taxidermy issue?

Ok so I took my buck to be shoulder mounted in last year 2 days after I shot him witch was Feburary 20.....I have yet to get it back and each time ive talked to the taxi since the first of December, he keeps saying, a couple more weeks, a couple more weeks.... Whats the normal time frame usually for a shoulder mount? Just seems long to me..

I took mine in first of December 2014 and got him back a few weeks ago. Taxi informed me it would be at least a year though.

1 month to 18 months, just depends on the taxidermist. I will say that *usually* the longer ones seem to do better work, but that is not written in stone. I don't think you'd be out of line to post his name and ask if others have experienced similar time-frames with this taxi.

I always assume a year...I never push or call.....
If hes busy he will call when complete but he's a dear friend and a stand up Gentleman

Good Luck

Last one I took in said 10 months on the ticket. Took 15 months. I didn't bother him and just waited. I knew where he lived.

I took one this year for my wife, "November" and he said he would rush the mount and it would be ready in June. Most of the time for me....one year.

A year on average. Longer if you kill him at the end of the season.

Dropped my buck at Wildlife Gallery's Mountain Home drop point the Tuesday after opening weekend for a shoulder mount. It goes to Michigan and back and they say it'll be ready in May.

yep, they run a huge operation though, very streamlined assembly line and they do most tanning for other taxidermists too. my guide in Alaska works for them in off season.

6-9 months is typically for me. If a taxidermist has more than a 12 month wait, then they aren't charging enough, not working hard enough, or taking on too much work.

Or your one of his top customers

I know a taxidermist that has 6 full time workers and still runs about a year turn around. Great work though.

Workers as in just mounting animals

It's probably ready. He just pushes it back a couple weeks every time you call.

I am still waiting on mine from December 2014, went by the for the first time this week and checked in, he said probably another month.

IMO if you're taxidermist is busy, that's generally a good thing.

I will say he does great work...he has even done and still does some of the Nugent's stuff.. In the past the things I have taken to him he was 6-7 months...when I dropped my buck off last year in Feb.. he told me August-Septmber...so that's why im asking. We are way past august or September...hopefully ill see them soon...thanks

Only had one mounted. they quoted 6 months and it was done in 8 months. Took me 2 months to hang it though

I never bugged him about it though.

I have never had a taxidermist get me anything by the initial quoted date. As long as they responded to you, I'd just give them some time.

I will say this, you took it at then end of the busy season. Busy season being there are a lot of mounts in ahead of you. You then run into Octobers bow season starting and then getting in new mounts to prep for mounting this year. One taxi I used had a lot of guys working for him and charged $595 for a WT shoulder mount. It still took him 10-14 months to get me my mounts that I took him. Late Oct was around 10 months mid Dec would mean 12-14 months. The guy I use now is charging $545 and it will take him 8-9 months on an Oct kill and 9-11 months on a Nov kill date. He has 2 guys working with him. Most of the taxi I have used were 6-9 months on turn around time.

Wet weather can effect some taxis more than others. We had a lot of rain last year and into the fall.

The ones that have done great work for me usually take a year or a little more to get back.

Depends on how much work he takes in some take in a lot less and are done in couple months. Some like mine are back effort year to 18 months.

Mines about a year out. In fine with that, gives me time to pay it off. It really hurts the pocket books when there is multiple animals there. I took a cat in around November, the following year took in a WT, cat was still there. February he called and cat was ready so unpaid him the other half, $300. About 2 weeks later he called and said the buck was ready, there went another $300. Ouch. Most of the time I forget about the animals until the next hunting season rolls around, then I make a call. He wants his money, he will call when it's ready

we need more good taxi's

I'm sitting at 15 months on a deer that I might get back this Sumner.

The key on alot of these taxidermist is the tanneries they send it too. This is where the largest hang up is. 6-8 months but my guy only takes in 100 shoulder mounts.

About every good taxidermist I have used has been around 10-14 months out.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Taxidermist I use has a policy that he does all mounts that are paid in full upfront first. I typically get mine back in 3 to 5 months depending on how early/late in the season I take him animals.

I am betting your taxi also does deer processing as well. He will get to it once folks quit bringing in deer for meat processing.

This what my taxi tells me. It appears they send in a bunch of hides at a time and have to wait till the whole group comes back, they must get a discount on multiple hides. My buck came in with bad timing and had to wait for the next batch to be sent out. At least that is what they say.

We are waiting on my wife's 1st and probably only buck mount, I knew up front it would be 24 months at least, or he said "more than likely". Brian with "hole in the Wall Taxidermy" in Springtown (now closed and moved to his home) He has done several mounts for me from deer to Elk and is one of the best I have used, but it does take some time. He even raised his price trying to thwart business, but many still used him.
I am willing to wait on my wife's buck even though it is frustrating, I know it will be worth the wait.

On the other hand, knew one that, though never mounted a deer for me, everything else was screwed up. Worst thing about it for me, was I really liked him and his wife, but something sure changed. My only javelina I took in to get mounted (mouth open of course), got it back mouth closed and a little $ back, he said the jaw was too bad to use WTF, well either call me, or use a commercial jaw like other Taxis?? Now I have a "rat" looking thing that will never hang on the wall.
AH still has a hide from a buck I paid up front for over 4 years ago. I will never go back to his shop and will never recommend them to anyone period.

Some guy's are great personally, but suck when it comes to business and customer service, sad thing really.

Brian's a good guy and good taxidermist. He taught a kid that I went to school with. Unfortunately, I can't say the same about him. Hopefully, that's not the guy you used, or you can kiss that hide goodbye.

No, Brian has always done me 110% right, it is the "guy" with the shop behind him down the street, that went to

I don't know that guy.

I think some guys seem to forget that your animal is not the only one your taxi has taken in to mount. Your animal is the only one you are concerned about, the taxi is concerned about all the animals they have taken in.

My last one took a little over a year. Like others have said, tanning is one of the big variables. The last guy I used (I'll use him again) takes all of the capes at one time to a tannery somewhere in south TX after deer season. That alone amounts to a several month wait, especially if you take one to him early in the season. If your taxidermist has a lot of business, it wouldn't surprise me a bit it it took 18 months.
A friend of mine took a buck to another taxidermist in my area this season and got it back in about 2 months, but his son is good friends with the taxidermist and the taxidermist does his own tanning.

my point is a cycle of work for a taxidermist is 12 months, so if they're taking longer than 12 months then they are getting behind and will continue to get more delayed unless 1) they raise prices to lower demand 2) work harder or more helpers.

There's a lot of great taxidermists. There's also a lot that don't have their act together.