Taxidermy work delays

[bisonhunter1]

So reading thru some of the latest threads on taxidermists work has made me realize all of them are not the same (I've really know that all along anyway). Over the years I have used taxidermists in several states to get mounts/rungs/ etc done. The pattern I have seen in all this is that it seems that by in large the taxidermists I have used in Washington state, (at least 4 different ones in over 20 years) are all SLOW. In fact its going on almost 3 years on the latest projects completion from a Washington taxidermist. When I've had work done in other states (Montana and Texas ) I get my mounts back usually in less than 12 months, in a few rare cases as fast as 8 months. Is the quality the same, thru my own eyes, yes it appears to look great, to another person with more stuff or maybe even a taxidermist, maybe not so good.
In the end, i'm glad when I get stuff back in spite of the delays (which one never enjoys) but the trend I've seen again is that Washington taxidermist that I have dealt with are just SLOW for whatever reason. That doesn't mean they are all like that, but we all make choices about who to use based on our own individual reasons. By the way i'm also using a new and different taxidermist for a new project that's a little unusual, so onlt "time" will tell if this person is any better than the others as far as project completion time.

[Bean Counter]

I can't understand a business model where a turnaround is consistently more than 12 months. Theoretically, if you're good and have repeat or steady business, how would this not become downhill snowball of late work?

As a tax preparer, say I have 100 clients. If I can get 50 done during the tax season and file extensions to file 50 by the fall deadline, I can have everything done by next busy season. Assume it were legal to extend the return indefinitely until I got it done. If I then have a turnaround past 12 months, what does that mean for next years work flow? now I can only get done 30 during the busy season and have to extend say 70 returns. Before you know it, everybody is getting extended and my turnaround keeps getting longer and longer.

Unless I'm missing something.

[dfresh96]

I know when I take my next trophy in I will definitely do some research since my taxi is out of business now....seems to be hit & miss with most....it is definitely a line of work where you need to be self motivated, task oriented & organized.....I will also look at how many are employed in shop & if they outsource any work which most due to a degree.....

1 question I have is if a taxi takes on too much work & keeps telling customer after customer yours is on the table currently getting finished then months or year(s) later they haven't finished what legal actions can be taken especially if they're taking on new work?  I understand you gotta make a living but most pay 50% or more up front & im sure $ gets spent well before work is completed isn't that a sort of fraud when not completed in timely manner?

[Igottanewknee]

I know a lot of people don't like Rogers Taxidermy, but the two times I have used him, a whitetail head mount and a blacktail euro, I had them back within 3 months. I know Roger did them himself, and they were great quality. I think if I need one again, I'll run it by all my Hunt-Wa friends first for suggestions.....

[huntnphool]

So reading thru some of the latest threads on taxidermists work has made me realize all of them are not the same (I've really know that all along anyway). Over the years I have used taxidermists in several states to get mounts/rungs/ etc done. The pattern I have seen in all this is that it seems that by in large the taxidermists I have used in Washington state, (at least 4 different ones in over 20 years) are all SLOW. In fact its going on almost 3 years on the latest projects completion from a Washington taxidermist. When I've had work done in other states (Montana and Texas ) I get my mounts back usually in less than 12 months, in a few rare cases as fast as 8 months. Is the quality the same, thru my own eyes, yes it appears to look great, to another person with more stuff or maybe even a taxidermist, maybe not so good.
In the end, i'm glad when I get stuff back in spite of the delays (which one never enjoys) but the trend I've seen again is that Washington taxidermist that I have dealt with are just SLOW for whatever reason. That doesn't mean they are all like that, but we all make choices about who to use based on our own individual reasons. By the way i'm also using a new and different taxidermist for a new project that's a little unusual, so onlt "time" will tell if this person is any better than the others as far as project completion time.

Funny you should mention this. I remember a thread a while back asking what the average time to get taxi work back, seemed the answers were all over the map, but there were a lot of people getting theirs back in 6 months or less, which seemed way too fast for me.

 Now what I find amusing is the number of threads recently, of guys that have received their mounts back in what most perceive as a "reasonable time", only to post pics on huntwa complaining about how disappointed they are in the work, and based on the images rightfully so! I would rather wait twice as long for my quality mount than half the time and be disappointed.

