Got my mounts back

[perchking]

Finally..... took 11 months. I was given every excuse, will never go back. Overall his quality was average, but finally glad to have the boys back home. 

 

 

[smurfy]

I dunno, 11 months for a couple mounts ain't all that bad. I waited 3 years for a woodcock.

Looks good though!!

[perchking]

Not when he set the date to have them back in May then during the next 5 months each time I contacted his said next week. I figured sooner or later he would be right. 

[leech~~]

28 minutes ago, perchking said:

Not when he set the date to have them back in May then during the next 5 months each time I contacted his said next week. I figured sooner or later he would be right.

11 months is way to freekying long!   They look nice, what's up with the bottoms one lift antler in the middle?

Looks like they both have some tag on them top and bottom.

Edited November 9, 2017 by leech~~

[perchking]

It was just a tag with my name on it. 

[leech~~]

26 minutes ago, perchking said:

It was just a tag with my name on it. 

Are you going to leave them on while hanging on the wall, or were you just to excited to get them up you didn't take them off?

[Walleyehooker]

Not uncommon for someone that has a reputation for being really good and does quality work. Quick turn around and cheaper rates should raise a red flag. 

[perchking]

12 minutes ago, leech~~ said:

Are you going to leave them on while hanging on the wall, or were you just to excited to get them up you didn't take them off?

The latter, there gone now 

[perchking]

10 minutes ago, Walleyehooker said:

Not uncommon for someone that has a reputation for being really good and does quality work. Quick turn around and cheaper rates should raise a red flag. 

Agreed however, I would call these average. I have 4 others on the wall and they don’t stand out as being superb. Their fine don’t get me wrong, just nothing that’s going to win a blue ribbon. Plus they were 450 each so I just expected better for the money and time. The ears have seam marks and he did a poor job on the stitching down the back. 

[PurpleFloyd]

1 hour ago, perchking said:

It was just a tag with my name on it. 

Minnie Pearl likes this^  

 

Nice racks.

[PurpleFloyd]

I would think that it would be hard for taxidermists to stay profitable and busy these days.

I agree from a hunters perspective that $900 is a hard bill to swallow. But from the business end, at $450 each if he had $50 each in materials and supplies that leaves $400 in labor. I would think most businesses today would need $50/hr to break even paying heat,rent,insurance etc as well as a very modest salary which means he would only have 8 labor hours in each of them to break even. Now, I don't know how long it takes to do a mount like that but just looking at the economics I can see the justification in the price that mounts cost. 

 

 

[rkhinrichs]

Nice bucks! Gun or bow? What state?

Edited November 9, 2017 by rkhinrichs

[perchking]

3 hours ago, rkhinrichs said:

Nice bucks! Gun or bow? What state?

Gun, both SE Wisconsin 

3 hours ago, PurpleFloyd said:

I would think that it would be hard for taxidermists to stay profitable and busy these days.

I agree from a hunters perspective that $900 is a hard bill to swallow. But from the business end, at $450 each if he had $50 each in materials and supplies that leaves $400 in labor. I would think most businesses today would need $50/hr to break even paying heat,rent,insurance etc as well as a very modest salary which means he would only have 8 labor hours in each of them to break even. Now, I don't know how long it takes to do a mount like that but just looking at the economics I can see the justification in the price that mounts cost. 

 

 

I agree! He told me he has 212$ into each of them as he sends the hides to a tannery which of course I found out after the fact. So for 11months and after costs he only pocketed 450 minus taxes of me. 

[snagfinder]

That's 200 bucks cheaper than where I go but ive always been 100% satisfied.

[Wanderer]

Glad you got em!  I like the sneak pose on the bottom one.  Both are nice!

Finding a good taxidermist is a process.  Once you find the right one you hope he stays in the business for ever!

The high dollar taxidermist is usually the most consistent and has a great client base because of it.  They might even tell you straight up it will be a year before you see your mount back.  The “Best bang for the buck” guy that is reliable is the toughest to find in my experience.  The lowest bidder is someone I’d run from every time.

A year isn’t out of line to wait but it gets aggravating when you’re told sooner and then strung along.  That’s just bad business.  Set the expectations up front and everyone will be happier in the end.

[perchking]

For N wisc, this guy was not the cheapest in town, they all run from 375-500, I picked this guy based on word of mouth and my Conversation with him regarding completion dates. Maybe you am just to picky? Again, they are not bad but I wouldn’t call them great. 

So what the heck, did Minn cancel deer season I don’t see any threads showing those huge bucks I was accustomed to drool over in the past 10+ years. 

 

[PurpleFloyd]

10 hours ago, perchking said:

For N wisc, this guy was not the cheapest in town, they all run from 375-500, I picked this guy based on word of mouth and my Conversation with him regarding completion dates. Maybe you am just to picky? Again, they are not bad but I wouldn’t call them great. 

So what the heck, did Minn cancel deer season I don’t see any threads showing those huge bucks I was accustomed to drool over in the past 10+ years. 

 

Where in Wisconsin are you? 

Too much corn in my area. Tons of deer and more big ones than we have ever had but it will be a slow year due to harvest. Next year with an early harvest this area will be epic. 

I'm headed to the Ashland/Iron River area over Thanksgiving with my son to hunt some land there for the first time. Hopefully we see something there. 

Funny story- about 25 years ago I had a pet iguana that ended up dying so I took it to a very popular and good taxidermist in the area and he suggested a freeze dried process and putting it on driftwood. He told me it would be a year but it took 2.5 years to get that thing back. He did a good job and I bet he never did another one of those.

[Big Dave2]

14 hours ago, Wanderer said:

 

A year isn’t out of line to wait but it gets aggravating when you’re told sooner and then strung along.  That’s just bad business.  Set the expectations up front and everyone will be happier in the end.

Under-promise and over-deliver.

1 hour ago, PurpleFloyd said:

Funny story- about 25 years ago I had a pet iguana that ended up dying so I took it to a very popular and good taxidermist in the area and he suggested a freeze dried process and putting it on driftwood. He told me it would be a year but it took 2.5 years to get that thing back. He did a good job and I bet he never did another one of those.

Do you still have it?

[PurpleFloyd]

Yep. 

[perchking]

5 hours ago, PurpleFloyd said:

Where in Wisconsin are you? 

Too much corn in my area. Tons of deer and more big ones than we have ever had but it will be a slow year due to harvest. Next year with an early harvest this area will be epic. 

I'm headed to the Ashland/Iron River area over Thanksgiving with my son to hunt some land there for the first time. Hopefully we see something there. 

Funny story- about 25 years ago I had a pet iguana that ended up dying so I took it to a very popular and good taxidermist in the area and he suggested a freeze dried process and putting it on driftwood. He told me it would be a year but it took 2.5 years to get that thing back. He did a good job and I bet he never did another one of those.

I currently live in the Rhinealnder area, but mostly hunt in SE Wisc (Washington County).  I am very familiar with Iron River and Ashland as I grew up right across the river from famous Hurley Wi.

 

 

[PurpleFloyd]

Lol. Spent some good times in Ironwood/Hurley. Go to Hurry to get squirrelly.. Silver Dollar, Iron horse. Horses corral ...

[perchking]

1 hour ago, PurpleFloyd said:

Lol. Spent some good times in Ironwood/Hurley. Go to Hurry to get squirrelly.. Silver Dollar, Iron horse. Horses corral ...

It's where Highway 51 ends and the fun begins! Most people go to Hurley for vacation and and leave on probation.