problem with local taxidermist

[tkquimby]

I need advice , Back story , dropped off hide for bear rug aug 2019 , paid 1000 deposit  phoned taxidermist aug 2020 left message he didnt return call called again at christmas still no call back from taxidermist , figured with the country shutdown wouldnt get too anxious well now we are past the 2 year mark called him last month he says if i havnt called you its not done yet , i said its been 2 years , his response"ill look into it" , hasnt called me back , sounds like im being blown off . I really dont know what i can do at this point , hire a lawyer , report it to game dept , looking for advice

[Stein]

If it's local, I would start with driving over there and asking to pick up the hide and your deposit.  If you can at least get your hide you have options on recovering the deposit as well.  If he has e-mail that's an option to document your conversations and requests.

[lastmk8]

Oh no, not a problem with a Taxi on the west side,....  I will have to wait to see if I need to get the popcorn out.....

Being local then yes, i would probably look into what is going on.  See if any business happening there, other customers, etc.  I would play somewhat nice until I had my carcass back, after that, who knows....

[lastmk8]

Still in line with my previous post, but I would also do a search on this site and see it anyone else has dealt with them, good or bad.  That was related to the popcorn comment.....

[Stein]

I would cross attorney off the list unless you want to spend a good chunk of money to make a point.  Small claims court was purpose built for $1,000 problems.  If you can get the pelt back you can then file a $1,000 claim and take them to court directly.  Have all of your documents and records in place.  E-mails, dates and context of calls, original promises, cashed check, everything you can think off all organized nicely.

WDFW, BBB, etc are fine but they won't do anything to resolve the situation.  If you don't get the pelt back before you start with any of these the chances you will ever see it again are probably not good.

[huntnfmly]

Simple solution if it’s local go talk to the guy and if you have to pick up your pelt pick it up
Chances are it has a lot to do with the tannery

[87Ford]

Just a comment regarding my current experience with a taxidermist.  I also dropped a bear hide off in 2019 to be rugged and still don't have it back.  However my taxi has been professional and politely returned my phone messages.  Anyway, he had a heck of a time getting a bunch of hides back from the tannery during this Covid.  It took a looong time.  This might be part of the problem with your hide too.  Still doesn't excuse his not contacting you..  Hope you can get it resolved. 

[h20hunter]

One word.....good business people understand.

Communication


Many taxi folks do it as side work and appear to have an attitude of tough S. Done when it's done.

[trophyhunt]

Go talk to the guy, but like others have said, it was prob the tannery.  My rug prob took 2 years at least, my hair on tan from this year only took about 6 months. Communicate with the taxi before you bring up negative comments w him or actions, some taxi’s will just “lose” your stuff if you are an azz.

[lokidog]

Go talk to the guy, but like others have said, it was prob the tannery.  My rug prob took 2 years at least, my hair on tan from this year only took about 6 months. Communicate with the taxi before you bring up negative comments w him or actions, some taxi’s will just “lose” your stuff if you are an azz.

I had a two year "wait" on my piebald hair on from last year. 

Oh no, not a problem with a Taxi on the west side,....  I will have to wait to see if I need to get the popcorn out.....

Being local then yes, i would probably look into what is going on.  See if any business happening there, other customers, etc.  I would play somewhat nice until I had my carcass back, after that, who knows....

He said "he".....   

[HillHound]

I was glad to see it wasn’t a “she” being so close to thurston county I thought we had another victim.
I have had a rug out since 2019 but have had great communication. Tannery took way longer

[BlackRiverTaxidermy]

TK,
Sounds like communication issues could ultimately fix or answer your questions, so I hope he/she gets back to you. The ‘if I haven’t called you it’s not done’ is an answer but not exactly what you may have wanted to hear, at request tho a little better idea of where it’s at could be afforded. Keep in mind tho, with tons of animals I’m sure your taxi is working on, looking into an individual animal is tough and time consuming.
With that said, to be waiting since 2019 is truly not that long with all the slowdowns we as taxidermists have been experiencing. I’m not sure what he/she told you for a timeline but bear rugs take long time because of usually two outsourced (tanning and rugging process) steps. I was using a tannery a while back that didn’t get a lot of my bears and cats from 2019 back to me since about 5-6 months ago! Much to say I don’t use this tannery anymore. It sucks but it’s the reality right now with supply and employee slow downs for tanneries and supply houses.
As far as further action…a contract or agreement with a taxidermist is a civil arrangement. Game department or a lawyer will not intervene on that basis. However you can contact the attorney generals office, which is what someone I know had to do with another taxidermist they had an animal into for 7 years.
My best advice tho would be to call your taxi, tell him you need a call back and see where it goes from there before moving to legal action. It’s frustrating, I know, but also keep in mind these slowdowns irritate us as well as taxidermists! You still should have a good line of communication with your clients tho. Best of luck! 

[Odell]

Unfortunately most taxidermists are terrible businessmen and that’s about as polite as I can be.

