Post by: MAGhunter on December 30, 2009, 10:15:31 AM
Torei
Post by: whacker1 on December 30, 2009, 10:26:54 AM
Maybe they don't know any better?
Maybe they only do european mounts?
I don't know, because I have wondered the same thing.
Post by: GoldTip on December 30, 2009, 10:58:40 AM
Post by: Kuduman on December 30, 2009, 11:08:28 AM
Post by: MAGhunter on December 30, 2009, 11:18:39 AM
Torei
Post by: Kuduman on December 30, 2009, 11:31:16 AM
Thanks for the shout out. I have done work for the Grooms but I'm not sure about the one you mentioned. Two years ago I took in about 75 deer so it's hard to remember one particular head. Please stop by and I'll discuss with you my purchase agreements and I'll show you a thing or to about caping and measuring
Thanks
Jeff
Post by: MAGhunter on December 30, 2009, 12:28:59 PM
Torei
Post by: RoyBoy on December 30, 2009, 12:41:33 PM
Post by: carpsniperg2 on December 30, 2009, 12:58:17 PM
Post by: MAGhunter on December 30, 2009, 12:59:36 PM
Post by: Michelle_Nelson on December 30, 2009, 05:44:43 PM
"Ignorant" is someone who doesn't know better. They have never caped or skinned an animal for mounting. So how can you expect them to do it right the first time. A lot of people that get something mounted are your average every day hunter that went out and got lucky. They were not planning to kill anything worthy. I have a hard time bashing these people when they bring me screwed up capes and hides. Especially if it is there first time bringing something to a taxidermist
"Stupid" is the person that has been repeatedly told and shown over and over how to properly care for, cape, and skin an animal for mounting and is to lazy to comply with the proper field care methods.
For about 4 or 5 years I use to never charge for repairs. I noticed that no matter how much I tried to educate people on proper field care methods it didn't do much good. I still got deer with throats cut, neck shots, hides left out of the freezer for a week. I started getting frustrated and pissed because I spend 1/4 of my time working for free making the same repairs over and over again from repeat customers.
Than I got to thinking why should I be working for free? Why should my clients care about changing the way they care for there hide if the taxidermist will fix it for free?
About 3 years ago I started charging for repair work. I have found that it is a bigger incentive for people. They pay closer attention to proper field care methods. I get fewer people coming in with damaged capes and hides. Now I don't charge for everything like bullet or arrow holes, a small knife cut here and there. I am talking about deer split up the brisket all the way to the throat, armpits cut out, briskets to short etc.
Most people don't realize the time it takes to make a proper repair. It's not just sewing something up.
Post by: Kuduman on December 30, 2009, 08:53:43 PM
Excellent point. For the first few years I. also did free repairs and each year I became more and more frustrated until I had to make a change. I have a cape company called whitetail trading company and they charge allot for their capes. I try to have a few extra capes on hand and don't charge near what they do but I keep their brochure handy to let customers know what they can plan on spending.
Hopefully I can supply a replacement but that's not always possible.
I just posted a 1/2 L/S black bear that the customer did a great field care job. what a pleasure to do that project instead of spending hours sewing repairs and it shows in the finished mount.
I'll get off my soapbox now.
Post by: boneaddict on December 30, 2009, 09:08:42 PM
I was with Goldtip as you remember and I love moose and I love taxidermy. He offered me that cape and I dwelled on it and I turned him down. Two more reasons....one, I didn't want to spend the night there in the fullmoon with my flashlight caping the thing as I had places I wanted to go, and I didn't want to mess with preserving the thing while I was off trying to gather photographs for you guys. It would have been an awesome cape. It was Big, had a HUGE bell and the ears were about as split as they could get. My loss for sure.
I have also left capes because meat comes before hides and some of the places I go....no way.
Post by: Cougeyes on December 30, 2009, 09:29:35 PM
Post by: littlebuf on December 30, 2009, 10:16:00 PM
I know with my Moose this year I didn't take the cape despite it being a once in a lifetime tag here in Washington and in my opinion a tropy Shiras Moose. The reasons were two fold for not taking it, one I have normal height ceilings in my Man cave, so large animals are dificult to hang in there. Two, I already have a shoulder mount of my Canadian Moose in that room, and it is ridiculous how much room they take up. So I elected to do a European mount on this Moose long before I ever pulled the trigger.
probably coulda sold that cape for a nice little piece of change
Post by: huntnphool on December 30, 2009, 10:22:30 PM
Post by: jackelope on December 30, 2009, 10:26:57 PM
Quote
"Ignorant" is someone who doesn't know better. They have never caped or skinned an animal for mounting. So how can you expect them to do it right the first time.
i wouldn't call someone who doesn't know how to cape an animal "ignorant". i would call them inexperienced. lets be realistic here, Michelle.
i have never taken an animal to a taxidermist, nor have i ever saved a cape.
Post by: BLKBEARKLR on December 31, 2009, 09:18:57 AM
6 moose capes
12-18 caribou capes
7-10 nice caribou racks.
3-5 bear hides.
When you are hunting and you are not planning on getting it mounted and you have already done 7-10 packs out of over 100 pounds a piece, then getting some cash for a cape does not matter.
Now that I am a taxidermy, I try and bring out my capes also, even if it means an extra trip back in. BUT BONE said it best, MEAT out first if cape is still in good shape and the meat is going to make it then I will go back in. If there is a doubt in my mind once I get all the meat out that it needs to get iced down, cooled down or put in freezer, then to bad for the cape.
I do encourage anyone also that wants to learn how to caoe something out to let me know and I would gladly show them...
