How do you choose a taxidermist?

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It was said by someone on Ido that when we see gas prices under $3. the Vikings will be going to the Series.

Get your tickets now!

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Yeah right, and the Twins are going to win the Super Bowl too.

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It was said by someone on Ido that when we see gas prices under $3. the Vikings will be going to the Series.

Get your tickets now!

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Duh…….The twins got beat out!

Yeah right, and the Twins are going to win the Super Bowl too.

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It was said by someone on Ido that when we see gas prices under $3. the Vikings will be going to the Series.

Get your tickets now!

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Follow sports real close do ya??!!

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It was said by someone on Ido that when we see gas prices under $3. the Vikings will be going to the Series.

Get your tickets now!

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Yeah right, and the Twins are going to win the Super Bowl too.

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The Timberwolves are going to win the Stanley Cup!

Iam going to win the flw tour and have a ton of sponcers beating my door down ,so if you want aoutograpghs get them now while there still cheap

2.89 in cottage grove here at the s.a on 70th st and hadley

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Hate to break the bad news…Gas is under $3 in Clinton, IA. Regular was still $3.30, but the 10% ethanol was $2.98! Go Vikes…

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So…your a Packard fan?

We often talk about how excellent or poor our head mounts look. Most taxidermists have the artistic part down other wards they would be out of business before they even take on their first mount. I think there are a few considerations we should look at before we drop off our trophy. First and foremost for me is what kind of manikin/form the taxidermist uses. There are a ton of phenomenal sculptors out there that have made some excellent forms. That being said, all were sculpted from different deer. A deer from Texas is not the same as a deer from Pennsylvania. The same as a deer from South Carolina is not the same as one from Wisconsin. Heck, a deer from southern Wisconsin is not the same as northern Wisconsin. I think it’s in a person’s best interest to do a little research on different types of forms and choose what you feel is the best representation of the deer in your area. Personally, I like sculptors such as Joe Coombs, Brian Johnson, Scott Lennard, and Tommy Hall. To me, they represent the deer in my area. Many taxidermists have their favorite forms but most carry a variety of brands. The next choice is posing. I always attempt to choose a form that corresponds to how the deer looked as I pulled the trigger. I want the mount to look exactly like he looked the second I took the shot. Of coarse this is my personal preference but it helps me to remember the time and place and the whole mental picture stays engraved in my mind. Beyond the end result, I like to have a good relationship with the taxidermist. It’s nice to be able to call them out of season just to chat, talk hunting, or how business is. I think they appreciate it when you’re not overbearing but still keep in touch. I don’t worry too much about turn around time or price. Obviously, there is a limit to both but I never shop around for the quickest or cheapest of either. So with all I’ve listed so far; what else do you guys look for when choosing where to take your trophy?

Tanning process should be added to the list. Do they do it themselves, or out source? Taxidermist grade tanning is a lessor grade of say a garment tan for obvious reasons, but you still want a thorough job done. I am more old school in thinking that a pickle finish is better for hair retention, but that’s just my belief. A conversation should be had to discuss hair loss so you have the right understanding of what is “normal” and to discuss the condition of your pelt.

Pelt discussion is another thing to discuss. Is yours too thin? hair roots exposed? Will your pelt even be used? What other factors will determine if your pelt will be replaced?

Besides the mold or form, what components are used to replace the cartilage? Bondo? Plastic forms? How are they sized? Most mounts look good, but there are always the few that stand out as VERY life-like. Do the research on HOW they were done and ask the questions appropriately of the taxidermist you are considering using.

