Whats an acceptable time frame on getting your animal back

[bucklucky]

  Found out the guy had passed away and everything there was tied up in some legal crap.  The building burnt down a week later 

Well that makes me feel better.   

Charlie.........start eating healthy and take that stove out of your shop. 

I m trying to stay in shape best I can , really man 

So I see a few of these comments are directed towards me from what I can tell.  I gave an approximate timeframe that  I thought I would get most stuff done in , 12 months give or take. I probably even threw in "as long as every thing goes smoothly" I know I told that to quite a few people. I really dont mind if any of the statements were directed towards me just go ahead and say so. Its no big deal.

     To give a little insight on what has been going on since last year, and this is just a quick explanation that I would have given if asked. So at the end of the season last year , well 2010 I had to make a big decision on whether or not to fire my origional tannery. For the previouse 3 years I had been getting nothing but great tanning back with out a hitch. But the last few batches I had gotten back absolutely turned to garbage and I have a witness (another Taxidermist I called to come look at what I gotten back) and they used, and I say USED the same Tannery as I did but had a few more issues earlier than I did but figured it wqas something the Taxidermist was doing not the tannery. Well come to find out we werent the only ones that got cought up in some bad issues with the Tannery as another Taxidermist had issues that we both knew and the decision was made to pull stuff from the Tannery and try a new tannery. I still had about 30 pieces sitting at the tannery and a whole hunting seasons worth of fresh stuff that needed to go to the tannery for tanning but I had no idea where. So I ended up pulling the rest of the capes that were not done (approximately 30) picked up some finished capes and hides and left. Now the next dillema, do I just ship 100 capes and hides to a tannery I have never used or do I wait and see what one of the other taxidermists got back . Well I had to wait, I did not want to take a chance again. So once I got to look over a bunch of capes from the new tannery , off my batch went . So now there are 30 or so hides and capes that I pulled from the old tannery , an a bunch of stuff from that year . I thought I would take over some of the tanning myself and purchased a $2000.00 wet drum so I could tan just like a tannery just at a smaller level. Well wouldnt you know it my drum got delayed 4 months from date of purchase so again that puts me and my opperation back . Yes I know its just excuses but they are out of my control. So anyway, once I received my wet drumb now I had to go through and work over all my recipes with my Tanning Representative. Once all my recipes were made and my chemicals purchased I needed to run through a batch of Stock capes as to make sure everythign was good and I ended up with good streatch and that the tannage set the hair and locked  it on.
    I have done the best I can to work through the issues that have came up over the past 2 seasons with tannery issues. Its a pain in the ass to try and mount stuff efficiantly as possible when the hair was loose or falling out  and all the ears had been blown out almost to garbage. In fact most of the mounts I had posted up had major ear repairs, like when I got done sewing they looked like spider webs on the leather side of the ear. I think I posted up pictures at one point.  So anyway, Im left know to play catchup the best I can as fast as I can. I dont have my big truck to deliver my capes in as it blew the motor this september so Im stuck with my yota , wich is fine but I need some rearend work done . So Michelle steped up and offered to help and make a delivery to the tannert for me in Kettlfalls since her truck is in working order! So Im off to the tanner this week as long as the weather permits . So as of right now Im behind for sure. I took in about 1/2 of what I normally would this year, turned alot of work away in hopes to get the ball rolling in the right direction. Currently Im workling on a few bobcats and a cougar and 2 muleys  and then Im mounting elk and deer and antelope  from september 2010. I have added 3 more mounting stands to my shop  and Michelle has been comming over and helping get my shop organized to hopefully start pumping out mounts. Catching up is tough to do but with a positive attitude and a little help I think I should be able to as long as there is no more damn setbacks. I got my new contracts in the mail that state 18 months give or take on the contract in 2 places. Anyway thats my story .  Sometimes stuff happens and you just have to work through it.

    Ok now back to work for me.

 

[blackveltbowhunter]

Well.... From my end man, thanks for what you do! Theres always stuff can come up and throw a hitch in the plan! To any doubters out there, From everything I have seen Charlies work is well worth the wait

[Pathfinder101]

Geez, tough break Charlie.  Good luck with the tannery in KF. 

[bucklucky]

Just doing the best I can. Got daycare squared away so I can work 5 days a week+ wich should help since the past 2 I havent been able to work as much while watching kiddos. I will get it all figured out so the operation runs smoother . Itys not from a lack of trying trust me. Just growing pains is all. 

[NWBREW]

I sure hope you don't think I was complaining Charlie. That is surely not the case. I understood the long wait when I dropped off my whitetail last Nov. I do not mind at all waiting for the quality of work you do. 0 complaints from me.

I have said it before and will say it again. You do the best shoulder mounts I have ever seen. Well worth the wait. ..........and thanks for not turning me away.

