Couple questions

[300wsm]

I'll start with the details:  Went on a float trip in Alaska for caribou in August of 2010, my buddy and I each shot decent caribou on the trip.  My buddy shot his on the 3rd day and me on the 5th day of a 7 day hunt.  Both caribou were still in velvet and we wanted to keep them in velvet for our mounts so we took special care not to scratch or peal any of the velvet off.  Weather was typical of Alaska with lows in the 30s and highs to the 60s.  No rain so the antlers never got wet.  We imediatley dropped our capes and antlers off at the taxidermist when we returned.  1st question:  How long is the velvet good for?  The taxidermist said he could preserve it and it was not cheap to do so.  He never said the preserving would possibly not work.  He called me the other day and said the velvet was no good and we would have to do hard horns.  So that's the second question:  It's been over 16 months since we dropped them off and they are still not done!  I know it is common for it to take up to a year for a good taxidermist but 16 month I believe is rediculous.  Am I right?  Here is what I think,  I think he forgot about our antlers and never applied the velvet cure so he is trying to cover up a mistake he made.  I want to hear what you guys have to say before I speak without the knowledge of knowing what I'm talking about.  If I'm wrong then fine, but if this guy is going to charge me a ton and not do things correctly then I will take the proper steps to make sure he doesn't do this to others.  Not going to give any names or bad feedback until I know, I have seen good and bad topics on this certain taxidermist but don't believe he is on the site.

Thanks for any input.

[BULLBLASTER]

I have a Whitey mounted with velvet on. The taxi I use uses a Velvet tan. Liquid that the rack is.dipped in and essentially tans.the velvet. Some will freezedry it. There is also artificial velvet that can be applied.to the antlers. ( not cheap) did the taxi say that he would keep the velvet when you dropped the bou off? I also have a muley rack in velvet that I did nothing to except leave in sun to dry out and right now it looks the same as the tanned velvet on my Whitey mount.

[300wsm]

quote author=BULLBLASTER link=topic=90167.msg1144232#msg1144232 date=1325881323]
I have a Whitey mounted with velvet on. The taxi I use uses a Velvet tan. Liquid that the rack is.dipped in and essentially tans.the velvet. Some will freezedry it. There is also artificial velvet that can be applied.to the antlers. ( not cheap) did the taxi say that he would keep the velvet when you dropped the bou off? I also have a muley rack in velvet that I did nothing to except leave in sun to dry out and right now it looks the same as the tanned velvet on my Whitey mount.
[/quote]

He said he would use the velvet tan liquid.

[BULLBLASTER]

Ifbhe said that he would tan the velvet and mount them with velvet I would hold him responsible to complete a mount with velvet. If he won't do it I would get cape and antlers and find a new taxi.

[huntnnw]

if the velvet was out in 60 deg weather for 3-4 days then it sat at shop for 1-2..it may be no good...Thats a delicate thing to work with to keep it

[sirmissalot]

if the velvet was out in 60 deg weather for 3-4 days then it sat at shop for 1-2..it may be no good...Thats a delicate thing to work with to keep it

I agree. Its very possible that if you  didn't do anything to preserve the velvet while on your trip that the flesh on the velvet spoiled. From what I know preserving the natural velvet on an animal and having it look good can be pretty difficult.

What did you guys do with the capes of your animals until you got it to the taxidermist?

The 16 months does seem excessive, especially to just now tell you that the velvet was no good, I would think he would have known that a year ago.

[300wsm]

if the velvet was out in 60 deg weather for 3-4 days then it sat at shop for 1-2..it may be no good...Thats a delicate thing to work with to keep it

I agree. Its very possible that if you  didn't do anything to preserve the velvet while on your trip that the flesh on the velvet spoiled. From what I know preserving the natural velvet on an animal and having it look good can be pretty difficult.

What did you guys do with the capes of your animals until you got it to the taxidermist?

The 16 months does seem excessive, especially to just now tell you that the velvet was no good, I would think he would have known that a year ago.

I agree, if it had gone bad, which is possible then he should have known when he applied it or shortly after.  That's why I'm having a problem with it.  As far as the cape, we caped(taken off skull) and salted right away and then treated it like meat making sure it stayed cool, dry and out of the sun.  The meat was excellent, down to our last few steaks now. 

[huntnnw]

he shoulda known in days if the velvet wasnt salvagable

[BULLBLASTER]

he shoulda known in days if the velvet wasnt salvagable

[BLKBEARKLR]

Since I have hunted quite a few times in Alaska for caribou with and without velvet, I can tell you being a typical Alaska day and you shooting that caribou with the velvet on and then doing nothing with it for 3-6 days was probably the beginning of the end. There is blood throughout the velvet that needs to get drained asap. There are a lot of field methods that have been tried throughout the years one time they will work other times they will not.

As for the taxidermist, he/she should have known within days if the velvet would be any good or not. Waiting 16 months and then telling you about it is totally unacceptable and like already stated should be held accountable, look at your copy see when his turn around time was given to you, read your bill accurately a lot of times a taxidermist will add things here or there for the extras you are doing like the velvet and go back and hold him/'her accountable.

Joe

[longknife]

I was told you need to treat the velvet ASAP, a day, could be too long.

If he is a stand up guy, there are velvet methods that are used with synthetic velvet, and he should give the synthetic price.
Agreed though, it should have been told the week after you dropped it off, that it wasnt working!

I have had to wait 2 years for a deer mount, Olympic taxi, but it was due to goverment shutdown(97?) that the head mount was stuck in a post office. Did a great job, but HELL of expensive!

Good luck

[300wsm]

Thanks Longknife, I would think if it needed to be applied that quickly he would have said there would be a chance it may not work.  I'll wait and see what he tries to charge me when I pick it up.  If it is a great job and looks good I won't have any problems.  I haven't been calling and telling him to hurry up because I don't want a rush job.  I told him just to do hard horns because I have seen the feux veltvet and am not a fan.  He wanted to know which way I wanted the head turned so I'm guessing after 16 months he hasn't even ordered the head mount yet??  Like I said, I'd wait as long as it takes if it a good job.