# wait time for taxidermy question.



## nk1nk (Nov 15, 2011)

I realize good taxidermist have long wait times but at what point is it too long? If a guy tells you its a one year turn around and its been over a year and a half is that ridiculous or am I just being unrealistic? I own a small business and I can't imagine making costumers wait such long wait times, hire help if you can't keep up. This person is highly esteemed on these boards and im not looking to publicly bash him but would like some opinions or experiences of your wait times thanks.


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## duck jerky (Sep 8, 2007)

the guy I have taken mine to tells me 10 to 12 months wait. and I have gotten them back in that time frame. A year and half seems a little long. Have you contacted him lately?


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## king eider (Aug 20, 2009)

I think taxidermy work is similar to being a contractor. Always optimistic that your job is on schedule and nearing its turn yet a scramble to keep up and balance not being out of work. If he's good and reputable it's worth the wait. A taxidermist can always be paid more $$ for expedited services as well.

Good luck...


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## Sawbillslayer (Oct 24, 2013)

I have had a 2 month wait and a 12+ month wait. The 12+ month looks better than my two month wait. Did you give him money already? I usually give enough money to cover what they need to buy the forms and supplies to get the mount done and then pay the rest on pick up. That usually helps them get motivated. I had my brother inlaw refuse to give payment until he picked up because he wanted to see the quality of his mount before he paid for it and he waited 2 years and I got mine back in that 12+ month (I think it was like 13 months) and we gave the animals to the taxidermist on the same day.


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## Jeff Bringhurst (May 20, 2009)

I have had birds at a taxidermist for 18 months and I have also had birds done in as little a 4 weeks. I also know of birds that have been done in a couple days (funerals). If you are concerned about how long a birds is taking to get done, call and talk to them, explain your concerns and see what if anything can be done to help the process along. There might not be anything that can be done but you will never know until you ask. All the taxidermist I know and associate with are great guys. Give him a call.


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## nk1nk (Nov 15, 2011)

Thanks for the replies, half was paid up front. Communication has been ongoing, I feel im told what I want to hear i.e. its almost done. But time marches on.


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## Longgun (Sep 7, 2007)

@ the OP,

sorry to hear you're getting a bit of the runaround. BUT in defense of the "other guy" this is only one side of the story. :|




... to answer a few of y'all's thoughts/question.... NO .... its not me on the other end of that phone call. My bird freezer's are nearly empty, and due dates have been weeks (in some instances months) ahead for about six months.


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## Packout (Nov 20, 2007)

Some random thoughts on the subject. 

A taxidermist usually takes in the bulk of his work in condensed time frames. Fall seasons and spring seasons. So the estimate of when the work will be done depends on how much they take in. That shouldn't be a free pass on estimated completion dates. I usually give my clients a window of time when the mount should be done.

It takes a day or two to put a bird mount together. Then it takes a couple weeks to dry and babysit before the finish work can be done. So if a client is being told it is "almost done" then you should be able to see it drying. 

Hiring "help" is not a great answer to a workload issue. The client is paying for a quality piece and will the client receive the expected quality from the "help"... That said, there are some great taxidermists out there with good "helpers". Taxidermy is an art and hiring help (which is usually inexperienced) can lead to more problems than wait times. If a taxidermist (or any business) is too busy then they should implement the "if you are too busy, you're too cheap" strategy.


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## longbow (Mar 31, 2009)

king eider said:


> I think taxidermy work is similar to being a contractor. Always optimistic that your job is on schedule and nearing its turn yet a scramble to keep up and balance not being out of work. If he's good and reputable it's worth the wait. A taxidermist can always be paid more $$ for expedited services as well.
> 
> Good luck...


 I totally agree with you. But, I have to respectfully disagree with the last sentence. It's not fair to me if I get set back a notch on the list. I'm a paying, waiting customer too.


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## longbow (Mar 31, 2009)

Another thought. Most taxidermists are hunters too. A guy's gotta hunt! That takes time away from getting work done. As long as there's a good balance between shop work and hunting, I have no problem with that.


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## Gee LeDouche (Sep 21, 2007)

My suggestions. 

#1- Get in direct contact with the taxidermist and get a new ETA. maybe even a specific date would help..?? 

#2- Good work takes time. I understand you've been waiting a long time but that may be a statement to his quality of workmanship. 

#3- try to be patient. If its done right a quality taxidermy job will last many years. Im sure you'll be happy with it once it finally hits your hand. Make sure to post pics. :grin:


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## Longgun (Sep 7, 2007)

Packout _flatout_ nailed it...



Gee LeDouche said:


> My suggestions.
> 
> #1- Get in direct contact with the taxidermist and get a new ETA. maybe even a specific date would help..??
> 
> ...


Not always... being the cheaper than most in any area begets attention far more than premium quality work. That said, and with this next statement, please dont think im singleing you out/directing this at you Gee. Premium quality of anything should always command premium prices. -always- In the subject at hand, if one has put forth the effort to include many details nearly fit for the competition table, then why NOT command a premium price?


