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You could do a euro first, find someone cheap, and keep the cape frozen until you've saved up enough money to get it mounted. 750 for an elk sounds about right in that range. I just paid 600 for a deer, but it was well worth it. I'm sure there are cheaper, but with that comes a cheap mount. You really get what you pay for when it comes to taxidermy.

 

That 6X8 will look real good with a shoulder mount. You just have to shoot him first!

 

You asked for the "best deal". The best deal is a quality mount for a fair price. Just because it is $700 may not mean it is a good deal. A crappy, dead looking $700 mount is a worse deal than a quality $850 mount.

Lets be honest. Do you want a mount that looks like a live animal and uses quality materials so it will last for years to come? You can go with the guy who is just learning and it might turn out ok and it might look horrible. Usually, the same goes for the $600 elk mount. My advice is to go visit taxidermists and see their work. Then go with the one you feel is best for your situation. Just because a guy charges $1,200 for an elk does not mean it is better than a cheaper one. You really need to get a quality job which will look good for years to come. I feel I provide a great service at a fair price.

And no, it really isn't possible to shoulder mount an elk and then turn it back into a european mount if it looks like garbage. The cost in quality materials alone will run close to $400 for an elk shoulder mount.

This is a Once-In-A-Lifetime experience. Best of luck and have fun.

 

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Why don't you do all the licensed, bonded and insured taxidermists a favor and use one of them.
You will get what you pay for!!

 

I have a limited entry tag as well and was wondering the same thing. Can you guys pm me as well
Thanks
GSLHonker

 

Listen carefully to Packout's advice, and I would emphasize going to look at their work. That extra $200 will seem like nothing if you take your chances on a "deal" and end up disappointed. Do it right the first time.

I feel I provide a great service at a fair price.

This is why you should visit Packout's shop first :mrgreen:

 

If you want, do a euro first, you can always do a shoulder later if you take care of the cape. My beetles would clean it up quickly, and you can be proud of your trophy until you can afford to mount it.

The phrase, you get what you pay for is very true for mounts, I know a few that can bring your animal back to life and have it look good, there are alot of taxis around and you just have to make sure you will be happy with their work. If your not happy with their work you wont be happy with your mount.

Sometimes spending a little more will bring you much more joy than heart ache, years of looking at your mount and feeling disgust than joy is well worth a couple hundred bucks. Youve spent alot of time and money, waiting , applying, scouting, and hunting your trophy, spending a bit more shouldn't matter to have a quality mount.

 

Listen carefully to Packout's advice, and I would emphasize going to look at their work. That extra $200 will seem like nothing if you take your chances on a "deal" and end up disappointed. Do it right the first time.

I feel I provide a great service at a fair price.

This is why you should visit Packout's shop first :mrgreen:

+1, non better than packout. To go through the luck-of-the draw, the time, effort, money and to FINALLY get an animal you want to mount - only to risk the quality of the mount due to a difference of a couple hundred bucks - could be a big disappointment to you every time you look at it on the wall if is not done right.

 

You could do a euro first, find someone cheap, and keep the cape frozen until you've saved up enough money to get it mounted. 750 for an elk sounds about right in that range. I just paid 600 for a deer, but it was well worth it. I'm sure there are cheaper, but with that comes a cheap mount. You really get what you pay for when it comes to taxidermy.

I disagree with that I had my Deer done for $400 and looks as good as any other mount I have seen.

I will have to agree if your dealing with Bird mounts.

 

then you must not be looking at detail and eyes, there are only a handful of taxis that do excellent work, alot do some great work and even more do good work and then there are even more that do bad work. the key to it is, find one that does work you are excited about. One that makes animals come alive, and puts some effort to getting it right.

Birds, you have to be even more picky!!!!!!!

 

You could do a euro first, find someone cheap, and keep the cape frozen until you've saved up enough money to get it mounted. 750 for an elk sounds about right in that range. I just paid 600 for a deer, but it was well worth it. I'm sure there are cheaper, but with that comes a cheap mount. You really get what you pay for when it comes to taxidermy.

I disagree with that I had my Deer done for $400 and looks as good as any other mount I have seen.

I will have to agree if your dealing with Bird mounts.