"Quality" work takes time, http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,147879.msg1961884.html#msg1961884 and I have no issues waiting however long it takes to have my mount finished when I know that the finished product will be stunning. I have more than a couple mounts, all have taken well over a year but not one of them have I been disappointed with or needed to have repaired down the road.

 I do know that more than one taxi recently fell victim to a tannery that had "issues", and put their work months behind, and they are still trying to get caught back up but won't cut corners or put out unacceptable work in the process.

 I have no idea what is going on with Michelle, perhaps she overextended herself and now lacks the funds to finish what she started, leaving a lot of you hung out to dry.

[JLS]

Some of the better ones I've known will run 8-18 months, depending on what you are having done and if they take in an abnormal amount of work, etc. 

I personally know one that has a turnaround of 2 years.  His work is the absolute best I have ever seen, and he never runs short on new work.  He is also one of the nicest and most honest guys I've ever had the privilege to meet.  He has good hounds too

[washingtonmuley]

If you have to wait 2 + years for a mount then those are poor business practices by the taxidermist.

[bearpaw]

Turn around time is normally based on the quality and popularity of the taxidermist. Most good taxis I have dealt with have run anywhere from 1 to 2+ years because they have a loyal clientele and a good reputation. Good taxis simply tend to get the most business and they all have a backlog. However, with these tougher economic times most of these taxis are now only running 6 to 18 months or less for turn around. I would rather wait a reasonable time for good work than get something back quick of lesser quality.

[wildweeds]

My analogy is somewhat off topic but it fits.Some years ago I worked for a man who had a custom fabrication buisness,he built horse trailers and  jet sled boats.I did something one day and was kind of braggin on myself for getting it done so fast,he checked everything with a tape measure,and said well now you can do it again because these door frames are all f d up.Kid let me tell you something,when something is absolutely perfect and nice,not one person says "How long did that take I wonder" what they say is "WHO did THAT!,because they want a name and a number" Same applies in taxidermy and painting cars really.You can get a maaco scuff n shoot or a custom shop show quality paint job.The difference is easy to see.

[washingtonmuley]

Sorry bearpaw but I get tired of the line " good taxidermist take longer". I have one of the best for big game and birds and they never take longer than 12 months. If a taxidermist has that long of wait then he/she needs to stop taking in business until he/she gets caught up. I have been around the taxidermist industry and have studied work so I do know good and bad work when I see it.

[huntnphool]

Same applies in taxidermy and painting cars really.You can get a maaco scuff n shoot or a custom shop show quality paint job.The difference is easy to see.

Spot on right there!

I have waited 18+ months for a paint job on a couple occasions! the difference being the cars were not dropped off and left that long. I had to make the appointment 18+ months before. With taxi work it's generally left there the whole time so I wonder if people perceive this differently because of it.

[JPhelps]

I have one of the best for big game and birds and they never take longer than 12 months. If a taxidermist has that long of wait then he/she needs to stop taking in business until he/she gets caught up.

That doesn't make sense.  I purposely put myself in a 2+ year long line. Why?  I know the exact quality I'm going to get from Charlie in return.  I also had 10+ very close friends also take their trophies to him knowing exactly what they are getting into.

He went through a tough situation with a tannery. Can you imagine having your livelihood in someone else's hands and not having a lot of control. There is also the process of walking on egg shells while switching the tannery. You can't afford to make him mad and lose your clients hides.  You then have to find a QUALITY tannery to replace the one you were using and then you have the downtime for the switch. 

...I can't wait for the masterpiece to be finished!!!

[Bean Counter]

I think this is a great opportunity for a taxi that advertises on here to write an in depth original post that gives a step-by-step description with photos of the steps it takes to do a rug/mount and describe what takes so long and why. 

[washingtonmuley]

I have one of the best for big game and birds and they never take longer than 12 months. If a taxidermist has that long of wait then he/she needs to stop taking in business until he/she gets caught up.

That doesn't make sense.  I purposely put myself in a 2+ year long line. Why?  I know the exact quality I'm going to get from Charlie in return.  I also had 10+ very close friends also take their trophies to him knowing exactly what they are getting into.

He went through a tough situation with a tannery. Can you imagine having your livelihood in someone else's hands and not having a lot of control. There is also the process of walking on egg shells while switching the tannery. You can't afford to make him mad and lose your clients hides.  You then have to find a QUALITY tannery to replace the one you were using and then you have the downtime for the switch. 

