Taxidermy review of (Elk Plains Taxidermy)

[bear hunter]

 Ok: First the of all.... He did say he can't mount other tannery hides and he like to tan his own. But I let him mount them anyways.  This was the first time I  used him. I pulled all 4 animals from another Taxidermist, besause he had them since 2009 , and 2 from 2013. I wanted them finish. I also had a big bull that needed to be tanned and mounted. He mounted the bull and one bear. I picked them up and the only thing i didn't like on the elk was that he missed the bullet hole in his neck. I pointed it out and James painted it but he should of see it and sewed it up as while it was mounted. Thats not a big deal, but the bear is to me. I shot a 200lb plus sow that was 20 years old. I got her back and my juvinile bear is bigger than it. Wow what the hell? He said the hide woukd not strech. Hmmmmmmm He put her on a small form and the hide is all wrinkled. But over all it looks good if I shot a cub. So he asked if I wanted to  finish mounting the rest. I said fine but there better be no wrinkles. He said that he didn't tan the hides and they don't strech, but ever taxidermist I have used before never had this problem. I can say the deer and elk look good. BUT HE IS NOT A BEAR GUY NOR CAN HE MOUNT OTHER PEOLPES TANNED HIDES. Plus both bear skull are bigger that the finished mount  The elk and bear are both my mounts he did. http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,179797.msg2380334.html#msg2380334   WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE MOUNTS?

[bear hunter]

He did good on the Elk and Deer but and the winkle bears face looks great if she was the right size.   
The half mount looks ok from the side but front view sucks. If it wasn't for his head the rest of him turned out good. This is my review thanks for your time. I will use him for other animals but BEARS are not his thing.

[Elk Plain Taxidermy]

I kept in contact with you throughout the entire process and voiced my concerns about the quality of the hides that you dropped off. I wish that when you were here for roughly 3 hours this morning that you would communicated with me instead of telling me that you liked them and thought they looked good. Then going home and liking and sharing my post on facebook then deciding hours later to bash me on the Internet in every forum that you know.

[GoldenOscar]

Looking at the Link you attached the mounts all look great to me  .....

[sled]

Maybe post some pictures of what you don't like?  I'm not seeing anything bad either.   I'm sure it is hard to pick up where someone else left off especially in that line of work.

[bear hunter]

I kept in contact with you throughout the entire process and voiced my concerns about the quality of the hides that you dropped off. I wish that when you were here for roughly 3 hours this morning that you would communicated with me instead of telling me that you liked them and thought they looked good. Then going home and liking and sharing my post on facebook then deciding hours later to bash me on the Internet in every forum that you know.

I said the deer was good. I should of looked the bear over better at diffrent angles. The head is to flat that is the issue. My buddy said it doesnt look right. So I looked it over closer and after mounting it on the wall. He was right it looks * up. Would it of made any diffrence if I said it sucked. No because you would say the hide will not strech. I get that you can't work with tanned hides from other tanneries. I get it and I let you do the last two mounts after are talk about the other bear that looked * small. She looks good but is very very small and I expressed it to you. And you said it is the hides. I excepted that and I said go ahead and finish the rest of them. But the mounting  of the bwars head not right. What bear has a flat head? That is my issue with you. The small bear issues i just  exceped but at least she looks good and her head is not flat.


*please refrain from using profanity or intended profanity, thank you*

[Skyvalhunter]

Sounds like there was a lack of communication there.

[batsquatch]

I have personally looked at these animals in his shop and they look great. I would be very happy if those where my mounts I got back.

[Michelle_Nelson]

OK, so lets iron some things out about your situation.

He mounted 2 animals that you found things wrong with.  You didn't like the Bear.  He asked you if you wanted to take your remaining stuff, and you said no and let him mount them.  Why?  He even told you that the problem was the quality of the hides YOU brought him to work with, multiple times, and different occasions through out the process.  I find it VERY unlikely Paul told you that he "couldn't" mount other tannery tanned hides.  That is your word play.

You stated that the hides were sent to a California Tannery.  If it was either of the 2 Tanneries I know about I wouldn't send them one of my customer hides if it was the last operating tannery.  I know a few taxidermists that work with there hides and I still can't figure out why. I guess if that's the only tannery you have ever used than that is normal.  I have worked with plenty of them.  The longer they stay dry tanned the less they stretch when they are re hydrated.  There are tricks taxidermists can do to get some stretch back.  Some of them, your taking a big risk at loosing the hide if not done right.  You talk to most tanneries and they will tell you there hides have a usable shelf life of 1 YEAR.  After that they loose stretch.

Your lucky after 6 years they re hydrated at all and didn't fall apart.

Everything Paul told you sounds right to me.  I have worked with tanned hides from other tanneries that I couldn't get any stretch out of.  When a hide is stretched it should let out, not go back to the dry measurement.  The harder you stretch a hide over a form the bigger the risk you run over time of  the seams separating or stitches breaking, detail pulling out, etc. 

If you had a problem with the mounts you should have addressed those issues before leaving the shop.  If you noticed problems after getting them home you should have called him and addressed the issues with him.  Though it doesn't sound like it would have done any good since he would have told you again that the hides you brought him were junky tans and had no stretch.   

If you didn't understand what Paul was talking about when you said your hides had no stretch you should have asked questions.  You could have asked him to show you what he was talking about.  He could have shown you your hide and then a few of his hides.  The difference should have been very obvious.

[Rainier10]

From these photos I am not seeing any issues, the last bear photo looks a little rough but I think that is more the condition of the hide than anything else.  Not seeing any photos of the elk but if it is the one in the link you posted I like the looks of it.

Good luck on the rest of the mounts, hopefully they turn out more to your liking.

[jackelope]

The capes are 6 years old and from another tannery and you're giving this guy crap about the quality of the cape fit on your animals? Did you read anything Michelle posted on the facebook threads you started? You might be able to learn something from it.
6 year old junky dried out capes from somewhere else and you're blaming this guy. I feel bad for this taxidermist.
 

I wonder if you have pics of your other bear mounts. All 7 of them for comparison.

[h20hunter]

From your own description of the capes, your taxi being upfront about their condition I'd say you should be proud they were able to be mounted and look pretty good. You said the bear was a 20 year old sow right......well she looks it. Taxi can't do magic.

I think you may be trashing someone you should be saying thank you to.

[Timberstalker]

From your own description of the capes, your taxi being upfront about their condition I'd say you should be proud they were able to be mounted and look pretty good. You said the bear was a 20 year old sow right......well she looks it. Taxi can't do magic.

I think you may be trashing someone you should be saying thank you to.

Here's your winner.

 

[Rainier10]

From your own description of the capes, your taxi being upfront about their condition I'd say you should be proud they were able to be mounted and look pretty good. You said the bear was a 20 year old sow right......well she looks it. Taxi can't do magic.

I think you may be trashing someone you should be saying thank you to.

Here is the other thing, assuming the last photo is the 20 year old sow, I am not sure what a 20 year old sow scull looks like, maybe it is flat.  Do you have any field photos of what she looked like?

Again I am not seeing anything wrong that I can pin on the mount job itself, the hides tan job maybe but overall I think they look good.

[Naches Sportsman]

I think you may be trashing someone you should be saying thank you to.