Getting screwed over?

85Ranger

Here's the deal...On October 10th, 2001 I shot my first buck...a seven pointer. I didn't want a full head mount, however, I wanted the skull and antlers mounted, no hair or flesh whatsoever. Just a nice mount of a white skull and antlers. So I took it to a taxidermist on about Oct. 20th, trying to save the hassle of doing it myself. I wanted it to look really nice also. He told me that it would be about 6 months until it was done. I figured with the drying time and cleaning the brains out and hide off the head that 6 months was fine. The cost was $90, and I put $20 down at the time. According to my calculations, 6 months would have been about April 20th. I called the taxidermist at that time, and I was told it would be another 2 months. So I called him again yesterday, June 26th, and he told me it still wasn't ready. He fed me the line that he had to send it to Arizona to get cleaned and they haven't sent it back yet (I live in Ohio).
I know it is only a seven point buck, but it was still my first one and it has taken over 2 months longer than I was told. Do you have any advice on what I should do? Has something like this happened to you before and what did you do? I don't feel like paying him the other $70. My dad keeps telling me that he probably has it on a fence post in his backyard and the buzzards just haven't finished picking the flesh off of it yet and that's why it isn't done. I'm just frustrated and not sure what to do. Thanks for any help.

treedawg

patience grasshopper. my 11 pointer was supposed to be ready 6 weeks ago, but i still don't have it. unless he's lost your rack or something terrible like that, you'll be fine. i promise you that he'd rather have your $70.00 than your 7 or my 11 pointer.

85Ranger

I am trying to be patient. My buddy cleaned one himself by boiling the head until everything fell out and off of it and he was only left with the skull and antlers. I'm not too sure what all is involved, but wouldn't be somewhat the same process, to get the hide off, brains out, bleach it white, and hang it on a piece of wood? I guess it sounds simpler than it actually is to make it look good. That's why I didn't want to deal with it. I just wanted to see if it is normal to take so long for this kind of mount. Thanks treedawg for your reply.

Tazmutt

Ranger - He probably sent it out to a place that has a Dermestid Beetle colony. There are but a few places in the US that support these colonies and they are likely backed up. I am a taxidermist and have used them before but choose now to do mine the old fashioned way (boil the snot out of them) due to time constraints. Keep the faith ... I'm betting the taxi-dermist is on the level, and hope so for your sake.

4GodandCountry

Well 85Ranger, you almost described the entire process. Your dads probably closer to right than you think. I do all my own skull mounts. I start by placing the skull under a blackberry bush, that will keep it out of sight and discourage marauding dogs. It also helps keep the stuff from drying up too fast. Then I wait about six months pull it out spray it off with a hose pretty good, pull off any hair thats left and stick it in bleach. Wait another couple of weeks take it out let it dry, polyurathane the skull and mount it to a plaque. Walla, saved myself a 100 clams and have the satisfaction of knowing I did it myself...

When Clinton left office they gave him a 21 gun salute. Its a damn shame they all missed....

concealedG36

85Ranger, I'm not sure about the laws in Ohio, but in Michigan a taxidermist needs to be licensed by the State. If its the same in Ohio then I presume you would be able to report him to the licensing agency if he tries to screw you.

Just a thought.

Good luck.

By the way, "only a seven point"? Bigger than anything I've ever shot!!

Gun Control Disarms Victims, NOT Criminals

n/a

4godandcountry and I use the same method.

cut out what you want to keep, hide it in a bush and let the ants take over, they will strip the meat off the bone clean, Then place in a cool dry place for a while, bleach just the bone, when good and dry then mount on a nice plaque

LR

"A wise man is a man that realizes just how little he knows"

COONASS

Have you ever used him before..........Talk to friends and other sports shops they always know whos good\bad...slow\fast......Just don't use price as a desiding factor........It will come , ask for discount for waiting so long.....or discount on next job , if that makes you feel a little better........

coonass

We Live in a World of Give And Take, But A Lot Of People Won't Give What it Takes.

4GodandCountry

Began painting last years 10 point sat. Letting the different plates in the skull be my borders. Using red white and blue, feeling patriotic, silver or gold for the teeth and will probably leave the rack natural. Looks pretty cool so far, but wife doesnt want it hanging in the house so It'll probably end up at the cabin.

When Clinton left office they gave him a 21 gun salute. Its a damn shame they all missed....

Rembrandt

Had a 8 point "European Mount" done, cost me $65.....took it to the taxidermist, 48 hours to finish it.....they put it in a pot of boiling bleach and water then to the car wash to blast away the remaining crud....

airborne

Depending where he sent it in Arizona, you may never get your rack back, if it was in the Northeast area of the state.

B - BreatheR - RelaxA - AimS - SightS - Squeeze

RockinU

Relax and have patience. I send something to the taxadermist almost every year, and it always takes way longer than they say. I've switched shops, tried several different in fact, and they all do it. Now when they tell me when it will be done, I just say "yeah, whatever, just call me". The only time I've ever had one finished in the appointed time was the really nice buck I shot last year, and that's only because he wanted to use it in a taxadermy contest, and since I let him, I didn't get it that much quicker anyway.