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## LostLouisianian (Oct 11, 2010)

Since he says he is working on it or getting close, just do an unannounced drop in and ask to see the progress in person.


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## JuniorPre 360 (Feb 22, 2012)

If it's the guy I'm thinking of, I waited 2 years for my 3 ducks. This taxidermist was very cheap, and his work was art. I have 3 ducks I love looking at. If you've seen his work and like it, the wait will be worth it. 

On a side note, I have shot one banded duck. Had it mounted by a guy with a 2 month wait. He did great with deer but my duck mount was terrible. It still makes me sick to this day which is why I left it at my parent's house. I didn't bother going back for my goose and only paid half for my gwt. The guy didn't even fight it or say a word. 

Waiting a long time for quality work is better than looking at a piece of crap on the wall that just pisses you off everytime you walk through your front door. Trust me on that one.


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## Longgun (Sep 7, 2007)

longbow said:


> I totally agree with you. But, I have to respectfully disagree with the last sentence. It's not fair to me if I get set back a notch on the list. I'm a paying, waiting customer too.


?? in other notches of life "expedited pricing" abound's. Why not Taxidermy?? One could argue, its a stone in the wall of unregulated "laissez-faire" Capitalism. With your statement, are you saying it isnt the right of an individual to choose what to produce, how to produce it, and what price to sell it for at any given time? I would argue, that would be one reason to give clients windows of completeion vs an exact date. It allows room to take advantage of someone else's fat checkbook. Sounds like smart bizz!! ... Why NOT?


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## Longgun (Sep 7, 2007)

Jeff Bringhurst said:


> I have had birds at a taxidermist for 18 months and I have also had birds done in as little a *4 weeks*. I also know of birds that have been done in a couple days (funerals). If you are concerned about how long a birds is taking to get done, call and talk to them, explain your concerns and see what if anything can be done to help the process along. There might not be anything that can be done but you will never know until you ask. All the taxidermist I know and associate with are great guys. Give him a call.


and the quality?


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## toasty (May 15, 2008)

I waited almost 2 years for a duck and finally asked teh taxi for the skin and the materials for the duck so I could give it to someone else to do. He said he'd do it and I got the duck about 1 month later. I have a friend that is on his 4th year of waiting for a bear. Doesn't matter how the good the mount is, I would not be that patient.


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## longbow (Mar 31, 2009)

Longgun said:


> ?? in other notches of life "expedited pricing" abound's. Why not Taxidermy?? One could argue, its a stone in the wall of unregulated "laissez-faire" Capitalism. With your statement, are you saying it isnt the right of an individual to choose what to produce, how to produce it, and what price to sell it for at any given time? I would argue, that would be one reason to give clients windows of completeion vs an exact date. It allows room to take advantage of someone else's fat checkbook. Sounds like smart bizz!! ... Why NOT?


I guess I would be mildly annoyed to be set back on the list. I mean, I'm just as excited to get my stuff back as the guy that will pay an expedition fee. You really do have some good points though. I really can't argue with them.


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## lifes short (Sep 11, 2013)

nk1nk said:


> I realize good taxidermist have long wait times but at what point is it too long? If a guy tells you its a one year turn around and its been over a year and a half is that ridiculous or am I just being unrealistic?.


I think you answered your own question. If you were told one year it should be one year. You should expect what you were told even if someone else offers more $ to get theirs faster yours should be completed when agreed to. If his art takes two years to complete you should wait two years but you should be told up front it takes that long.


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## nk1nk (Nov 15, 2011)

I appreciate all the comments. Very good advice from all. I will keep you guys posted on what happens.

Thanks again!


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## lablover (Jan 27, 2014)

My 2 Cents-
First deadlines should be met and quality should not be affected by a deadline.
Anything over a year is ridiculous, but if a Taxi gave you that deadline and you left a bird at that point it is what it is.
All this being said MR. Longun has been my Taxi for probably 20yrs! I have a goose that is hung in my garage for 20 years that still looks great
John provides the 3 most important things in business-
1- Quality
2- On time
3- Fair price
I would and have recommended John time and time again and believe his work is second to NO one in this valley.
Again just my 2 cents on Taxidermy work here in Utah.


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## Vanilla (Dec 11, 2009)

I know many of the top guys are out well over a year for a bird. That is baffling to me. It just seems insane. But it seems to be the industry standard, so it is what it is. 

Waiting a long time vs getting it quickly doesn't mean anything for quality. My 2012 Pauns buck was done in less than 4 months, and the quality is top notch. It's a question of volume vs time available. No doubt you could get a top quality mount back in very short order if the taxi could just work on that one piece.


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## stuckduck (Jan 31, 2008)

TS30

I have talked to a few taxi guys and am told that it takes just as long to do a goose as it does to do a shoulder mount on a deer.. But they charge about half... I agree I hate to wait over a year!!


