# Reasonable time to give a taxidermist



## #1DEER 1-I (Sep 10, 2007)

I don’t like to be a bother to my taxidermist but how long should you expect to wait to get something back before you start getting a little pushy about something? I took my bear in, we’re approaching 2 and a half years ago at this point, it’s been paid off for about a year now. Just wondering if this is a normal amount of wait time for a full body type mount? I usually get shoulder mounts back within 6 months to a year. Approaching 2 and a half years on a paid off mount seems to be a bit much to me but maybe I’m impatient?


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

After a year I would be contacting him and after a year and a half I would be sitting on his door step.


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## Packout (Nov 20, 2007)

What time frame did he tell you at the start? If he said 3 years, then you are impatient. If he said 1-2 years then I'd say you have the patience of a saint. 

Keep in mind that many taxidermists take in all the work they can. This puts them 2+ years out on their turn around. Which is the choice of client if they want to wait that long as long as they know going in. Personally, I don't see how anyone who is more than a year out can give a goal month for completion.


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## bowgy (Oct 10, 2007)

My full mount cougar took 3 years, after the first year I would call him every few months but I would tell him to take his time, I wanted his best work and didn't want him to rush it but I wanted to be on his mind. 

He did an excellent job, I haven't seen one I have liked better. 

So I would recommend calling him but not being pushy but letting him know that you want him thinking about you.


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## legacy (Sep 30, 2007)

The guy that is doing my wife's deer has had it since October of 2017. He never gave me an actual time frame but I assumed it wasn't going to take this long. I've hit him up several times and he keeps giving me excuses and keeps telling me that he is going to be working on it "within the next couple of weeks". Just looked at my texts - Last time I hit him up was June 28th. He said "I'll work on it this week or next. Sorry for the delay". That was the last time I talked to him. I guess it's time to hit him up again.

Had I paid him, I'd be a little more antsy. BUT, I haven't paid him anything yet.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

Usually if you don't pay them upfront they try to get your mount out quicker just to get the money. 

My coues deer mount took 8 months almost to the day. I had a bear skin rug take a year and a half but it sat in their freezer for 6 months until they had a good shipment to go to the tannery. My quickest was 4 months on a mule deer mount.

You just never know 

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## 3arabians (Dec 9, 2014)

I’d start pushing him for a due date at this point. If you have a solid client relationship with him then be sweet about it but if this is your first animal you’ve taken him I would be a little more stern about a completion timeline given that the mount has been paid in full for so long. Full mounts a super pricey and you are not being a pest in anyway for requesting an expectation of when you will see a return on what you paid for in my book. 

I want to add that having had Packout complete several mounts of mine from euros to full mounts he encourages his customers to contact him at any time during the process with questions including asking about a completion time. It’s one of the many qualities that make him a really good taxidermist. I’ve never felt I was being a bother to him when asking when I could expect my mount to be done. And when it gets close to the initial timeframe I was given I start to ask more and more. Getting your taxidermy work back is a big deal! Haha. 


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## Vanilla (Dec 11, 2009)

I dropped my deer off after killing on the rifle hunt towards the end of October, and had it back in February. I realize this is not the normal. I’ve seen 6 months up to 3 years and everything in between with friends and family taking animals in.


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## #1DEER 1-I (Sep 10, 2007)

Packout said:


> What time frame did he tell you at the start? If he said 3 years, then you are impatient. If he said 1-2 years then I'd say you have the patience of a saint.
> 
> Keep in mind that many taxidermists take in all the work they can. This puts them 2+ years out on their turn around. Which is the choice of client if they want to wait that long as long as they know going in. Personally, I don't see how anyone who is more than a year out can give a goal month for completion.


He didn't really give a specific timeline, but I and a few other people I know take things there, but have just been deer and elk shoulder mounts and that has always been about 4-6 months in getting them back. I realize the full body bear mount is going to take a while longer so I have probably only checked in on it 3 times over the 2 and a half years and all of them just to make payments. Last summer he said sometime this winter, this winter he said this summer. I called today to check in on it and he said they had ordered some full body forms and they would be here in about 3 weeks. I'll give it a month or two more and probably check in again.


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## taxidermist (Sep 11, 2007)

Life-size (Full-bodied) mounts take up more time for sure. Three years is longer than I'd expect. If your guy is turning game heads out within 6 months he's not that busy. 


