One year turnaround

Killed my fallow last November, I was told it will be ready this November.I called another Taxi, he is quoting the same

Is it Covid 19 related?

Not enough Taxidermists anymore?

$750 pretty much going price too

Gotta learn to Euro mount.

Last couple euro mounts I had done by a local college student. Both were ready in 2 days. He power washed them. $25 a piece.

6-12 months is pretty standard. It isn’t always the taxidermist but also the tannery that has delays.

I use Alpine Taxidermy. They usually take 6 months to a year. Really good work

For a shoulder mount, anything less than 6 months would be suspect to me. If I get any shoulder mounts back sooner than 12 months, I am pleased.

$750 for a fallow seems a bit steep as that is more than I paid for my badger and my muley, but maybe my taxidermist just hasn't caught up with inflation.

Good luck and we will look forward to seeing him when you get him back!


Euro mounts aren't particularly difficult; they're just messy as all get out. I'd rather just send it to MK in Hurst (member on here) for whatever they charge and have it back in a few weeks (or days).

If the taxidermist has a large clientele, expect long waits. Tanning, mannequins, supplies, etc to order and receive. One guy shop, he's got long hours.
On occasion a mannequin must be altered.
Prep, mount, dry(mount must be monitored while drying), paint, panel or artwork.
I'd have up to 10 hours in a mount. If I did not like mounting a specie, I raised the price to try to avoid them. Fallow, blackbuck, sheep and squirrels were not fun for me.
A year is not bad. 6 months likely the minimum.

Thanks guys, I can live with it, just don't want them to lose it.

This year I'm not really trophy hunting so Euro's are probable

That's who I use also. They did my big deer and elk.

It takes me about a year or so to get my mounts back. I do not mind as the work is top notch.

I had a different taxidermist do a water buffalo as I did not have time to get it to my regular taxidermist. They butchered that mount. Pisses me off every time I look at it on my wall.

Lesson learned. I'll gladly wait and pay a bit more for quality work.

hit me on euros

Euros are easy, and you can do them yourself!

Had a college kid do a couple for me a few years ago. Had them back in a day or two. He power washed them. Told me he’d put on a rain suit and a face shield and get after it. Wonder how his dad felt about the mess afterwards.

Been using Alpine Taxidermy in Ft. Worth for years. Never taken more than a year and always does a great job.

I use MC Taxidermy in Hurst for all my Euro mounts. Mikes a great guy and does fast reasonably priced, quality work.

Still not done yet

I recommend MC for euros.

I'm exclusively on euros now. Otherwise it takes forever and cost a bundle

A year is pretty standard. $650-800 is pretty standard too for a good taxidermist. There may be some good, cheap taxidermists out there but they are like unicorns. Consistency is what I see as most taxidermists’ downfall. One mount can be good and the next can be crappy.

On whitetails I have done Euros the last several. And that’s over many years because I average shooting one about every 3 years. I hope to see one more whitetail big enough for me to shoulder mount before I leave this plane. 😊

im still waiting

Bummer

My guy said the tannery closed due to covid and when it reopened they did the most recent hides instead of the oldest

Feel your pain. Ready to get my muley on the wall. Maybe March for me?

wow!!

It’s been 4 yrs and I know I’m not getting my mount ever. Hopefully you’ll get yours soon, I’m sure it’ll be awesome!

You have way more patience than I do!

I’ll never see that deer again, she won’t even respond to calls/texts.

I had a taxi string me along for a year on a spec trout replica. Had a $100 deposit. Went by his shop in San Antonio, it was vacated. Hunted him down, and hounded him for my money back. Finally got it after another year. Scumbag.
He then opened up another shop in Comfort, I knew a few people there and passed along my the bad experience about him.

Make a personal visit and collect your property.

It didn’t happen to be Joy Roman?

I don’t recall the guys name. It was a long time ago.

I wish I knew where to start, last place she was on isn’t the same place she’s at now if she’s even doing work still.

Are we still talking about taxidermy?

To me a crooked taxidermist is way worse than your garden variety rip-off artist because they are stealing more than money or property - they are stealing memories.

Most the delays are tanneries, most Taxi’s don't do their own tanning


Reason #101 to learn to cape a skull. Covid closures

i called them yesterday. it will be finished in 2 weeks........................stand by

NOPE, havent heard a peep

been almost a month since I was promised 2 weeks. I just hope its done right !!

If you can find out where she is, a phone call from your Sherriff can work wonders especially if she is in same county as you are. If she is outside your Sherriff's jurisdiction the call will not have the punch as it would but will wake her up. I had to get my sheriff to make what he called a courtesy call but it worked and I had my mount in about 2 weeks after his call. I had been trying to contact my taxi and he would not return calls but he called me the day the sherriff called him before I got back to my house.

Man I wish I hadn't seen this thread being bumped; I am itching to call and check on my 2019 muley now.

My fallow is gonna cost $750 also. Checked around and found it's pretty much the going rate.

she called yesterday.....its ready

ill ask what the hold up was

have to go back and look at my pictures, make sure i get mine

No need in asking what the hold was. You’ll just get a line of BS.

It’s not always bs. Supply companies are litterslly running out of foam to pour mannikins. Tanneries are having trouble getting their chemicals. And certain paints are months on back order. Yes some is bs. But there are plenty of issues going on in the supply world for taxidermy

Thanks for the honest explanation.

Post a pic bud.

For you north Texas guys I have used Clear Creek Taxidermy in Denton and I’m south of Houston. The taxi is Marc Hacker. He has done me right on 2 going on 3 whitetails. Very good on communication.

For us south Texas guys Rob Valle in pipe creek is also excellent. He owns hill country taxidermy. No not the chick that took everyone for a ride several years back.

Nog, how big of a Whitetail would it take for you to shoulder mount? Curious.

On topic-I think one year turnaround or a little quicker is common from my experience. Also heard the tanneries were way way behind this past year.

I have 3 or 4 shoulder mounts that are good deer but not huge. My wife and daughters have also taken good deer that we have mounted. I have never taken a really big whitetail and am hoping for a true once-in-a-lifetime bottomland buck one of these days. I have had a couple on my place over the years but it has never come together. I’m not a score guy but if you’re looking for a number I would say 160 plus - a big, big deer for my neck of the woods.

That’s pretty much the boat I’m in. Never killed a big whitetail....have 3 “nice” ones on the wall but not a big one.

From time to time I think about buying a hunt from a friends ranch and going and killing a giant but then I think about it and figure that money could be used on a hunt somewhere else for something more exciting. It’s unlikely I’ll kill a true big buck on my place, although the neighbor has killed a 163” buck so I guess it’s not totally out of the ballpark.

Yeah for some reason going on an outfitted whitetail hunt has never interested me in the least - I’m sure because I grew up hunting them.

The funny thing is that in my quest for the “biggun” over the past few years I have passed on two or three deer that would have been personal bests. I’m thinking a good one this upcoming year may be in trouble. I’m ready to shoot one.

I know quite a few taxidermists in San Antonio, and in Texas for that matter. PM her name and I may be able to help you.

Posted pics in the Photo section

I will keep these for reference

I'm going to stop shooting trophies and just go for meat, no more wall space