...I can't wait for the masterpiece to be finished!!!

Jason,
Please explain what doesn't make sense.

[whacker1]

It seems to me that the life cycle of a good taxidemist is the following.

1.  Initial open of business brings in work and turn around is very short and quality is very good

2.  a few years later, based on reputation the taxi is taking in more business, but still achievable to meet the same timelines

3.  5 or so years into the program, the taxi is taking in more business than they can handle and still trying to get the prior years business out.  They have to find ways to save on lead time, such as: working more hours, subbing work out that takes them longer, hiring on apprentice, book keeper, etc.

4.  If the adaptation of business doesn't take place, then the lead times grow, so they either have to start turning business away or lead time grows.

5.  If they continue to work long hours to meet demand, then quality may begin to suffer and lead time is helped very little. 

6.  So somewhere in 4-5 the business needs to evolve to keep up with demand and lead time, but for many taxidermists it does not.

My point is that a good taxidermist in the artwork is very unlikely to be a good business operator, and it is very difficult for them to reliquish control.  It is also not cost effective for them to take on apprentices, or sub out too many services including book keeping,etc. 

Plus don't forget all the bull crap you have to sling with all the clients that drop in, call, etc.  Hunting and fishing community as a whole likes to bs about the industry, and that will hang any good taxidermist up on timing.

Here is the math I did to give everyone an idea of where the road diverges.  These numbers were taken from a taxidermist that I used to use, and figured out how to manage with two people rather than just one.  The numbers are old, and they may be turning away work as I haven't used them in awhile.

100 bears per year, 250 elk shoulder mounts, 450 deer shoulder mounts, i did not include antelope, caribou, moose, cats, etc..  So, I used a total of 3 per day completion x 261 working days based on 5 day work week = 783 animals out the door on a given years based on this schedule.  So you can see that they either need to work a 6th day or figure out how to get 4 per day out the door to fill in the blanks on animals such as: antelope, caribou, moose, cats, and euros. 

math works out to 783 x $600 average, which is pretty light, but this taxidermist is on the cheaper side = 491,000 rounded off.  at 20% net, which is what many businesses strive for depending on industry - $98,300.  Taxidermy is likely higher based on self performing so much of the work and not hiring any labor, so use 30% and you get to $147,300 for 2 people working 50-60 hours per week.

I know this particular team went from hunting 20 days per year down to maybe 5-7days on a good year.

My point in going through all this to point out that very few taxidermists ever figure out how to take business to the next level.  Many are artists and never evolve into business people.   It doesn't excuse the behavior of poor communication or long lead times, but a reality none the less.

[sirmissalot]

Sorry bearpaw but I get tired of the line " good taxidermist take longer". I have one of the best for big game and birds and they never take longer than 12 months. If a taxidermist has that long of wait then he/she needs to stop taking in business until he/she gets caught up. I have been around the taxidermist industry and have studied work so I do know good and bad work when I see it.

I agree completely. Obviously there are times where quick turn around times mean shotty work, but not always. There is a guy here in town that has a turn around time thats quite often only 2 or 3 months. He doesn't advertise because he gets enough business as it is, and turns away quite a bit of work. He does some of the best blacktail mounts around, but I've also seen some that don't look overly great... so I don't use him.

The taxi I use runs a good size shop in Wyoming, its not a hobby like many taxi's its his job and how he makes a living. Its a business and he runs it like one. Its him and one other taxidermist, as well as a highschool kid who comes in and helps after school and on weekends. They do world class work and its done within a year. I have several mounts done by him he they were done in about 8 months, and I can guarantee you won't see a better quality mount. Prices are higher than average, but you get what you pay for... especially in taxidermy.

[whacker1]

Also I wanted to add, this is the disclaimer I saw on the web-site of a specialist i ordered a barreled AR upper from some time ago. 

** My current lead-time on a complete upper is about 13 months.  Lead-time on a non-fluted barrel is about 6 months.  Fluting will add about 3 weeks to the lead-time on a barrel.**


I ordered from him because they came highly regarded from several in the coyote hunting community.  He limits phone calls to 2 1/2 hours 2 days per week to be in the office and take orders and deal with clients.  He also told me over the phone, don't bother sending e-mails for status update as I don't have time to respond to them.  He wants to remain a 1 man shop and this is still the case.  And I am waiting patiently and we are approaching the 13 month time frame.  I fully expect it to go over, but not by too long.  This is as simple as advance communication needs to be.  If you exceed the 13 months, then you communicate that it will be longer, but communicate that it will be a realistic longer and then try to deliver sooner than expected.  "under promise and over deliver" are the back bones of successful business models.

