird hunting with a taxidermist friend this weekend, and he mentioned supply chain wasn't stopping his work, but forcing him to source materials from multiple warehouses, whereas he use to be able to get most from one source. This bumped his costs up quite a bit.

He explained that his business is really feast or famine. Hunting season he takes in as much as he possibly can, and then works on most of them in the spring and summer after the big game and waterfowl seasons let up. He also admitted there are some things he likes to do, and some he has to force himself to do. The real summary is most taxidermists don't come from a background of running businesses, and could use some education on best practices to really up their levels of customer service.

The other thing he mentioned is that he considers himself a "wildlife artist". If I view them as artists instead of construction workers for example, I get the eccentricities we see in most taxidermists, and their struggles with timelines.