Taxidermist question

Wyobowhunt · Feb 15, 2021

So I have a quick question for you guys. I have used the same guy for 3 deer a couple fish and birds. The work has been outstanding. But today my wife picked up my last mule deer and not happy. How would you go about addressing it?

nocwalker · Feb 15, 2021

What’s wrong? If it needs repair I’m sure he would do it. If something is real bad and unrepeatable you can always buy another hide

nripepi · Feb 15, 2021

Let's see the other 2 mounts for comparison so we have an idea of the difference in quality.

Tristate · Feb 16, 2021

What has your wife said she does not like on the mount?

Geko42 · Feb 16, 2021

Mount looks good to me. You can hang it in my house.
You must be high maintenance kinda picky type guy

Founder · Feb 16, 2021

Looks fine from my view. What’s the issue?

BrowningRage · Feb 16, 2021

I also don't see any issues. Nothing obvious anyway... Was there something specific you requested that wasn't honored?

To be frank, when it comes to taxidermy, it's like art. If you commission someone to do it, there's no guarantee it will be exactly how you picture it, because they are the artist. While there are some issues that can be 'fixed', some issues you just have to learn to live with. Someone suggested you could get another hide, but then you might not feel like its your deer...

kickerbuck · Feb 16, 2021

I think the taxidermy work looks fine, but maybe the pose and form you picked make it look like it's not alive or something? I had one done once with a straight on upright and it just looked fake and not real but it was the pose and not the mount. The deer doesn't look clowned out though. At least to me..........

SanPitch · Feb 16, 2021

Wyobowhunt said:
So I have a quick question for you guys. I have used the same guy for 3 deer a couple fish and birds. The work has been outstanding. But today my wife picked up my last mule deer and not happy. How would you go about addressing it?

View attachment 24775

I am genuinely curious as to what you don’t like about it, looks great to me but I don’t know much about taxi so I’m just curious.

hornkiller · Feb 16, 2021

It might look a little crooked on the wall?

SS! · Feb 16, 2021

At the very least the taxidermist could of gave the buck better front forks.

Blank · Feb 16, 2021

Honest opinion?? I think it looks pretty good, face done correctly, and the eyes and tear ducts are in good proportion. I am not a real fan of their ears turned out that way, but that's just me. Go look at various live mule deer images, and 90% of them will be cupped forward a little more. With high horns like yours, the buck probably carried them a little higher, you can raise them up a little more but still turn them a little more forward. If the clay is still a little bit malleable, they could still be moved slightly.

I'd like to be standing directly in front of it, to see if it is straight on the wall. It makes it look like the brisket hair and work on the left side is a little lower than the right side. If it is square on the form and on the wall, then that's just the way it grew. Alll in all, I still like it, and would be proud to have it in my home!!

Hunt_the_West · Feb 16, 2021

I’d take a credit card and tuck that hair around the shoulder against the wall so it’s nice and flush just after I put that piece of quarter round trim against my ceiling ??‍

SS! · Feb 16, 2021

Hunt_the_West said:
I’d take a credit card and tuck that hair around the shoulder against the wall so it’s nice and flush just after I put that piece of quarter round trim against my ceiling ??‍

Don’t forget to change the zip tie on the bucks rack to black!

Cahunter805 · Feb 16, 2021

The taxidermy work looks pretty nice to me. Seems the mount may need to be rotated a bit to square things up on the wall. I agree with Blank. I’m not a fan of ears positioned like that but it does seem like a very common position used.

link · Feb 16, 2021

Looks pretty good to me. I do notice the head tilted, but that looks intentional.

Geko42 · Feb 16, 2021

Wyobowhunt you are going to have to tell us what you don't like about it. Everybody seems to think it looks good

Wyobowhunt · Feb 16, 2021

Maybe it isn’t as bad as I think with the ridge in the nose

EVILNR · Feb 16, 2021

looks good.

Wyobowhunt · Feb 16, 2021

I guess it isn’t bad, if everyone thanks it looks good. Yes it was a little tilted. Just put it up for a quick picture.

elkassassin · Feb 16, 2021

So was it a 500.00 Mount?

Or a 1K Mount?

Looks Like a Perty Nice Job to me!

elkassassin · Feb 16, 2021

Maybe Shoulda Pinned His Ears Straight Back to Make Him Look Wider!

RAZZIN Ya!

Drnaln · Feb 16, 2021

I hate it when the Taxidermist shrinks my antlers.

Wyobowhunt · Feb 16, 2021

Geko42 said:
Wyobowhunt you are going to have to tell us what you don't like about it. Everybody seems to think it looks good

Blank said:
Honest opinion?? I think it looks pretty good, face done correctly, and the eyes and tear ducts are in good proportion. I am not a real fan of their ears turned out that way, but that's just me. Go look at various live mule deer images, and 90% of them will be cupped forward a little more. With high horns like yours, the buck probably carried them a little higher, you can raise them up a little more but still turn them a little more forward. If the clay is still a little bit malleable, they could still be moved slightly.

