What makes good taxidermy?

[Jpmiller]

I'm putting together a goat hunt for next fall or the year after. I havent had any taxidermy work done on anything before other than diy euro and skull cap mounts. I see guys posting pics on here of mounts and they all look good but I don't exactly know why. I can recognize really bad work but I have a hard time distinguishing good from great from amazing. I'm really excited about going after goats and should I be successful I would like a life size mount done and I would like it done well. What are some key areas I should be looking at or key questions to ask? Thanks for any and all information!

[CAMPMEAT]

Elkstuffer on here. You get what you pay for is the way I look at it.

[fowl smacker]

For the most part, you do get what you pay for.  Attention to detail, fleshing/tanning process, quality of components used (eyes, hide paste, forms, stitching), animal references are just a few of the things that go into a quality mount.

[lewy]

If you look at enough of them you will start to really notice the difference, it’s usually the eyes that are off to me. So many mounts I see look like the animal has it’s head out the window of a bullet train

[92xj]

Communication

[JWEBB]

Communication

Huge part of it in my personal opinion

[Boss .300 winmag]

Fidalgo Taxidermy, one of the best in the business.

[huntnnw]

ill never understand the guys who spend thousands on gear, tags and guns then look for the cheapest taxi they can find.. I sure as hell not hanging some mediocre mount on my wall.

[jrebel]

You can find a great taxidermist the specializes in deer and ek but not cats or goats......  Point I'm making is find a taxidermist that does good goats.  A good taxidermist is also a great wildlife artist......they pay attention to the details.  I have used the same guy now for years and would recommend him to anyone.  Great work. 

[Rainier10]

There are some great points that have been made here already and I totally agree.

Price should not be a consideration.  There are great artists just starting out trying to make a name for themselves that are working for very little money.  There are taxidermists that have created that name for themselves because of the great work they do.  There are only so many hours in the day and days in the year so they have to start increasing their prices.  It's a supply and demand thing.

As far as turn around time, for me that doesn't matter either.  If I want to have the animal mounted that means that I am going to be looking at it for years to come.  I have some that have been on the wall for over 20.  In the big picture waiting 8 months to get a mediocre mount back versus waiting 13 to get a great mount back is an easy decision.  I will say that there are great taxidermists just starting out that don't have a backlog yet so they can turn out a mount quickly.  Is that the norm? No.  Does it happen? Yes.  For me I just don't need a mount 5 months sooner that is going to be on my wall for the rest of my life.  If I get it in 10 months great, if it takes 13 that is fine too.  Once it is there I will get to enjoy it for a long time.

Eyes is the most important to me.  The eyes are what bring the mount to life in my opinion.

Another great point that was made was Jonny's about finding a taxi that is good at what you want done.  Great deer guys aren't necessarily great goat guys or cat guys or whatever.

Visit the taxi's shop and see what is being done in person before deciding. Every time I go to my taxidermist to drop off or pick something up I look around at all the great mounts in various stages of completion.  He truly is an artist and really makes the mounts look alive in my opinion.

I use Cedar River Taxidermy.  Rick is a great guy.  He has done multiple deer for me, a bear, a cougar and is working on a second cougar for me now.

[Jpmiller]

Thanks for all the input so far fellas. Are there any specific questions I should ask when talking to guys?

[The100Road]

Ask if they do there own tanning and send it out. How many goats have they done? What is the turn around time? How long have they been doing taxidermy? References?

[huntnnw]

Gary in postfalls,ID Northwest taxidermy is fanatical about his mounts and the time he spends on each piece. Some of the best deer mounts I have ever seen.

[CaNINE]

Communication

 

 

[huntnfmly]

Alot if good points already mentioned. To me if you look at the mounts in a Taxidermist shop and they literally look alive that's it. I've used the same Taxidermist a few times and every time I'm there or pick up our mounts I'm amazed at his work