Get your stuff back, pay through the nose at the most reputable one you can find and then still wait two years. I likely will never take an animal to a taxidermist again.

[h20hunter]

Unfortunately most taxidermists are terrible businessmen and that’s about as polite as I can be.
 

Yes this. I've had minimal exp really but know the difference fo sho!

[BD1]

I would cross attorney off the list unless you want to spend a good chunk of money to make a point.  Small claims court was purpose built for $1,000 problems.  If you can get the pelt back you can then file a $1,000 claim and take them to court directly.  Have all of your documents and records in place.  E-mails, dates and context of calls, original promises, cashed check, everything you can think off all organized nicely.

WDFW, BBB, etc are fine but they won't do anything to resolve the situation.  If you don't get the pelt back before you start with any of these the chances you will ever see it again are probably not good.

 

[Skillet]

Keep in mind tho, with tons of animals I’m sure your taxi is working on, looking into an individual animal is tough and time consuming.

Why is this? It seems like such a basic business requirement when a taxi takes on work.  :bdid:A super simple spreadsheet they could refer to with the click of a mouse should be all that's needed to report its current status.

Why is this a problem for taxidermists more than other business?

[BlackRiverTaxidermy]

Keep in mind tho, with tons of animals I’m sure your taxi is working on, looking into an individual animal is tough and time consuming.

Why is this? It seems like such a basic business requirement when a taxi takes on work.  :bdid:A super simple spreadsheet they could refer to with the click of a mouse should be all that's needed to report its current status.

Why is this a problem for taxidermists more than other business?

It’s not hard to let him know where and what the progress is, but it’s simply not something that is always easy to find out at a moments notice like your implying. A bear rug for instance, your saying that every single step of the process, such as fleshing, turning, measuring for forms, salting, mailing to tannery, getting back from tannery, logging of the shipped form, final prep, form install, drying, mailing to rugger, getting back from rugger, and final ‘finish’ work should all be tracked on a computer with anywhere from 50-90 bears in inventory? I would be on the computer all day updating mounts. I’m not trying to be sarcastic but for a majority of taxidermists that type of logging would be very tough to get anything done.  A lot of taxidermist, including myself, do keep logs of where stuff is at in outsourced locations such as the tannery and rugger (such as for a rug). The exact step of where the project is at CAN be attained with minimal effort for an organized shop, but it’s typically not something that can be found in a minute or two like your suggesting; however when it’s found I think the real argument and inquiry is about good communication and getting back to the client which has not occurred…so there in lies TK’s frustration and reasonably justified.
Stop in sometime Skillet if you want to see what I’m referring to.
Good conversation!

[Romulus1297]

It’s probably tanned and stored in a box in his freezer waiting for you have him finish it probably just lost in the pile of everything else he has to do.

[Skillet]

Keep in mind tho, with tons of animals I’m sure your taxi is working on, looking into an individual animal is tough and time consuming.

Why is this? It seems like such a basic business requirement when a taxi takes on work.  :bdid:A super simple spreadsheet they could refer to with the click of a mouse should be all that's needed to report its current status.

Why is this a problem for taxidermists more than other business?

It’s not hard to let him know where and what the progress is, but it’s simply not something that is always easy to find out at a moments notice like your implying. A bear rug for instance, your saying that every single step of the process, such as fleshing, turning, measuring for forms, salting, mailing to tannery, getting back from tannery, logging of the shipped form, final prep, form install, drying, mailing to rugger, getting back from rugger, and final ‘finish’ work should all be tracked on a computer with anywhere from 50-90 bears in inventory?

First off, I don't know much (almost nothing) about rugging a bear, other than it usually takes an amount of time that isn't something that the modern consumer is used to. This seems to be the frequent issues between taxi's and customer. But I do know about being a consumer that feels like my business isnt't valued.

With that many steps to a bear rug, and outsourcing as a major component of the process, I would have to imagine a step-by-step account of each hide compiled in a basic ledger would be an absolutely necessity for the business' own info alone. How does a taxi know if they're actually making money otherwise?  How do they decide what is best done in-house or outsourced?  I can't imagine a customer needs to know if it's at the "measuring for forms" stage vs. the "salting" stage, but I think they could reasonably expect to know if it's been sent out for tanning or not, and most importantly what the leadtime for completion is.  That's what I will expect when I send my bear rug out next spring. Accounting software is relatively cheap, and Excel spreadsheets are easy.  No real reasons for not doing it, and the info is invaluable for running a business.

Stop in sometime Skillet if you want to see what I’m referring to.
Good conversation!

If I can make it to Rochester before I head back north, I'll take you up on that offer. Always been curious about the trade, and the underlying reasons for the public floggings of taxi's I've seen here.  Will be with the time if for nothing else than to educate myself, and try find out what I can expect in the future.

 

[phildobaggins]

I also dropped a bear off in 2019 to get a rug. Got the rug back about a month and a half ago. My taxi set my expectations and said it would be a really long time. Might just be a communication issue.