Amazon:  Shipping & handling will take 14 days under standard delivery - everything I have ordered from them shows up in 3-9 days. 

[seth30]

I have used 3 taxi's in my life.  Two of them from this forum and both did great jobs   I found about a local guy that does things quick and cheap, so I dropped of a coyote skull for a euro mount.  He turned it around in a month and I thought it was great.  Now the thing is yellow and looks like crap.  I will never go with the cheap and fast guy again.  In my experience the person with the reputation and wait time is worth it

[BOWHUNTER45]

Not sure how many understand what it takes to be Taxidermist but I know it takes a lot of hard work ..Skinning tanning and mounting ..Once a taxidermist gets established and their work is great they continue to grow ..This seems to be the biggest issue ..Just imagine having 50 bear - 150 deer and say 20 elk ...It may be to the taxi's best interest to think about hiring someone to help ..Just having someone around to skin and prep hides would be a huge benefit ...you either continue to grow or stay small ...from what I am gathering on the site I think I would stay small  I know we have some good taxi's on here and some of these threads are not doing them much good . I would recommend watching what you say because there has to be a better solution to the problem rather than continuing to make negative comments ...Business is a tough road these days no matter what it your doing .....

[inchtowntracking]

I have been waiting on a bear rug for three years and some change. I talked to him on year two and he remembered me so I just keep waiting. They guy does good work so I am not to worried. Instead of getting annoyed I am excited to get the call saying he is done.

[JPhelps]

I have one of the best for big game and birds and they never take longer than 12 months. If a taxidermist has that long of wait then he/she needs to stop taking in business until he/she gets caught up.

That doesn't make sense.  I purposely put myself in a 2+ year long line. Why?  I know the exact quality I'm going to get from Charlie in return.  I also had 10+ very close friends also take their trophies to him knowing exactly what they are getting into.

He went through a tough situation with a tannery. Can you imagine having your livelihood in someone else's hands and not having a lot of control. There is also the process of walking on egg shells while switching the tannery. You can't afford to make him mad and lose your clients hides.  You then have to find a QUALITY tannery to replace the one you were using and then you have the downtime for the switch. 

...I can't wait for the masterpiece to be finished!!!

Jason,
Please explain what doesn't make sense.

Just that I wanted to get into the line. I didn't care what the lead times are.  He layed them out there but it didn't really matter. I would have been mad if he had turned me away.  I just questioned you telling taxidermists what their lead time should be.

It's kind of like going to dinner at Olive Garden on the weekends. They tell me 45-60 minute wait. It's then on me to decide whether I'm going to wait or choose my second option. It's all about supply and demand.

[washingtonmuley]

I have one of the best for big game and birds and they never take longer than 12 months. If a taxidermist has that long of wait then he/she needs to stop taking in business until he/she gets caught up.

That doesn't make sense.  I purposely put myself in a 2+ year long line. Why?  I know the exact quality I'm going to get from Charlie in return.  I also had 10+ very close friends also take their trophies to him knowing exactly what they are getting into.

He went through a tough situation with a tannery. Can you imagine having your livelihood in someone else's hands and not having a lot of control. There is also the process of walking on egg shells while switching the tannery. You can't afford to make him mad and lose your clients hides.  You then have to find a QUALITY tannery to replace the one you were using and then you have the downtime for the switch. 

...I can't wait for the masterpiece to be finished!!!

Jason,
Please explain what doesn't make sense.

Just that I wanted to get into the line. I didn't care what the lead times are.  He layed them out there but it didn't really matter. I would have been mad if he had turned me away.  I just questioned you telling taxidermists what their lead time should be.

It's kind of like going to dinner at Olive Garden on the weekends. They tell me 45-60 minute wait. It's then on me to decide whether I'm going to wait or choose my second option. It's all about supply and demand.

[washingtonmuley]

Here is rest of my post:
You are correct that you have a choice. If I had a taxi that did great work and I was ok with a 2 year wait then so be it. I am tired of taxidermist  taking in work plus 50% deposit and turning work out 4-5 years later. This in my book is unacceptable!!!!!!!! Here is the kind of work I get back in 12 months.