[Jason]

Keep in regular contact with your taxidermist.  Especially when you think time is running long.  I had a monster Javalina at a taxidermist that had been in business for 25 years.  I did not call until the 10th month.  Found out the guy had passed away and everything there was tied up in some legal crap.  The building burnt down a week later with my Javi still inside.  Had I called sooner perhaps I could have gotten it out before it was lost.

Was this a Taxi over on P-town that passed away about 3-4 yrs ago?

I know the Taxi I use has a 12 month turn around,and He works 7 days a week and takes maybe a day off about every 3 weeks just to make all his deadlines, plus he does tanning for other local taxi's.

[RadSav]

Late 80's in Salem, OR

[Michelle_Nelson]

the last few batches I had gotten back absolutely turned to garbage and I have a witness (another Taxidermist I called to come look at what I gotten back) and they used, and I say USED the same Tannery as I did but had a few more issues earlier than I did but figured it wqas something the Taxidermist was doing not the tannery.

I would be the witness that went over to Charlies Shop.  We wanted to compare notes to see if he was having the same problems that I had.  I had quit using that Tannery a few months before. 

Other than the Tannery issue both me and Charlie shared, Charlie isn't the only one that has had additional set backs this year. 

In February my Grandma passed away and I had to pretty much shut my shop down for 6 - 7 weeks inorder to travel back and forth from here down to Oregon for the funeral and to clean out the huge house she lived in.   

It took me til around the middle of September to figgure out which Tannery I was going to use.  So I was late getting my first couple batch of hides to them.  Tanneries are just like taking something to the Taxidermist.  The sooner you get your hides into the Tannery the sooner you will get them back so you have work.  The later they get sent in the more work from other taxidermists is in front of yours and the longer you have to wait.

 The Tannery I chose to use came highly recomended for quality but there turn around times were a little longer than normal.  They ended up having a guy quit sometime durring the season and ended up making there turn around go up. 
 
I was a little more prepared so I quoted most of the people that dropped stuff off 15 months.  There will be some that will take a little longer.  I don't like it but like Charlie we are doing everything we possibly can to get caught up.  If we are between projects we try to help the other one out just to keep the ball rolling. 

[Arteman]

All ive ever asked was to have my stuff back before im dropping stuff off the following year.  With that, quality always comes first for me so if it takes a little longer it doesn't bother me.  I tried to save a dollar once so i could get a mount done fast when i was younger and the last time I moved I ripped the antlers off the mount and tossed the head in the dumpster on the way out.  I feel for some these taxidermist that take the heat for their tanneries.  The taxidermist I'm currently using is going through the same issues as BL, his tanner was having some issues of his own and is way behind on the hides, and a taxidermist can only apologize and try and say the right things to make people happy because its out of their control.  Now my taxidermist like BL is turning away work to get caught up because he is obligated to his clients he is behind with, which takes a hit on his income.  It's a tough biz when everything isn't flowing together, that's for sure.

[ICEMAN]

 

[The100Road]

Just doing the best I can. Got daycare squared away so I can work 5 days a week+ wich should help since the past 2 I havent been able to work as much while watching kiddos. I will get it all figured out so the operation runs smoother . Itys not from a lack of trying trust me. Just growing pains is all.

Charlie, From everything i have seen everything is well worth the wait from you. The only advice i would give to taxidermist would be to be honest with your customers. you told me its going to take 18 months for my bobcat and that is 100% okay. but my dad and brother both took bears to a different taxidermist and were told 1 year. I took 2 1/2years. and he was annoyed every time we called in to see how it was going. If there are setbacks just let your customers know.

I would love to see step by step pictures of those bobcat mounts like you did with that pedestal elk.

[steen]

It wasn't mentioned by either taxidermist, but I'd assume when it is payed for you'll get it back quicker.  When we bring ours, if we haveto make payments I sure don't assume I will be first.  Haven't had that problem with our I don't know who he uses.  We have usually gotten them back after six months.

[StanwoodSpartan]

Its been 12 months on my bear rug.. hopefully it turns up soon. The wife is more antsy then I am, and the father in law tells me that my choice in a taxidermist ended up getting me ripped off, but I'm sure that the one I chose will pull through and wipe that grin rightoff his face!!!

[Bearhunter]

I appreciate the honesty that Charlie and Michele have come forward with, it sets my mind and Im sure others at ease....  I can quarantee that the wait is worth it when it comes to Charlies mounts, just wait tell you all see my cougar he has in the works!!  Someday I will take down all my half ass mounts and only the top quality ones will be up and Im sure most of them will be from him....

[The100Road]

I appreciate the honesty that Charlie and Michele have come forward with, it sets my mind and Im sure others at ease....  I can quarantee that the wait is worth it when it comes to Charlies mounts, just wait tell you all see my cougar he has in the works!!  Someday I will take down all my half ass mounts and only the top quality ones will be up and Im sure most of them will be from him....