Just wondering about the length of time it is taking to get my fish back from the taxadermist. I dropped it off in early Oct ’04 and keep getting told a later date. The last time I called he said it would be Dec, so it could be that it will be ready soon. The strange part is that the expected date has been pushed back 3 times. First it was April 05, then August 05, etc. 
No that is absolutely not the norm. I would give the guy a piece of my mind. Afterall, im guessing ur paying an un-godly amount of money for the fish. My first mount, the guy took over a year and he never returned our calls when we called to ask him a date. We will never go back to him. The second guy was awesome, and i gave him my 20 inch bass in late september, early october, and he had it back to me BEFORE christmas of that year. That was great because i got to show it off to my relatives. But yeah give him a call and tell him you are PO’ed.
I think it depends on how busy they are and how many are in front of you. Also, is it a well known business in your area? I know my Taxidermist guarantees 6 month turnaround on everything, unless you request they take a little longer. It seems like a long time though.
Yes i do s’pose it depends on how busy they are, but i would still be really angry if the guy was pushing back the date like that! he probably hasn’t even started it yet! 
I’ll be calling hime tomorrow. Depending on how it goes, I’ll either have my fish, or my down payment & fish. I pass by his place to & from work everyday, so twice a day I drive right past my fish. Getting very anxious. Thanks for the input.
I do agree, I would be a little ticked myself. But like I said, I don’t know the whole situation. I think you should stop in instead of calling. It is harder for people to backpeddle when you are in person. Fish is probably right in saying the fish is still in the freezer 
I would stop at the shop and ask to see the product even if its in process. if its in the freezer I would take it elsewheres. Some shops are running a year to 1 1/2 but these are usually the highly recommended and they tell you that up front. FF
Mine took about 3 1/2 months to get my small mouth back . 14 months sounds a litttle out of range. 
Wallerbass and I have a friend who is a taxidermist. And a darn good one! He does animals in cycles. He will do birds, fish, deer, turkey in batches. It is not uncommon for some mounts to take a year. But he tells you that going in. Fish are never that long of a wait. But a great shoulder mount of a nice buck of his is worth the wait!
That being said, I know of another guy who likes to sit at the Casino rather than doing his taxidermy work! He actually “Lost” a mallard of mine once! I have a buddy STILL waiting for a caribou from 3 years ago from him!!!
I would also stop in. If the fish is still frozen, get it! I will give you the name of two great taxidermists in this area. I cannot see any information about where you are from on your profile..
Tuck
I can relate to this question. Four of the eight fish I have on the wall came from one taxidermist. Each time I had to wait about 14 months to get them back. The quality of the mount and paint job is phenomenal. That is why I kept going back.
One reason for his slow delivery times was that he did fish, game heads, waterfowl, turkeys, everything. He would get back logged from the deer heads and then try to play catch up during the summer.
He stopped running his own business because he wasn’t able to turn stuff over fast enough to make a good living. He can work for a “factory” taxidermist outfit and make more.
While the wait was always frustrating, I knew I would be happy when I got the fish. I have no idea if the guy you picked is in the same boat. Hopefully, you checked out his work before hand and got some references from people who had him do work. If not, do as someone else suggested; go to the shop and ask to see your fish. If it’s still frozen take it home and find a new taxidermist.
I can relate to this, to a degree………The taxidermist I use is slow. But his work is worth waiting for…….It is generally a 10 month wait.
I would ask why there is a hold up. Get a straight answer, and if not, get your fish back and take it elsewhere……
I have a walleye in my freezer that a buddy caught last Oct. (2004) 
I am thinking about smoking that big boy up. I am wondering about imminent domain. That walleye might actually be mine now.
The last time I heard a question like yours it turned out the guy’s dog ate the fish and he didn’t want to tell the customer.
Either your guy is good and extremely busy, darn lazy, or his dog ate your fish.
thanks 2fishy4u
That was funny
My walleye mount took about 13 months to get. I knew that it was going to take a long time when I gave it to the taxidermist that did it. He is one of the best in the Midwest.
Was the wait worth it? YES
It has been used at the Camp Confidence booth at the Northwest Sport Show.
I agree with others stop by and ask him how it is going.
Ron
Just curious, what are you getting done? How Big, etc?
Thanks,
Maybe it’s that beast of a smallie in his pic 
UPDATE!
Ole Dude says that my big bluegill will be ready this week. “it is mounted, but I just need to finish her up”. That big smallie is still swimming. It was my biggest to date though. Thanks for the feedback everyone. Perhaps I will post a pic of the mount once I have it back.
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