[BOWHUNTER45]

awesome ...that wolf mount is unbelievable ...the only thing I can see wrong with it is they have a heck of a lot more teeth 

[bearpaw]

Sorry bearpaw but I get tired of the line " good taxidermist take longer". I have one of the best for big game and birds and they never take longer than 12 months. If a taxidermist has that long of wait then he/she needs to stop taking in business until he/she gets caught up. I have been around the taxidermist industry and have studied work so I do know good and bad work when I see it.

It sounds like you have a taxi that you are very pleased with, I am happy for you. I have provided thousands of trophies for mounting to many different taxis across several states over the last 35+ years. Several of these taxis are some of the most well know and most award winning taxidermists in their state, but by your standards none of them are any good. I'm sorry but I can't agree.

Most taxis tell the customer an approx. turn around time and most are pretty close to keeping that promise. Many times my clients leave their mounts with me to deliver to a taxi that I recommend. If a person doesn't want to wait for a taxi who has a 18 month turnaround I will leave their trophy with someone who has a 10-12 month turnaround. I have one very affordable big game taxi who finishes everything within 12 months every year, but he's not as good as some of the guys with 12 to 24 month turn around so I tell my clients that and let them decide on which taxi.

I'll give John and Allysa at Willow Creek a plug, they seem to finish mounts in a few months to a year at the most and do excellent work, but they only do birds. It seems that many big game taxis have longer turn around times.

[washingtonmuley]

Sorry bearpaw but I get tired of the line " good taxidermist take longer". I have one of the best for big game and birds and they never take longer than 12 months. If a taxidermist has that long of wait then he/she needs to stop taking in business until he/she gets caught up. I have been around the taxidermist industry and have studied work so I do know good and bad work when I see it.

It sounds like you have a taxi that you are very pleased with, I am happy for you. I have provided thousands of trophies for mounting to many different taxis across several states over the last 35+ years. Several of these taxis are some of the most well know and most award winning taxidermists in their state, but by your standards none of them are any good. I'm sorry but I can't agree.

Most taxis tell the customer an approx. turn around time and most are pretty close to keeping that promise. Many times my clients leave their mounts with me to deliver to a taxi that I recommend. If a person doesn't want to wait for a taxi who has a 18 month turnaround I will leave their trophy with someone who has a 10-12 month turnaround. I have one very affordable big game taxi who finishes everything within 12 months every year, but he's not as good as some of the guys with 12 to 24 month turn around so I tell my clients that and let them decide on which taxi.

I'll give John and Allysa at Willow Creek a plug, they seem to finish mounts in a few months to a year at the most and do excellent work, but they only do birds. It seems that many big game taxis have longer turn around times.

How many taxidermist tell you they have a turnaround time of 52 months?

[jrebel]

Here is my take....

The actual taxidermy (Mounting of the animal) does not take a ton time.  It is the entire process that most taxidermist don't have 100% control of, that takes time.  If the tannery is behind it will take longer.  If there 100 mounts in front of you it will take longer.  If there is an unforeseen family emergency or person injury, it will take time.  Ordering the forms / pedestals takes time......etc, etc, etc.

Usually taxidermist with good reputations have a large clientele and that will add time. 

I am not sure why so many people are in such a big hurry.  If the work is quality who cares if it takes 6 months or 2 years??? 

The problem really lies with when the taxidermist are not realistic with their turn around times.  If a taxidermist tells me they are 18 months out...I expect it to be done around the 18 month mark.  If something changes that I expect open communication.  After reading a few post on HW it is very apparent that communication is the majority of the problems with turn around time. 

Another point to make...I know a lot of people who drop off animals and pay a small deposit but never make any more payment.  Then they complain when their animal is put on the back burner.  Come on.....if you are not paying the mount will not get done.  I have seen finished mounts sit in my taxidermist shop for 6 months cause the hunter doesn't want or have the money to finalize payment.  This is unacceptable..... 

[washingtonmuley]

Wish I had more time to sit around and debate but it is time to train for elk season.

[bearpaw]

I think there is some misunderstanding about how business works for many taxis. When they receive trophies they prep the hides and send them to the tannery. This often takes 6 months. Some taxis do a quick tan themselves, this isn't necessarily the best quality of tan, but they have a quicker turn around time and more control when they do tanning "in house".

