What do I look for in a taxidermist?
01-17-2003, 05:36 PM
#21
Typical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 508
RE: What do I look for in a taxidermist?
I was surprised by the comments since my last post so i had to go back an re-read it. The reason is, I have not made up my mind as to who I wanted to use, but based on the latest posts, you thought I had chose the $225 guy. After reading my post, I can see why you made that assumption, though i really had not made up my mind. In fact, I visited and toured the shop of a guy who is the most expensive in town (today). Nice work though he is $400 for a should mount.
I should clarify one other thing, when i talk about "my guy" at $225, you should know I used him last year, which was my very first buck. At that time, one of my lease members said "this guy is great...." He did my mount and it looks great to me. Of course, it is only one year old and I don't know exactly what to look for. Since I am a bit more knowledgeable of the importance of using a high quality taxidermist, I am asking questions this year. Perhaps you can tell the types of defects or shortcoming i should be looking for on my one year old mount. Maybe this guy does not do it the way cyclones suggests, but perhaps it is pretty good. In other words, my mount has been hung in my trailer (hot, humid florida weather for one year) so if it is a poor mount, what should i be able to observe by now?
Anyway, I appreciate all the great feedback, but wanted to clarify and seek additional comments. I did print cyclones list and the previous post reflects the responses, etc.
I should clarify one other thing, when i talk about "my guy" at $225, you should know I used him last year, which was my very first buck. At that time, one of my lease members said "this guy is great...." He did my mount and it looks great to me. Of course, it is only one year old and I don't know exactly what to look for. Since I am a bit more knowledgeable of the importance of using a high quality taxidermist, I am asking questions this year. Perhaps you can tell the types of defects or shortcoming i should be looking for on my one year old mount. Maybe this guy does not do it the way cyclones suggests, but perhaps it is pretty good. In other words, my mount has been hung in my trailer (hot, humid florida weather for one year) so if it is a poor mount, what should i be able to observe by now?
Anyway, I appreciate all the great feedback, but wanted to clarify and seek additional comments. I did print cyclones list and the previous post reflects the responses, etc.
01-17-2003, 09:41 PM
#22
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Bessemer City NC USA
Posts: 218
RE: What do I look for in a taxidermist?
I have a nice 9 point that I paid $275.00 to have mounted back in 1989 by one of South Carolina's greatest. It still looks great today because I chose to pick a good taxidermist to do my work. There is no cracking, the inside of the nose still looks pinkish in color, the tear ducts in front of the eyes still look real, there is no cracking behind the eyeballs, and the hair is still smooth and slick. This deer mount virtually looks as though it is alive even after 13 years. It took me one year to get it back from the shop. You need to look at the work of any taxidermist that is 10 years old or older. A lot of guys can make a fresh mount look good but some don't age very well. The places to look at are the fine points and painting such as the lips, nose, eyes, tear ducts, and ears. Good luck on your choice whomever it may be.
01-18-2003, 05:33 PM
#23
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Almost Heaven WV
Posts: 649
RE: What do I look for in a taxidermist?
Teal,
Look for drumming, the skin will pull away from the form. The ears will get thicker as time goes on. If you squeeze them between the thimb and forefinger you will find that they are quite thick and are not touching the earliners. No hide paste and I guarantee that this will happen. Thump on the hide in the low spots, ie. either side of the brisket, under the ears, near the jowls, the tear ducts, and the channels where the juglar veins would normally run. You,ll hear a hollow sound as opposed to a solid thump! Look for the stitches pulling apart and the seam getting wider. Look for separation of the skin from around the bases of the antlers. Hide paste has a hard time sticking to a hide when dry preserve is used, hence the reason he says he doesn't use it...
Bugs, look for evidence of bugs. Look for areas where the hair seems to have been 'cut'. Get a magnifying glass. Perhaps very small sections at first but they will get bigger with time. Look in the ears, deep into the ear canals with a flashlight, move the hair out of the way. You may find small brown pods about the size and shape of a grain of rice. They may or may not be split open. These are carpet beetle larvae. If he didn't use a mothproofing agent other than borax, they will come....Look for dust on the floor or furniture under the mount. White powder is dry preserve and or borax working out from under the skin. Grey to brownish powder is bug poop...
Oh, and that 6 weeks turnaround, That's because the hide does cling better then. It'll hold it's shape until the hide sucks up enough moisture from the air and then it'll gradually pull away from the form, a little more every day. So little, in fact, that you'll barely notice it.
Most every detail that I mentioned in my first post is the basis for a solid mount. Without following these basics even the best artistic taxidermist in the world would not be in business very long.
~Will Hunt For Food~
Look for drumming, the skin will pull away from the form. The ears will get thicker as time goes on. If you squeeze them between the thimb and forefinger you will find that they are quite thick and are not touching the earliners. No hide paste and I guarantee that this will happen. Thump on the hide in the low spots, ie. either side of the brisket, under the ears, near the jowls, the tear ducts, and the channels where the juglar veins would normally run. You,ll hear a hollow sound as opposed to a solid thump! Look for the stitches pulling apart and the seam getting wider. Look for separation of the skin from around the bases of the antlers. Hide paste has a hard time sticking to a hide when dry preserve is used, hence the reason he says he doesn't use it...
Bugs, look for evidence of bugs. Look for areas where the hair seems to have been 'cut'. Get a magnifying glass. Perhaps very small sections at first but they will get bigger with time. Look in the ears, deep into the ear canals with a flashlight, move the hair out of the way. You may find small brown pods about the size and shape of a grain of rice. They may or may not be split open. These are carpet beetle larvae. If he didn't use a mothproofing agent other than borax, they will come....Look for dust on the floor or furniture under the mount. White powder is dry preserve and or borax working out from under the skin. Grey to brownish powder is bug poop...
Oh, and that 6 weeks turnaround, That's because the hide does cling better then. It'll hold it's shape until the hide sucks up enough moisture from the air and then it'll gradually pull away from the form, a little more every day. So little, in fact, that you'll barely notice it.
Most every detail that I mentioned in my first post is the basis for a solid mount. Without following these basics even the best artistic taxidermist in the world would not be in business very long.
~Will Hunt For Food~
01-19-2003, 04:18 AM
#24
Typical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 508
RE: What do I look for in a taxidermist?
Cyclone,
Thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge. You have provided a lot of great advice and I am very appreciative. In fact, I am sure there are a number of others who have benefited from this post given all of the detail you provided. Thanks to the many others who contributed as well.
I did go back to camp yesterday and look at my mount from last year but did not have a chance to read cyclones last post prior to doing so. As a result, my inspection was not a thorough or in the right places. I did check the hide and ears for drumming and could not idenify any, and overall, the mount still looks great, but I am now convinced I will have problems in the future. As a result, I will be taking my latest deer to a professional rather than the backyard guy. The more I look at my latest deer, the more i want to preserve it.
Thanks again.
Thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge. You have provided a lot of great advice and I am very appreciative. In fact, I am sure there are a number of others who have benefited from this post given all of the detail you provided. Thanks to the many others who contributed as well.
I did go back to camp yesterday and look at my mount from last year but did not have a chance to read cyclones last post prior to doing so. As a result, my inspection was not a thorough or in the right places. I did check the hide and ears for drumming and could not idenify any, and overall, the mount still looks great, but I am now convinced I will have problems in the future. As a result, I will be taking my latest deer to a professional rather than the backyard guy. The more I look at my latest deer, the more i want to preserve it.
Thanks again.