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## Truelife (Feb 6, 2009)

nk1 - I can't tell you how to fix the problem you have at hand. But after being a taxidermist myself for 20 years now I might be able to give folks some insight on what happens in the taxidermy shop behind the scenes. Hopefully all of the other taxi's won't see this as improper and maybe if some of them take the time to read this they might learn something that will help them.

Taxidermy is just like any other business. There is so much more involved than just sewing an animal skin onto a form. Most guys start taxidermy because it's something they want to try, or to save money. So they start and if they have some talent with it they find themselves down the road a ways and always behind schedule. Many say that a taxidermist should get some help if he's behind. Maybe they could look at it this way. If I'm a landscaper and get behind I can hire a kid to do some of the tasks that don't take a huge amount of skill, or that won't have a direct impact on the final result of my product. As a taxidermist if you touch that duck, or deer or whatever, it can/will have a direct impact on the final result of my product. So unless you can do it as good, or better than I can then that option is out. If you can do it as good, or better than me then you aren't looking for work in my shop.

Next there are generally two types of taxidermists. The full time guy, and the guy who has another full time job. The full time guy has to worry about paying the bills and keeping the doors open so he has to keep his freezers as full as he can AND try to stay on schedule. This ebb and flow gets out of whack sometimes. When new work shows up in the shop it can't sit around much so it takes priority over other things until it's taken care of. This is especially true during the peak hunting times, also known in my shop as hell week. The next thing about this guy is what kind of worker is he? Does this person get up and go to work 5 days a week, or does he maybe work 3 days in the shop and maybe take a day to gather drift wood, or shed antlers, or reference pictures? It's hard to be a motivated self-employed person and stay on task. If a full time guy has been running his taxidermy business successfully for 5 years or more he/she probably knows what they are doing. 

The part time guy gets himself into trouble when he takes in a whole bunch of work during hunting season and plans to take the next year to catch up. The full time job takes first priority, then there is always family, kids sports, church callings for some, hunting and fishing, I just worked all day and I don't want to do that and so on. Before you know it it's been 6 months and you haven't hardly touched a thing. Once you get behind it just gets worse and worse.

In either case the only way to stop getting deeper in the whole is to stop digging!

It is EXTREMELY hard for a taxidermist to turn work down. When that call comes in, or that knock on the door generally guys will take it, even if they know they are behind, or they shouldn't. And of course every time the guy on the other end wants to know how soon he can have it back. He's standing there with hundred dollar bills in his hand and you don't want to lose them so you tell him what he wants to hear. Then you tag and bag up the animal and stick it in the freezer. Generally it won't see the light of day again for many months.

I'm writing this from personal experience of my own but I have seen the same things done by many others.

*For those wanting to get something mounted* may I suggest that you start your conversation something like this&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230; Hello, I have an ___________ that I'm considering getting mounted. What does your schedule currently look like and how soon could I expect to get it back?

I think it's much easier for a taxidermist to give you an honest answer to this question at this point than it is when the animal is laying on the work bench with the tag on it and the money deposited. He hasn't spent 30 minutes listening to your stories, had his dinner or whatever interrupted and everything else. That call might only be 30 seconds long, or it might progress from there. As mentioned above some guys might be just fine waiting as long as they need to in order to get the quality the taxidermist produces. IF YOU ARE NOT ONE OF THOSE GUYS, then know that up front and pose the wait time question right up front and be ready to say ok, thanks for your time and hang up if they don't respond with a timeframe that you can accept.

Expect to pay 50% down on the mount. Or, of you can't pay 50% all at once then expect that the taxidermist isn't going to start on your project until he has that 50% deposit even if it comes in little by little as you can do it. I know that there are many arguments on this part and that is a subject for another thread maybe. Bottom line is that it is just the way the taxidermy industry is for a lot of reasons. 

One of the biggest things that a taxidermist hates is a customer that calls every week wanting to know if it's done. However, in my opinion once that time frame is reached and you still don't have the item back in hand then it's time to have a direct conversation. Call the taxidermist and discuss the fact that the agreed upon time has been met and that you have been very patient during that time. Discuss a new timeframe. Packout described above the length of time required to mount, dry & finish most animals. In most cases 3 weeks is enough time to wait for another check in. It was also mentioned that stopping in is better than calling on the phone. It's unfortunate, but sometimes it might take a lot of extra work on your end to get something done. The worst thing a guy can do is wait the discussed year and then either never say anything and just keep waiting, or call once and then not again for another year.

If you are a taxidermist and are interested in what I've learned about fixing the scheduling problem let me know. I've dragged this on far too long already.


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## Longgun (Sep 7, 2007)

Bravo TL, excellent writeup!


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## Truelife (Feb 6, 2009)

stuckduck said:


> TS30
> 
> I have talked to a few taxi guys and am told that it takes just as long to do a goose as it does to do a shoulder mount on a deer.. But they charge about half... I agree I hate to wait over a year!!


Costs are a lot less on a goose as well. Cheaper parts, no outsourcing for tanning and associated shipping costs for tanning.

No outside tanning also creates less wait time. Sending hides out to be tanned throws in a timeline variable that I can't control.


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