I'd like to be standing directly in front of it, to see if it is straight on the wall. It makes it look like the brisket hair and work on the left side is a little lower than the right side. If it is square on the form and on the wall, then that's just the way it grew. Alll in all, I still like it, and would be proud to have it in my home!!

Forester · Feb 16, 2021

I think I would be more upset with the carpenter who left off 18” of quarter round moulding

JakeSwensen · Feb 16, 2021

I thought you were talking about your wife not liking all of the wall space your mounts are taking up. Take her out to dinner and a movie... Do the dishes once in a while... Mount looks good! Congratulations

Blank · Feb 16, 2021

Yep, I like it even better standing in front of it now, but I would still turn the ears myself

JakeH · Feb 17, 2021

Wyobowhunt said:
Maybe it isn’t as bad as I think with the ridge in the nose

I noticed the ridge on the nose, a lot of times the taxidermist will build up the nose with clay to give it a more rounded look especially with a later season cape. Gives it more of that "Roman nose" look. Looks like he just stayed with the form and didn't add much extra work into it.

All in all its a good mount though, im also not a fan of the ear position but technically it looks sound.

ckat · Feb 17, 2021

I think the mount looks good, but I am a fan of leveling the eyes. A lot of turned forms will “cant” the head if the brisket-to-backbone line is plumbed. I twist the form until the eyes are level. Just personal preference, though...

bigmoose · Feb 17, 2021

When I saw your mount, I thought of this one of mine. The ears are turned similar to yours and there is a ridge along the nose. It just did not look good to me... for long time. I'm used to it now but it's not my favorite. The taxidermist does excellent work and is an artist but we should have gotten on the same page before he mounted it. I also don't care for the form (too upright) and the pencil neck.

SureShot · Feb 17, 2021

Do you have a field photo of the buck? Did he have that ridge when you killed him?

Wyobowhunt · Feb 17, 2021

SureShot said:
Do you have a field photo of the buck? Did he have that ridge when you killed him?

AZGuy · Feb 17, 2021

It looks good to me, not my favorite ear positioning but I could live with it! Sweet buck

notdonhunting · Feb 17, 2021

The mount looks good.
It looks to me bucks with white faces the ridge stands out a little more. The bucks with more color seem to blend better.

Tikka · Feb 17, 2021

Forester said:
I think I would be more upset with the carpenter who left off 18” of quarter round moulding

Along the same lines, the T&G joints don’t align from wall to wall

SureShot · Feb 17, 2021

Wyobowhunt said:
View attachment 24922

View attachment 24923

Yeah, I think I'm with you. That ridge isn't apparent on the field photo. It would probably bug me too. Not sure what to do about it at this point though.

bigmoose · Feb 18, 2021

I don't think there's anyway to change the way he looks at this point unless you use another cape and have it remounted. I wouldn't do it. I've gotten to like mine, though he's different from the others I've had mounted and I've had 25 years to adjust to him...LOL

SS! · Feb 18, 2021

Cool looking buck! Should post up a story sometime if you haven’t already done so.

WVHUNTER · Feb 18, 2021

I don't really think there is anything wrong with it. I'm not a fan of the ears either.
I look at some mounts and they look like like they are alive. I look at others and they look like a stuffed dead animal. Most of the time I couldn't tell you what's wrong with it. Maybe a lot of small details add up.

nontypical · Feb 18, 2021

I used to always want my bucks mounted with the ears in alert/straight forward position, but anymore I just let the taxidermist do what he wishes with the ears. A deer's ears are rarely in this position unless they are on alert. They are constantly moving in different positions when in their natural un-disturbed every day life. A good taxi knows what looks good and an artist needs to have some flexibility!

I think your mount looks GREAT. Nice buck!

eelgrass · Feb 18, 2021

Replace the missing ceiling trim and it will be perfect.

buckhorn · Feb 18, 2021

Wyobowhunt said:
So I have a quick question for you guys. I have used the same guy for 3 deer a couple fish and birds. The work has been outstanding. But today my wife picked up my last mule deer and not happy. How would you go about addressing it?

View attachment 24775

Congratulations on taking a nice mature mule deer.
I have to say I can see why you’re not happy with that mount.
The ears aren’t right. It’s not a good position and he looks sleepy or half dead. I wouldn’t be able to look at that very long. I think I would either get it remounted or just get one of the euro skulls and go that route.
Again that’s a beautiful rack and it deserves better!
You should let the taxidermist know your feelings and see what he’s willing to do for you. If he’s not willing to work with you don’t use him anymore.