When taxis are completing mounts most turn them out in somewhat the order received. It's a supply and demand situation for the really good ones. They can only do so much work in a certain amount of time and so there is a backlog of mounts waiting to be worked on. If you want them to do your work you know they have a backlog and you agree to wait. If you don't want to wait or pay the often higher price, then you use a different taxi that's quicker and/or cheaper.

It's all personal choice, there's no need to flame any taxi unless they grossly fail to provide what they promised to their customer. 

[wildweeds]

I've got no problem waiting for a great end result.Instant gratification of getting something back quick will lead to disappointment some years down the line.

[bearpaw]

Sorry bearpaw but I get tired of the line " good taxidermist take longer". I have one of the best for big game and birds and they never take longer than 12 months. If a taxidermist has that long of wait then he/she needs to stop taking in business until he/she gets caught up. I have been around the taxidermist industry and have studied work so I do know good and bad work when I see it.

It sounds like you have a taxi that you are very pleased with, I am happy for you. I have provided thousands of trophies for mounting to many different taxis across several states over the last 35+ years. Several of these taxis are some of the most well know and most award winning taxidermists in their state, but by your standards none of them are any good. I'm sorry but I can't agree.

Most taxis tell the customer an approx. turn around time and most are pretty close to keeping that promise. Many times my clients leave their mounts with me to deliver to a taxi that I recommend. If a person doesn't want to wait for a taxi who has a 18 month turnaround I will leave their trophy with someone who has a 10-12 month turnaround. I have one very affordable big game taxi who finishes everything within 12 months every year, but he's not as good as some of the guys with 12 to 24 month turn around so I tell my clients that and let them decide on which taxi.

I'll give John and Allysa at Willow Creek a plug, they seem to finish mounts in a few months to a year at the most and do excellent work, but they only do birds. It seems that many big game taxis have longer turn around times.

How many taxidermist tell you they have a turnaround time of 52 months?

If that is what you are referring to then just come out and say it instead of beating around the bush. No, I've never had a taxi say that. The taxi you are referencing is taking the heat for the situation. That situation has absolutely nothing to do with other taxis who tell their customers upfront that they have a 1 to 2 year turn around.

Also, unless you have work that is overdue with the taxi that you reference you no bone in the issue and must only want to cause trouble. That's the only reason we had to lock those topics, some people just couldn't keep their nose out of the fray and allow the affected members to work it out.

[Skyvalhunter]

Come on Dale are you actually saying there are members that would do that just to stir the pot??

[gottatree]

 Another point to make...I know a lot of people who drop off animals and pay a small deposit but never make any more payment.  Then they complain when their animal is put on the back burner.  Come on.....if you are not paying the mount will not get done.  I have seen finished mounts sit in my taxidermist shop for 6 months cause the hunter doesn't want or have the money to finalize payment.  This is unacceptable..... 

I understand paying a deposit and I understand some customers don't always pay in full. With that being said why should I pay in advance or make payments for a product that is not completed? If a business has 18 months of work ahead of them they should be completing work on a weekly basis. This should be the source of his or her income not being paid for work that he or she has not completed or even started. I would love to expect my customers to make payments on a product that I have not yet started. When my customers sign my contract I ask for ten percent down then thirty percent when the job starts the remainder is due upon completion. completion to me equals when my customer signs off on the work.           

[jackmaster]

i know a taxi that my family has used for years, mineral taxidermy, the owner is jack paige, anyways, his deer head are so awesome i cant even explain, it looks like the day you killed it when you get it back, a couple of the taxis from this site know him and his work, he doesnt do rugs and full mounts anymore as he has been trying to retire for ions but does mainly heads now, when we take a head to him we have to have 50%down, and the rest when its done, we have never had to wait longer than 6 months, alot of time it is around 4 months, not to mention that jack knows more about blacktail than i ever hope to learn, i swear he is on first name basis with a few of the hog bucks runnin around his mountains if you guys ever get a chance to swing into his place and have a look at some of the most incredible blacktails and some of the sweetest head mounts a person can see i urge you to do so... when jack does decide to hang it up, there are a couple taxis from this site that i will be using.... i just hope i whack one more respectable blacky to have mounted before jack does decide to throw in the towel

[jrebel]

Another point to make...I know a lot of people who drop off animals and pay a small deposit but never make any more payment.  Then they complain when their animal is put on the back burner.  Come on.....if you are not paying the mount will not get done.  I have seen finished mounts sit in my taxidermist shop for 6 months cause the hunter doesn't want or have the money to finalize payment.  This is unacceptable..... 