If he is having to alter the manikin to change the pose to something you described, then it can take a little extra time. (not a year though)


I'd be calling and asking where he's at with it and to give you a date for picking it up. I think the mistake on your part was paying the bill in full. 


Before retiring I required a 50% deposit before I'd give a completion date. When I was a month out from completion I'd let the client know so they could prepare for the final payment and pick up.


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## #1DEER 1-I (Sep 10, 2007)

taxidermist said:


> Life-size (Full-bodied) mounts take up more time for sure. Three years is longer than I'd expect. If your guy is turning game heads out within 6 months he's not that busy.
> 
> If he is having to alter the manikin to change the pose to something you described, then it can take a little extra time. (not a year though)
> 
> ...


Yeah, I will probably keep half for future things. I can see why that would be beneficial. A full body mount is just so much money I didn't want it hanging there I just decided to get it paid for.


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## RandomElk16 (Sep 17, 2013)

This is one of the reasons why I love the taxidermist I go to... you know who you are ;-)


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## Packout (Nov 20, 2007)

With this additional info, you are a patient man. If the forms are drop shipped in 3 weeks it will still be 5-8 weeks after he gets the form with drying/building time. The busiest time of the year for a taxidermist is the next 3 months- so if it has been 2 1/2 years, you may want to prepare yourself for closer to 3.


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## High Desert Elk (Aug 21, 2012)

Without divulging too much of the trades "secrets", 2-1/2 years on a rug is a long time unless the taxi is really hooked up...


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## legacy (Sep 30, 2007)

Packout, I hope I have a reason to come see you within the next couple of months! 8)


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## #1DEER 1-I (Sep 10, 2007)

Packout said:


> With this additional info, you are a patient man. If the forms are drop shipped in 3 weeks it will still be 5-8 weeks after he gets the form with drying/building time. The busiest time of the year for a taxidermist is the next 3 months- so if it has been 2 1/2 years, you may want to prepare yourself for closer to 3.


I've been happy with them so I haven't really worried about it. But the pedestal they're having built I explained about a year and a half ago how I wanted it, 6 months later called and they were asking how exactly I wanted it built again, I asked about it again yesterday and they haven't let the guy know who builds them for them to build it yet. Idk, I just haven't felt like they've even given it a thought. I understand times get busy, and yeah I'm not expecting it for a while more for sure. They do good work and I've taken a few things to them and have been happy. This one just seems to be dragging out without much movement on it. I waited nearly 3 years on a cougar rug with the taxidermist I used before and I finally had to call him weekly before he finally got t done. I stoped using him, it was a drag out process everything I took to him. Hopefully this won't be the case here now.


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## taxidermist (Sep 11, 2007)

Honestly-----I would go down to the shop and visit them and request to see where they are at on the bear. If the tanning is all they have accomplished, and haven't ordered any manikin, I'd request my money back (minus the tan bill) and find someone else.


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## plottrunner (Apr 3, 2008)

I would have never made the full payment until I was picking up the finished product. Half up front and the remainder upon completion. Once they start putting it together, they have to hurry before the hide dries so if he doesn't even have the form yet or the pedestal built, then you are going to be waiting a while longer. Depending on how long its been tanned, I hope the hide doesn't tear when he stretches it. :shock::shock::shock:


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## 2full (Apr 8, 2010)

I had a guy I used just over 15 years ago. He did a deer, and a couple of bulls for me. 
The work he did was very good, no complaints there. Always paid 1/2 up front. Rest when done. 
The first one, a deer, he got back to me in just under a year. 
The next one, an elk, it was 1 1/2 year..........not bad. 
The 2nd elk I took to him was 2 1/2+ years. 
Didn't bug him for over 2 years. When I did ask him about it he blew up and got mad. 
He had taken on a lot of mounts, and was guiding a lot. 
I didn't take anymore work to him. 

I had another guy I used for a couple of mounts that is very good, but he wants to get out and retire. 

Used a third guy for my a Paunsy buck, and he stunk, was terrible. 
Originally did it as a European but go so much heat from everyone for not mounting a 31" buck I let him do a full mount on it. It was much better looking as a European mount. 

Have gotten to where I just do everything European mounts. 
They look good and not that hard to do. :mrgreen:


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