Good question ! I stumbled upon mine, after I read in a local paper about how he stuffed the governors catch from the opener one year on Green Lake. It went on to say that he was a decorated taxidermist at the state and national level. I somehow caught a BIG walleye and wanted it mounted, I took it to him because of the story in the paper. After meeting him, seeing the variety of mounts in his shop, in different stages, I was impressed. When I got a nice grouse, again, I took it to him. He has now done 3 whitetails for me and a Bear rug. Never was there an issue with anything he did for me. I have sent friends to him and they still are my friends When I drop an animal off, I know I will be there for about 3 hours, talking about the mount for about 10 minutes and the rest BS’ing. I totally trust he is using good materials, he has a lifetime warranty on all his mounts. I haven’t had any issues and the first walleye he did for me, back in 1995, looks as good as the day I pulled her out of the lake Plus, if I drop a buck off in November, I will have it back in about 3 months… what’s with these guys that take a year ???

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if I drop a buck off in November, I will have it back in about 3 months… what’s with these guys that take a year ???

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Not knowing who this taxidermist is and if I didnt know you Big G, this would be a big red flag for me.

#1 If he is getting mounts done in 3 months, he probably is not getting very much work. Why is that?

#2 Is it 3 months for everyone or is he show preference to certain customers???

Just a couple questions that popped into my mind…..

Tanning is a good point Randy. I would prefer to have my cape tanned in house but not always necessary. My last 3 capes have been sent off for tanning but I am happy with them. Getting my own cape back is an absolute must in my book. There is a lot of character in a cape… double throat patch, black on the bridge of the nose, battle scars, etc.
Another point is how they are caped. I would guess most taxidermists split the cape up the neck all the way to the antlers. I have seen a few who do not split it and I like the way it looks. I plan on looking into that method a bit more.

Well as a full time taxidermist seeing this on my lunch break I will start off by saying this. I am very impressed by the fact that this has even came up as a topic. Now for how it is. For most people they will take there trophy to someone they have been told to take it to. Now for the guy/gal that actually gives a crap for how his/her mount will look when it is done they will do a little research before committing. You should ask yourself what is it that you want. I don’t get my deer done in three months when you send your capes out to be commercially tanned that is ware the longer time frame starts. I’m not a big fan of the in house tan for many reasons. I tend to take a bit more time in all my mounts so a 6 to 12 month turn around is what I need to do a great job on your specimen. Take time in choosing a taxidermist that does good work and that you can trust! Also find a taxidermist that is a member of the state taxidermy association. This usually will tell you that he/she is an active member and is staying on top of our current trade. Some like myself take it a step further and compete in state and national levels. This should tell you that your taxidermist is always trying to get better and not just satisfied with how everything turned out. last but not least don’t sell yourself short by saving a few bucks! If it cost a hundred dollars more to have it done right do it! LOL!! I get a few every year that try to save a buck and go to the “basement taxidermist” and then about April call me and say they would like it fixed. Well I don’t “fix” others work so now it costs them the rate plus the cost of a new cape on top of what they already spent on the first guy! Hope everyone has a little more insight on the subject. that not all taxidermy shops are created equal and if you look around there are some very talented shops in your area. Ryan

I believe he sends his capes to California for tanning Dennis, I think I am special I give him 1/2 down and the other half the day he calls me to pick it up He knows I like a fast turn around and won’t drag my feet going to pick them up He is not the cheapest either, I probably pay about $150-$200 more than I would have to somewhere else, but when I look at them everyday, they are worth the extra $$$ I believe that he is not swamped because he controls what he takes in… he does X amount of Bear, X amount of Deer, X amount of Ducks and so on…. he is BUSY all year on all species

Dennis, he did Shrums walleye for him too

word of mouth and how long they have been doing it.

i have 6 mounts done by 4 diffrent people. 3 by one guy, who would still be my go to guy but when i didn’t get my cape back i was done going there. last one i had done is doing great and love the work.

does anyone mark your cape? i was going to tatoo the inner ear, use to do this with are good hounds. just wondering if that would work to make sure you are getting your cape back.

Thanks for the great info guys. I’ve never had a deer mounted so this will be very helpful when the day finally arrives.

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Thanks for the great info guys. I’ve never had a deer mounted so this will be very helpful when the day finally arrives.

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How many sheep have you mounted?

They were all trophies in my eyes.