If it makes you happy than thats great, and even more great if it really is an amazing mount for that cheap. Im anal and a perfectionist so i want it done right to every little detail. The extra money and time is well worth it to me. In general, i have yet to see a cheaper taxidermist that does better work than the guy i take my stuff too. I'm just not going to risk ruining something you only get one shot at

 

Does anyone have any side by side photos of a "great" mount and a "poor " mount?

 

These are pics from another thread on another forum (http://www.monstermuleys.info/dcforum/DCForumID47/240.html). This is quite extreme but gives you an idea.

Good mounts....

[attachment=3:1wp7fj0c]100_2772redo[1].jpg[/attachment:1wp7fj0c]

[attachment=2:1wp7fj0c]100_2775[1].jpg[/attachment:1wp7fj0c]

Bad mounts.....

[attachment=1:1wp7fj0c]418dscf0057a[1].jpg[/attachment:1wp7fj0c]

[attachment=0:1wp7fj0c]9397dscf0058a[1].jpg[/attachment:1wp7fj0c]

 

Good

[attachment=1:25kkxm9u]pic3[1].jpg[/attachment:25kkxm9u]

Not so good

[attachment=0:25kkxm9u]4091taxidermy_003[1].jpg[/attachment:25kkxm9u]

 

That kitty cat looking cougar is hilarious!
:lol:

 

Wow! ! If I showed up to pick up my trophy and those bad mounts were what I was getting......I'D BE PIS*ED! Those bad mounts are rediculously bad.

 

The story behind that kitty mount isn't funny at all, same with the bad deer. The same guy did the taxidermy work and has 30 years experience in taxidermy.

The key thing is take a pic with you, of a animal your mounting with you, see if his mounts look alike with the picture. A great mount should look lifelike, the ears, eyes and muscle tone should all look alive. They should also go with the form( relaxed, nervous, spooked). A great taxi should be able to make the mount look alive.

 

the sad part is that the kitty cat still used $1000+ of materials. even if the labor was free, someone got jipped!

 

It actually cost the guy $3500, and that was the taxis 2nd time trying to fix it

 

To the taxidermists out there....... Are mounts priced by how exotic the animal is? Material used? Labor involved?
Browsing around last year I saw an Impala mount costing 850. The same taxi had deer priced at 400. I would assume the deer uses more material and is larger than the impala so it should cost more. Am i right?

 

To the taxidermists out there....... Are mounts priced by how exotic the animal is? Material used? Labor involved?
Browsing around last year I saw an Impala mount costing 850. The same taxi had deer priced at 400. I would assume the deer uses more material and is larger than the impala so it should cost more. Am i right?

Nope. African stuff is always more money because of the labor involved. They usually get skinned by some guy with a dull piece of glass for a knife, then they get salted, then they go into a holding room while they pass customs for a period of time, then they get shipped to your taxidermist where he then performs miracles getting them to look good again. Take into account that most African animals are very thin and short haired which makes it even harder to hide flaws in the cape. Simply put, African stuff is a pain in the arse. Therefore,$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

I think for most taxidermists they charge according to the difficulty of the piece and how involved the base/habitat is. I can't speak for all, but I know I charge using this method. I parakeet and a pheasant are very different in size, but I charge that same for both birds because it takes me the same amount of time to mount either one.

BTW, if he's charging $400 for a deer he's working for free. Idiot!

Tanning: $40
Form: $45
eyes: $12
ear liners: $13
Hide paste,
glue, thread,
clay, putty,
paint, power,
gas, water,
etc. $25

Total Exp: $135

Skin, flesh, turn the lips, eyes, mouth, ear, salt: 2 hours
Prep the cape: 2 hours
Install ear liners: 30 min
Prep form, install antlers: 1 hour
Sculpt eyes, ear butts, lips, nose: 30 min
Mount, sew it shut, set the ears, etc: 4 hours
2nd and third day tune-ups: 2 hours
Tear down, prep for paint: 2 hours
Paint, clean up, and finish: 1 hour

Total time spent: 15 hours

So, he's getting paid $400 to mount the deer. It costs him $135 in overhead so now that deer is worth $265. divide that by 15 hours labor and take 30% for taxes and he's making a whopping $6.50 an hour.

What is minimum wage these days anyway......... :?

 

Thanks Tex-O-Bob. Great info. When I go to a taxi now I will definately understand what it is I am paying for and why.