I understand paying a deposit and I understand some customers don't always pay in full. With that being said why should I pay in advance or make payments for a product that is not completed? If a business has 18 months of work ahead of them they should be completing work on a weekly basis. This should be the source of his or her income not being paid for work that he or she has not completed or even started. I would love to expect my customers to make payments on a product that I have not yet started. When my customers sign my contract I ask for ten percent down then thirty percent when the job starts the remainder is due upon completion. completion to me equals when my customer signs off on the work.         

Let me try to explain this diplomatically...

1.  A small deposit gets you in line.

If you don't continue to pay you get put on the back burner...Why you may ask?

Well because most taxidermist work on small margins.  If you don't make payments while you are waiting the taxidermist has to use their own money to pay for tanning, shipping, materials, forms, etc. etc. etc.  Why should a taxidermist stick their necks out for a person that has not shown initiative with paying their bills. 

Most taxidermist offer different payment options.   1.  half now...half when I'm done (the half usually covers supplies...but not labor).   2.  Small down 10-25% to get you in line and then more as you can.  Trust me...they are not getting to you until you reach the 50% mark.  I personally don't think it is unreasonable to say pay as you can, but I am not working on your mount until you have payed 50-75% of the bill. 

I do agree that I will not pay in full until I see the final product.  I will however pay upwards of 75% prior to completion.  I stay in close communication with my taxidermist...if he needs money for materials, I pay then.   Again communication, communication, communication!!!!!

[Halo]

I believe in Wyoming it is the law the taxidermist has 365 days to get the job done. I have had a taxidermist in Rawlins do several mounts for me and always great work and in a timely manner. It was at least 50% up front and the balance on completion. He also gave a small discount for paying in full up front, and after getting to know him and his work I was completely comfortable with that. When I dropped off my bison a little over a year ago I found out he had sold out and was on his way out. I was a little nervous about it but went ahead and dropped it off with the new guy after being assured he did good work. I paid 50%+ up front and crossed my fingers. Latter there were a few red flags that had me nervous but in the end I got it back in just over 8 months and was very happy with his work.

[bullcanyon]

Jack Page at Mineral Lake Taxidermy does great work.  Not looking forward to his retirement.

[6x6in6]

I believe in Wyoming it is the law the taxidermist has 365 days to get the job done. I have had a taxidermist in Rawlins

It is 365 days unless it's negotiated and disclosed in a written agreement or contract.
I'd venture to guess that we had used same taxi since Rawlins is a small place. 

[Mr Mykiss]

I can't wait to take something to BuckLucky again...18 months was well worth it!!

[rasbo]

Sorry bearpaw but I get tired of the line " good taxidermist take longer". I have one of the best for big game and birds and they never take longer than 12 months. If a taxidermist has that long of wait then he/she needs to stop taking in business until he/she gets caught up. I have been around the taxidermist industry and have studied work so I do know good and bad work when I see it.

I disagree, I will wait two yrs for one of the best,and Im glad he will take the work If he and his wife are busy,and I promise every client he has will say the same as I do...

[BKMFR]

After reading these posts I feel really fortunate.... My taxidermist for the last 10+ years is out of Montana, 3-4 month turnaround, he has won world competitions as well as many national titles. He does the majority of the work himself and remains small with one or two others helping with prep work. For me he has mounted 2 Mule deer over 200", 405" bull,  state record muzzle loader Ca. Bighorn at the time(don't know now) 173 5/8" a couple of Whitetail over 160", numerous bears and at least 3 cats. I have never seen better work, and I am very critical. Before him I went through a few. He's the kind of guy that you can pay in full and wait with confidence and be amazed at the work when you get it, again within 3-4 months and not "home tanned" and prices are not any higher than the lesser quality taxidermist that I have dealt with in the past.
PM me if you are seriously looking for someone.

[MtnMuley]

Turn around time is normally based on the quality and popularity of the taxidermist. Most good taxis I have dealt with have run anywhere from 1 to 2+ years because they have a loyal clientele and a good reputation. Good taxis simply tend to get the most business and they all have a backlog.

