nctaxi

Wow! I have'nt been doing it all that long and am getting $325. You should go up on your price, at least $50. How does your work compare to the others? Betters quality? One thing I learned from some friends, don't base your price on the others down the street, base it on how well you do it. I have been doing taxidermy for a little over a year, but I placed 2 3rds at the state show. I do better work than alot of taxidermist in my area. But I have spent alot of time getting better including getting "professional help" from some taxidermist who live near me.

JD IN ALBERTA

Man you guy's are actually cheap! We are paying anywhere from $500-750 for a deer shoulder mount. I'll be sending mine south if it's only a couple hundred!!!
JDinAB

ELKINMTCWB

I sure do hope my tax man dose not look at this.If he dose looks like Iwill never get any thing mounted.Maby he gives me a break for more than one at a time.Number discount :}

Bill Yox

JD, dont forget, thats american dollars, not canadian. Elk, Ill bet he wont, as we charge the same for one deer or three. Its still three deer heads worth of work. But Ill bet if you become a frequent customer, over time, he probably will round somenumbers off for you. Heres hoping he does!

Michelles_Taxidermy

I only moved my prices up $15 to make it an even $300 for a Whitetail Shoulder Mount. Yeah I know I should charge more.Next yearI am going to sit down and put a little more thought into changing my prices. I have never entered any of my work into any of the Taxidermy Competitions. I realy don't have the time to put together a competition piece and take off work togo to the comptitions right now. I willeventualy get a chance to compete.

As for the taxidermists in my area. I know of 3that I would pay to mount something for me. Right nowI wouldn't hesitateto put one of my deer against any of theirs.

Unlike most taxidermists this is just a part time buisness, becauseI work at the Albany Marine Base as a Civilian Heavy Mobile Equipment Mechanic os I make plentyto pay the bills from that job. I also do taxidermy out of my house so i don't have to foot 2 bills for a seperate building.

buckeye

Some of these $500+ whitetail shoulder mounts, after materials you guys are making $50-$60 bucks an hour.

Not to shabby, 4+bills profit for around 8 hours total worth of work

Bill Yox

Buckeye, when the day comes that I can slam them together in just 8 hours, with no other overhead involved, Ill indeed be a lucky, rich, and out of work man. You makea good point though, starting at 500 is better than some of the prices Ive heard of! Bottom line is and always will be, giving the customer his moneys worth, whatever they and you agree that it is.

Michelle, dont think you need to compete to earn your keep in taxidermy, happy customers are every bit if not more important than the awards.

Alex The Hawk

Yeah, I will like to meet the guy that does it in 8 hours also, maybe 8 hours of prep work.

$50 an hour should be what a taxidermist earns as it is the longest profession to learn, as declared by the Massachusset"s Supreme Court Taxidermy is a profession and the one that takes the longest to master.

Michelles_Taxidermy

Taxidermy is never mastered. You are always learning and finding new and better ways of doing stuff... Bill Yox and Alex been doing taxidermy waaaaaaaaaaaay longer than i have and they can teach me a whole bunch butI bet I can teach them a thing or two or a a short cut that makes things easier. Only reason being we learn at different stages and we can't learn eveything...

buckeye

With all do respect.... You have got to be kidding me.

8 hours to complete a commercial whitetail shoulder mount is common knowledge. For crying out loud, good taxidermy is an art but brain surgery it is not.

One of my best friends is a taxidermist and have watched him mount many deer. He does outstanding work and has won a host of awards if your into the competition thing. Barring any major hide repairs he completes them in about 8 hours start to finish.

http://www.ultimatewildlifecreationstaxidermy.com/

A while back they even did a rather large article in I believe Field & Stream about taxidermy. It stated the "average" taxidermist will complete a shoulder mount is 7-10 hours.

I am not trying to piss in anyones cheerios here. Good taxidermy is few and far between and I agree a good taxidermist should make a good living.

I believe one should charge what they believe their time and services are worth not necessarly "going rate". In every profession there are people who are head and shoulders above average, and should be compensated for that. There are also the less desirables, who should not even be mounting peoples trophys. (Bad experience I hadwith a past taxidermist)

Anyhow, best of luck to you all.