Joe
Post by: boneaddict on December 31, 2009, 09:30:53 AM
And I hear you blackbear. Carrying a moose out from 9 miles in one trip at a time I took one look at that beautiful AK moose cape and took an ax to it. I think I even skinned the cap so that would be a few less ounces on that heavy old rack. I dman near lost the rack to a brown bear that could have used it for a toothpick.
Post by: GoldTip on December 31, 2009, 09:48:12 AM
He does know Rob, because I was right there with him, and really appreciated the offer. Its just one of those things where its not worth it. Hell I still have one in my freezer that is now 3 years old.
And I hear you blackbear. Carrying a moose out from 9 miles in one trip at a time I took one look at that beautiful AK moose cape and took an ax to it. I think I even skinned the cap so that would be a few less ounces on that heavy old rack. I dman near lost the rack to a brown bear that could have used it for a toothpick.
Yep, I knew what the cape was worth, there had been a thread on here from Charlie I think talking about what Moose capes were worth. But I figured giving it to Doug, he could either use it for a mount he would someday do, or he could sell it, honestly didn't care, as he had just spent his evening helping me out. It was black ass dark when we got to the point of cape or split the brisket to make sure it cooled over night, making sure it cooled over night was worth more to me than the cape was. And he didn't exactly die in a premium spot to spend the evening getting the cape off him. If I ever draw Idaho or draw the raffle tag here, I will make the same call depending on the circumstances.
Post by: boneaddict on December 31, 2009, 09:52:41 AM
Post by: GoldTip on December 31, 2009, 10:06:54 AM
If I get to be invited to be on the same mountain again, make sure Silent Bob goes grouse hunting again before harvest night. :)
Trust me, you'll be invited if I ever get the same chance again. ;)
Post by: Michelle_Nelson on December 31, 2009, 02:18:19 PM
Quote"Ignorant" is someone who doesn't know better. They have never caped or skinned an animal for mounting. So how can you expect them to do it right the first time.
i wouldn't call someone who doesn't know how to cape an animal "ignorant". i would call them inexperienced. lets be realistic here, Michelle.
i have never taken an animal to a taxidermist, nor have i ever saved a cape.
ig·no·rant (gnr-nt) adj.
1. Lacking education or knowledge.
2. Showing or arising from a lack of education or knowledge: an ignorant mistake.
3. Unaware or uninformed.
How am I not being realistic? The word ignorant was not being used to degrade or talk down to anyone. The Key words in the deffinition was "lacking education or knowledge".
Post by: MtnMuley on December 31, 2009, 02:25:36 PM
Post by: Michelle_Nelson on December 31, 2009, 03:03:56 PM
I see so many big trophy animals come through my shop it is hard to get excited about mounting anything I shoot. I hunt for meat.
Post by: billythekidrock on December 31, 2009, 03:47:33 PM
I have seen a lot of photos on here and other places where the hunters would cut the cape clean off right below the jaw line and leave the hide on the skull. Now do you think its because a lot of these hunters cant afford a shoulder mount or is there a way for a taxi to remove the hide from the skull and sew it back on the body cape? I realize that someone could just buy a cape elsewhere but to me that seems like a waste of money when they could have just caped it right to begin with.
Torei
Could be that a "trophy" is in the eye of the beholder.
Where do these coastal blacktails fit in? Are they "trophies" or a mounters based on size alone?
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hunt101.com%2Fdata%2F500%2Fmedium%2F3ptIMG_0315.jpg&hash=9fb93d82e5a172f4f67cd2e0ce9ab49ef843bfa2)
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hunt101.com%2Fdata%2F500%2Fmedium%2F1443IMG_1192.jpg&hash=f4f1ee0418d728c641c2f68aea018bd98628ed25)
In my opinion both those bucks are not mounters and even though both came home with perfect capes, they were not saved. Sometimes it is just too hard to get a cape to a taxi.
BTW. One of those is on a plaque and the other sits in a box somewhere. :chuckle:
Post by: GoldTip on December 31, 2009, 03:51:44 PM
Post by: billythekidrock on December 31, 2009, 03:55:29 PM
Those both look like Mule deer to me............bwaaahaaahaaahaaaa :chuckle: ;)
LOL
Remember it is location, location, location.
Actually they were both killed within a few miles of Olympia.
Post by: actionshooter on December 31, 2009, 04:04:33 PM
Those both look like Mule deer to me............bwaaahaaahaaahaaaa :chuckle: ;)
LOL
Remember it is location, location, location.
Actually they were both killed within a few miles of Olympia.
Olympia is pretty close to the boundry, think they were lost?
Post by: billythekidrock on December 31, 2009, 05:04:47 PM
Those both look like Mule deer to me............bwaaahaaahaaahaaaa :chuckle: ;)
LOL
Remember it is location, location, location.
Actually they were both killed within a few miles of Olympia.
Olympia is pretty close to the boundry, think they were lost?
LOL
Post by: bucklucky on January 01, 2010, 10:16:15 AM
F--er even with 2 guys to move it around. Im glad I got the cape out now though. :chuckle: I can definately understand why people dont bring out capes, especially Moose and elk. It is definately a pain in the ass sometimes. Moose are so dang big and heavy any way. I have never left a deer cape in the woods, they are ligth and dont take up much room. 95% of all my hunting is behing locked gates.
It is funny how many nice capes are ruined by people though. Most say they never thought they would have killed something worth mounting so they never took the time to learn how to cut the cape off properly. That alright with me, I'll sell them a replacement :chuckle:
I too have a select few that bring capes in every year and I thank them for that and hope they continue . I do my best to educate people the best I can , especially the ones that kill nice bucks all the time ;) I wish a few of them werent so STUBBNORN though :chuckle: