Cascade Taxidermy in Puyallup

[BLKBEARKLR]

I like Michelle usually do not comment on threads like this. That is not the only turkey that he has screwed up, I had one gentleman come to my shop with a turkey that he mounted. It looked exactly like your brothers bird did.

When I got within about 5 feet of it you could smell it, actually smelled rotten, the smell was all coming from the wings, so it was obvious that he never cleaned the meat out. I even called WCTaxidermy to see if there was something that could be done.

It is a shame that happened to you, I know it sucks on the deer the cape can be replaced even though it's not your cape, but a bird once it's done then it is what it is.

[Gobble]

looks like hair slipped on the neck of the deer....

Yep, apparently so. Don't know why, it was frozen within 2 days of kill.

[ICEMAN]

   All I can say is Wow. Taxidermy is usually artwork. I am shocked.

[washingtonmuley]

Your brother should be refunded his money in Full. The taxi I use guarantees you will like the work or he will either fix it or return your money.

[Curly]

I'd look into filing a complaint with the Better Business Bureau.  That work sucks........

[Gobble]

I'd look into filing a complaint with the Better Business Bureau.  That work sucks........

I beleive he is going too. The guy didn't even say anything about the problems to my brother, he just handed him the mount. Like "Here you go" my brother was in a hurry (little one's back in the truck) so as he was walking out he saw all the problems with it went back in and started yelling at the guy for such a crappy job. The guy didn't offer to fix it or offer a refund or anything.  

[RightPlace-RightTime]

here is my buddys from Cascade.

http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,31428.0.html

[Gobble]

here is my buddys from Cascade.

http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,31428.0.html

It looks good, that is how my nephews  should have looked. One thing I notice that really stands out is the neck size. The neck on his avatar looks to be huge 25" or better(and rutting) , the pic of the mount looks maybe 22" or so at best, alot smaller than the avatar pic, I could see maybe and inch smaller for shrinkage but it looks alot smaller in the finished pic ?  makes you wonder if he used the same cape

[BLKBEARKLR]

If tanned properly you will not get shrinkage only stretch


Joe

[Gobble]

If tanned properly you will not get shrinkage only stretch


Joe

As long as its thinned correctly. What do you think. Doesn't that deers neck look alot smaller than the pic in his profile?

[Armadillo]

wow that is really horrid work! and it cost your brother 600 for the turkey! with taxidermy you should get what you pay for

[Michelle_Nelson]

Gobble which 2 pic's are you referring to?  How can anyone determin neck size of a deer from a 1" x 3/4" avatar pic?  Post the avatar pic and a pic of the entire deer.

As far as shrinkage goes.  A raw cape will stretch a lot more than a tanned cape will.that is why most taxidermists take a carcass measurement when it is possible.  Once tanned and the cape stretched it will be the same size if not larger than the original measurements.  Once dry and on a 20" form as long as the cape is the proper size the neck is not going to keep shrinking.


Gobble you said it took approximately 2 days to get the deer head in the freezer.  Was the head still in it or was it just the cape?  If the head was it it did the hide get wadded up into a ball and the head placed on top of the hide?  How long do you think it took for the hide to freeze right under the skull?  It took at least another 2 if not 3 days.  When the taxidermist thawed it out it took atleast 24 hours if not 2 days with the head in it.

The bacteria doesn't stop working on a hide until it is either completely frozen or the moisture content of the hide is below 15% after salting.  The slipping could have been a direct result.

As far as the taxidermist going through with the mount and not informing you that the cape had slipped. . .  No excuses!!  He should have contacted the hunter before proceeding with the mount.

[Gobble]

Gobble which 2 pic's are you referring to?  How can anyone determin neck size of a deer from a 1" x 3/4" avatar pic?  Post the avatar pic and a pic of the entire deer.

As far as shrinkage goes.  A raw cape will stretch a lot more than a tanned cape will.that is why most taxidermists take a carcass measurement when it is possible.  Once tanned and the cape stretched it will be the same size if not larger than the original measurements.  Once dry and on a 20" form as long as the cape is the proper size the neck is not going to keep shrinking.


Gobble you said it took approximately 2 days to get the deer head in the freezer.  Was the head still in it or was it just the cape?  If the head was it it did the hide get wadded up into a ball and the head placed on top of the hide?  How long do you think it took for the hide to freeze right under the skull?  It took at least another 2 if not 3 days.  When the taxidermist thawed it out it took atleast 24 hours if not 2 days with the head in it.

The bacteria doesn't stop working on a hide until it is either completely frozen or the moisture content of the hide is below 15% after salting.  The slipping could have been a direct result.

As far as the taxidermist going through with the mount and not informing you that the cape had slipped. . .  No excuses!!  He should have contacted the hunter before proceeding with the mount.

Michelle,
Here is the pic I was referring to, if you go to the thread posted by Right place Right time and click on his buddies profile you can see the deer I was refering to. I will attach the pic for ref. The neck looks to be at least a 25" neck or bigger and rutted up. The mount is not rutted up and appears much smaller.


As far as when it was frozen. My nephew shot the deer on opening day last year (sat)  and the deer was in the freezer by sunday night, skull attached.

[stickhunter]

  The deer in the pic has the same cape as it had when killed I caped it out for my buddy and noticed a cut in the hair from a fence or bullet wound or something, when he received it back from the Taxi it had the same mark on the neck, it does look smaller after being mounted from when the day he killed it though. Its looks good in person, must say I would not be happy with that whitetail, he should have gave him the option of getting a new cape or something sorry to hear about your bad experience with this guy.

[Rob]

I'm not a taxidermist, (I play one on TV though), but I had hair slip occur on one of my African mounts.  My animal was caped out within a couple hours of being shot (it was shot in the late afternoon and taken directly back to a skinning shack).

The hide was then packed in salt and taken by truck the next day to our main camp where it was laid flat and buried in salt.

My taxidermist said that the slip looks to have been caused by the skin being folded prior to cooling, and after removed from the head and inadequately salted.  My assumption was that this occured betweenthe caping and the arrival at the main camp.

Slip will happen if errors are made prior to getting the skin tanned (could have been your error, could have been his-hard to tell), but here is where a good taxidermist wins over a poor taxidermist:

First, I was notified about the slip as soon as it was discovered, and prior to the start of the mounting process.  I did not find out about it when it arrived at my house.
Second, he went above and beyond to repair the damage even though it was not his fault.  See the photo below.  There is almost no hair on the cheek at all.  The white spots are suppose to be white colored hair, but are actually painted on.  You cannot even see there is an issue unless you get close and know what you are looking for (granted it is easier to cover a thin haired animal than a long haired one like a deer).

The main thing to point out about my expreiance though is that there were no surprises.  As soon as an issue was noted, I was brought in on the problem and reviewed options on a solution.  

Accidents happen.  Anyone can provide good service when things go well, but its when things start to go sideways that true good service is achieved.

(and that turkey butt is unforgivable!)