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Elk and deer shoulder mounts

I paid $900 for my 2009 elk and $450 for my 2009 antelope. I've had them back over a month now, so the turnaround time is awesome. The Kansas deer from December should be done next month.
 
Are we talking about Jerry out on Springhill??? I assume we are. Took well over a year to get my griz rug back, and if I remember right a solid 18 months to get my black bear rug back....... but that said the price and quality more than made up for the wait. He did a couple European mounts for me as well, and those always came back in less time. It never ceased to amaze me how much stuff he had stacked up out there at any given time. Makes me wonder how he keeps it all straight.

Elkwhisper
 
Are we talking about Jerry out on Springhill??? I assume we are. Took well over a year to get my griz rug back, and if I remember right a solid 18 months to get my black bear rug back....... but that said the price and quality more than made up for the wait. He did a couple European mounts for me as well, and those always came back in less time. It never ceased to amaze me how much stuff he had stacked up out there at any given time. Makes me wonder how he keeps it all straight.

Dan - That is who we are talking about. I think the same thing when I go out there. You see a stack of antlers, horns, and hides which would fill a few boxcars and you have to wonder, "Do I really want to leave mine in that mess?"

I always keep the horns or antlers at my house, until he is ready for them. Not that he has ever lost anything, but I figure then I know where he is at on my project. And, when I go to drop it off, it gives me another reason to go out and look at all the cool stuff he has out there.

He does have my black bear hide from last May, that all I asked for was to get it tanned and I will have a bear pelt (Greenhorn showed me that idea, and he has a stack of plews that is the envy of any bear hunter).

Hope he isn't confused and doing a full rug on it, as I am fresh out of wall space. Would have to send it with my son to put on his dorm wall back at Cornell. Ha, that would be cool. How many college kids have a bear rug on their wall, floor?

Greenie - Have you got your 2009 hide back from him yet?
 
I know a couple of guys who are still waiting on there 2009 bear hides from him.

I was just out there a couple of weeks ago with my dad, discussing options for his bighorn from this fall. He is only charging him $500 which I was blown away at, and also said he should have it done by the end of the summer (we will see). I love going in that place. He had one of the prettiest griz full mounts I have ever seen.

Fin..you have probably posted this before, but how much did you pay for those walnut pedestals?
 
I know a couple of guys who are still waiting on there 2009 bear hides from him.

I was just out there a couple of weeks ago with my dad, discussing options for his bighorn from this fall. He is only charging him $500 which I was blown away at, and also said he should have it done by the end of the summer (we will see). I love going in that place. He had one of the prettiest griz full mounts I have ever seen.

Fin..you have probably posted this before, but how much did you pay for those walnut pedestals?

I would have to go back and look, but I think I got the first one for $400, and then when I asked for two more, the guy stated he just wasn't making any money at that price and he asked for an extra $25. It was in that range, and I know I am within $25 +/-.

I will look for the link where I previously posted that info, if I can find it.
 
you guys are paying too much for taxidermy...when i get a chance i'll post some pics of the mounts i've done for myself and a few buddies...you all have some magnificent looking mounts tho, congrats
 
Oak and Ovis- those are awesome sheep mounts. I want one of those bad. I'm not sure I'd care what those cost as good as they look.
 
Reason we don't do many mounts around my place. These two Antelope were $1033.00 a piece canadian. That's a good price where I come from. The two whitetail we did ourselfs a couple years ago for under $300.00 each
antelope10032.jpg


antelope10031.jpg
 
I like those antelope. I've got one at the taxidermist that's probably the average of those two. Are those pictures taken from the side or straight on? I'm guessing straight on with the angle of the ceiling. If so, I like them. I've never seen them done like that (only the ones where the backside is showing and covered in felt).
 
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Just got a call from Fin's taxidermist and he wanted to know if I wanted open or closed mouth on my black bear. Wooo Hoo. It's been 4 years:eek: but I wasn't pushing for it either. It was a big bear but didn't have that great of hide compared to one other I have and Fin's from the show. I'll post picts when I get it back. It was a long guy nose to tail but not real wide. Jerry does a great job and has always been more than fair with me.
 
I was gonna take mine to Andres, but I don't have the patience to wait years to get my animals back. I did get some good recommendations from Critter and Brandon. I've got a mini competition going between their two guys.

I'm still trying to talk myself into chasing bears this spring. I saw quite a few last summer and fall, but I don't know if I could pull the trigger on one. It looks and sounds like a lot of fun though.
 
(only the ones where the backside is showing and covered in felt).

These are mounted like that, they are hung on the wall until we get some old cedar fence poles to make a couple stands out of. I've got 3 mule deer that need to get done, mine my sons and my daughters. I'm getting a part time job strapping a mattress to my back so I can give curb service to the old gals so's I'll have enough money to pay for them.
 
I've tried three taxis in the Gallatin valley.The first was the one Fin uses.I'll NEVER go back to him.I took a mid range antelope in for mounting,which the taxi mostly sneered at,then clearly sicked one of his traineees on the mounting.The form was completely the wrong size.MY animal had an enormous snout,the one I got back looked like it hadn't had a drink of water in 5 years,all shriveled up and bony.It took for ever,so what,I'll never go back.
The second taxidermist has a pretty bad reputation in the valley,as far as customer interaction.I have talked to numerous people who were pretty ticked off,however this guy did a big antelope(missed all-time B and C from a 7/8 deduction) and a 146 whitetail for me and I would say the work was outstanding.He nailed both animals.Took a year.
The third taxidermist did a mountain goat and my most recent whitetail.$565.00 for the deer.Pricey maybe,BUT I paid up front and got my deer back in 9 weeks.Good work.The quick turn around due to he tans the smaller frame hides himself.I'll pm you names if you need 'em. Nate
 
I haven't had one done in a long time, and my old taxidermist retired. I am having the deer I shot this year done and shoped around and looked at all there mounts. The five guys I looked at went from 450 up to 700. Funny part was the best work I saw was done by the guy for 450, and the worst by the guy who wanted 700.
 
I've never had bad results with Andres. I was just out there today, that guy's the hardest working mo-fo on earth.
 
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