What does your taxidermist charge?

[jjschuh]

My brother and I dropped off our deer heads a few months ago. $750 for us in northeast Wisconsin and roughly 6 month turn around he said.

 

[MallardSX2]

Taxidermists have been taking people to the cleaners for years. I’ve got a “buddy” who routinely brags about how much he can charge people just because he can. It actually sickens me a little bit.

I refuse to pay the high prices and I shop around quite a bit. $525 for a whitetail and I just had a half bear mount done for $900.

There are some people charging three or four times that amount for both those animals. Buyer beware as there are a lot of guys out there like my “buddy” who just charged people whatever the hell they want to charge.

 

[satchamo]

$550-$650 for deer and an antelope in southern IL - the works very good for the price too - I just have to wait a while

 

[satchamo]

Euro mounts are still $100 locally (or less if you donate the cape on some animals). Mounts are all over the spectrum. I use a multi time world champion so he is expensive. At the end of the day, I don't care what a mount costs because I want it to look perfect-otherwise why even get it done?

Not to diminish anyone’s skill because it certainly is an art but I’d argue most people can’t tell the difference from good and world champion. I have mounts from a guy with similar qualifications who costs 2x as much as the guy I use now and I couldn’t hardly tell you a difference….

 

[Laramie]

Not to diminish anyone’s skill because it certainly is an art but I’d argue most people can’t tell the difference from good and world champion. I have mounts from a guy with similar qualifications who costs 2x as much as the guy I use now and I couldn’t hardly tell you a difference….

I have heard that from some guys- truly a matter of preference imo. I want my mounts to look alive and he does it better than any I have found.

 

[The Ri Guy]

You guys are making me jealous, it's $250 minimum for a deer euro in Washington.

 

[Amos Keeto]

Taxidermists have been taking people to the cleaners for years. I’ve got a “buddy” who routinely brags about how much he can charge people just because he can. It actually sickens me a little bit.

I refuse to pay the high prices and I shop around quite a bit. $525 for a whitetail and I just had a half bear mount done for $900.

There are some people charging three or four times that amount for both those animals. Buyer beware as there are a lot of guys out there like my “buddy” who just charged people whatever the hell they want to charge.

My current "taxidermist" costs me $0.00! That's 'cause it's me!

I have been intimately aware of two taxidermist!
The first was probably as good a taxidermist as any sportsman could hope for......but he was a deadhead!
IF you were a local celebrity, you went to the head of the waiting list!
IF you had a record or near record book head, you went to the front of the line.
If you were Average Joe that had a so-so head you just wanted to mount? You were just s-o-l! He would take your down payment and how to mount your "trophy", but you were lucky to EVER see your mount.
Doctors, lawyers, bankers, business owners, etc came first.
He finally got fired and divorced and moved out of town. In his wake, there were probably two to three hundred deer racks hanging in his shop. Some of them several years old!
Probably $10k worth of mounts (mid 70's) he never touched except to take the customers "$100 down"!
The other taxidermist I knew was also very good and locally acclaimed for his artistry.
BUT.....
He would quote you a price and give you a 1 year turn-a-round. IF you happened by the business and checked on your mount, he would let you know the more you paid above his published "price" (bribe? tip?), the sooner you would get your mount back!
He also had a whitetail "farming operation.
He could sell the mounts of his brood stock's "sheds"!
When my 125" mount was finally ready, it was hanging beside a "shed" mount that scored 256"!

Then I figured out how to do Euro mounts!
No more taxidermy....and Euro mounts are easier to tend. Just keep them dusted!

 

[Ross]

$1900 for last elk shoulder mount.

 

[Welder95]

Recently paid $1500 for a wall pedestal aoudad in Texas and $175 for antelope euro in UT. Freight on the aoudad from Tx to SC about gave me a stroke.

Just paid $1000 for a wall pedestal in PA

 

[Timplant]

1300 for a bobcat
1150 for a otter both with scenery and hardscape

 

[Amos Keeto]

I really admire you fellas with the wherewithal to pay out that kinda cash to a taxidermist.
I can think of lot'sa other "schtuff" I could blow $1500 on! .....and have! LOL!
I really can't say a lot. I had 2 shoulder mounts for many years and thought they were really cool. Of course the biggest one scored about 120", so it wasn't like they were "Booners".
Another thing. Since I maintain a "Hunting Journal" with pictures, all I need to do is pick up my journal to relive the moment....and I don't have to keep the mounts dusted and treated for mites, etc.
That's quite alright. You folks enjoy your mounts.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Recently paid $1500 for a wall pedestal aoudad in Texas and $175 for antelope euro in UT. Freight on the aoudad from Tx to SC about gave me a stroke.

Was the 1500 dollar aoudad with or without feet?

 

[thinhorn_AK]

View attachment 1006239

Then last, but definitely not least, was fortunate enough to shoot another Fannin’s Sheep last August and having this pose below done now with it.
View attachment 1006240

What’s that bird in the glass case? It must be special to have it in there.

 

[CHL]

King Eiders are the ones in the glass.

 

[Neckbone]

Man, I’m gonna keep boiling my heads… phew.

Will do a black bear rug if I ever do get one tho.

 

[jcaud]

Dad got a whitetail done a few years back and I believe it was $750. Had a guy who was just starting out do a euro for me in 2024 for like $50

 

[Whitefox82]

I mainly do Euro mounts for my whitetail (only way I do another shoulder is if it’s a new PB) and they are $60 if you cape yourself or $75 non caped when you give them the head.
My caribou from 2023 ended up around $1750. Id say around here(se WI) caribou/elk are pushing $2k

 

[Jon Boy]

Taxidermists have been taking people to the cleaners for years. I’ve got a “buddy” who routinely brags about how much he can charge people just because he can. It actually sickens me a little bit.

I refuse to pay the high prices and I shop around quite a bit. $525 for a whitetail and I just had a half bear mount done for $900.

There are some people charging three or four times that amount for both those animals. Buyer beware as there are a lot of guys out there like my “buddy” who just charged people whatever the hell they want to charge.

I’m of the opposite opinion.
I’d imagine there’s $150 material in a whitetail mount.
That leaves $375 for your guy to cape, cap, flesh, salt, ship to the tannery, receive back from the tannery, (or tan themselves) and then mount, touch up paint etc all the while doing that out of a shop that cost a few hundred thousand to build, or they lease, and pay electricity for all of their freezers, insurance, tools etc

Maybe a taxidermist can chime in, but I have a hard time imaging a guy can get all of that done in half a day, and even then that’s not even $100 an hour gross with a fair bit of overhead and risk and more than likely closer to $40/hour net. Forget about screwing up ordering something or messing up a mount that you totally have to eat.

Not sure why you’d be jealous of your buddy making a good profit on his business, that’s what you’re supposed to do. And if people pay it he must be pretty dang good and who cares what some one else is willing to pay.