Exactly.  I've known going in that I might have a 2+ year wait, yet still wanted the quality of the work certain taxi's did, so that was no problem for me to wait.  I know a couple more taxi's that are very small in business and don't want much more, and they get things back over a couple months, and the work is phenomenal.  I've also waited 8 years for a piece to be done.  A lot of that time was on the taxi and a fair amount of that time was on me for changing things up as we went.  He was paid in full up front for several mounts, so I figure after some time went by, I feel he lost some interest in my work because the money was probably gone.  Was I upset, no.  On the other hand, if a taxi tells me they will have the work out by a certain time, they'd better try damn hard to get it done.  There's always things that pop up which warrant valid delays,  but some of these stories these days would get me really bent.  My best advice:  Do your RESEARCH, keep your RECEIPTS, and maintain good CONTACT with your taxi.

[gottatree]

Another point to make...I know a lot of people who drop off animals and pay a small deposit but never make any more payment.  Then they complain when their animal is put on the back burner.  Come on.....if you are not paying the mount will not get done.  I have seen finished mounts sit in my taxidermist shop for 6 months cause the hunter doesn't want or have the money to finalize payment.  This is unacceptable..... 

I understand paying a deposit and I understand some customers don't always pay in full. With that being said why should I pay in advance or make payments for a product that is not completed? If a business has 18 months of work ahead of them they should be completing work on a weekly basis. This should be the source of his or her income not being paid for work that he or she has not completed or even started. I would love to expect my customers to make payments on a product that I have not yet started. When my customers sign my contract I ask for ten percent down then thirty percent when the job starts the remainder is due upon completion. completion to me equals when my customer signs off on the work.         

Let me try to explain this diplomatically...

1.  A small deposit gets you in line.

If you don't continue to pay you get put on the back burner...Why you may ask?

Well because most taxidermist work on small margins.  If you don't make payments while you are waiting the taxidermist has to use their own money to pay for tanning, shipping, materials, forms, etc. etc. etc.  Why should a taxidermist stick their necks out for a person that has not shown initiative with paying their bills. 

Most taxidermist offer different payment options.   1.  half now...half when I'm done (the half usually covers supplies...but not labor).   2.  Small down 10-25% to get you in line and then more as you can.  Trust me...they are not getting to you until you reach the 50% mark.  I personally don't think it is unreasonable to say pay as you can, but I am not working on your mount until you have payed 50-75% of the bill. 

I do agree that I will not pay in full until I see the final product.  I will however pay upwards of 75% prior to completion.  I stay in close communication with my taxidermist...if he needs money for materials, I pay then.   Again communication, communication, communication!!!!


I have no problem paying a deposit until it exceeds 50%. What is the motivation to finish my project in a timely fashion? I have used the same taxi for 20 plus years. I know going in that he is going to take 18-24 months. If any business can not afford the cost of doing business such as paying for materials, labor or anything else that may come up. That business needs to look at raising prices or lowering overhead. To many business today are extended out to far and are robing Peter to pay Paul. The business owner decided on his or her own career path and his or her financial problems are not mine. I would not pay 75% upfront for anything and I would not expect my customers to pay that much up front.

[GUscottie]

I have to admit I read all of these comments about people waiting for long times for different animals and I'm confused by some and understand others. Having met Bucklucky and observed his shop and the quality of work first hand, I'd wait on a OIL animal with him to get it done right. I understand that he also had (maybe still does) have a tannery that takes a little longer than some, but I also know that you will get back everything and more than you expect from Bucklucky.

On to my personal taxidermist, he's outta Shell Wyoming. I shot my bear August 1st, had the bear into him by 15 September and it was done by New Year's Day. He told me this was the exception not the norm since the bear somehow got put to the front of the line when shipped to one of the Carolinas for his tannery. My deer was shot on the 20th of October and was done about a week ago. I'm going to pick them up in 3 weeks (Shell is 850 miles from here).

As has been said many times by many different people; taxidermists vary greatly on turn-around, quality and the amount of work they do on their own. I agree one must do their research. My guy has been doing mounting since the 70's, first in South Dakota and now in Shell Wyoming. He exceeds my expectations with his work. He has also told me that his work will be done in about 8 months, plus or minus. My first deer was right at 7 months. My taxidermist also uses a tannery in one of the Carolina's for bear and then either a Montana or Colorado Tannery for his deer, elk, etc mounts.