finfeathr

I do believe I will cry.....just got done skinning, butchering, fleshing and salting 2 really big bears that came into the shop on Sunday... Bear #1 was taken by a young lady and dressed out at 240 lbs....20 mins after she got to her stand. Bear #2 could have eaten that one for breakfast...didn't have a scale, but was almost impossible to move with one person..around 400-450 lbs, 7 ft from nose to tail...pretty big for NY..... Oh yeah....TONS of fat on them.... Rich, Fins to Feathers

They will have someone there.

Can't remember the exact year, but I was definately in the house I own now when they closed, so it has to be less than 14 years...

There aren't any Edelman's employees there.. Edelman's was my best agent...Bob Ishkanian commissioned a big display from me to put in the store the last few years they were around....I knew just about everyone in there...I know alot of people hated them, but they sure sent alot of business my way, and boy, did they take care of me when they closed the doors. Between a few sweet gun deals, and all the free steel shot I could load in my truck,...I am still using the shells they gave me 10 years ago.

Yeah, but it would require boning out the entire animal, and I simply don't have time for it..I butcher about 200 deer a year, as well as cape and flesh all the heads myself...

you will find that my prices are already very affordable....thx, Rich

Nope..just regular butchering..no chopmeat..I usually don't have enough scraps left after I cut a deer to make it. I salvage every edible piece into a regular cut or stew. When you get lots of chopmeat back from a deer processor, it's because they mixed ALL the scraps from ALL the deer they did that day together and then divvied it out equally. I can't understand where all the meat comes from when these guys offer sausage,kielbasa,pepperoni...my guess is it's mostly pork mixed with venison from lots of other people's deer..there simply isn't that much meat on a deer to get any amount of sausage, unless the entire deer was boned out and run through the grinder. Of couse, some unscrupulous butchers have been known to take advantage of the deer donation program to satisfy thier customer's sausage requests.....

Give me a call, I will look at it and see what can be done...maybe I can come up with a replacement cape for you...[516] 847-0087 Timmy, that sucks...I've been there, and know what you are going through...

Some of the guys there are ok, Angelo, the owner, is never there, or hiding in the back, and Jose' the tyrant runs the store, usually...I know of quite a few people that no longer go there simply because of his presence. Have you tried C&B Archery in Hicksville? great people, Range, haven't heard of any unhappy customers there...

He was probably at papabear's safety course...he helps me out at all of the shows..

Hopefully they will get rid of some of thier crappy employees...you know, the ones that can't be bothered helping a customer, giving lots of attitude, etc....otherwise, new location or not, they are doomed to failure...I know I will never spend another penny there.

Just reminding everyone that I own Fins to Feathers Taxidermy in Farmingdale. We are a full service studio covering all aspects of mounting including: North American Big Game African Small Game Upland Birds Waterfowl Tanning Fish We also offer Butchering service for Deer and Bear...all regular cuts: Roasts,shanks,stew,fillets,backstraps,ribs,steaks, and chops..skinned,freezer wrapped and labelled...Deer $80...bear $100 and up, depending on size. We fully tan all of our mounts, and pride ourselves with returning a realistic mount for a fair price to all of our customers. Our work can be viewed on the web at: www.alllongislandtaxidermy.com You may also stop by DICKS Sporting goods in either Melville, or Lake Grove, the mounts on display there are our work. Feel free to contact me at any time if you have any questions, or want to stop by the shop... Wishing everyone a prosperous and safe season.... Rich

Timmy...I hope you find him..I lost a doe like that 2 seasons ago...started tracking her, recovered the arrow along the way, covered with blood, but never found her...very crappy feeling, and I still revisit that scenario evertime I am on stand...good luck...

I wouldn't send my worst enemy there...too long of a bad history there.

Hey, small world...nobody is shooting anything yet....none of my regulars have shown up at the shop with any dead things yet....got a few heads in, but nowhere near where it should be..

I saw 20 deer on Sat...about 8 different bucks..could not get any clear shots...1 buck on Sunday, I was on the ground in a natural blind, and he was 7 feet away. When his head got behind a cedar tree, I tried to pull back, and I got a shooting pain in my tricep..had to redraw, and got busted......Something always goes wrong.......

Saw 2 bucks, 1 doe, and 3 red fox today..deer all winded me b4 I could get a shot off..one of the foxes almost joined me in my hiding spot....only 5 feet away..

Im a local duck hunter from amityville, Ive probably ran into you, i hunt aver 50 days a season. Yeah, I know all the locals I guess,.. the Mullins,Onderdonk,Gosline,Spencer,Dieke,Babbich,McKenna....I keep my southbay on Braham ave. during the season...

From Farmingdale....I bowhunt L.I., and waterfowl mostly Amityville area. All the spots I used to chase pheasants, quail, and bunnies now have houses or industrial parks on them now.

Despite indescressions? You're kidding, right? So you would continue giving business to someone who got caught selling 10 deer to undercover officers, simply because he participates in the venison donation program? As far as "alleged", you only have to check Newsday archives, it was November last year that it made the paper. Convicted or not, I don't know, People always seem to have a way to slither out of trouble with a good attorney, The simple fact that the state would invest the time in an undercover operation, and find enough evidence to make a case, would seem to invoke the old "walks like a duck, quacks like a duck" philosophy, in my opinion, anyway. I am simply stating that if you want to continue to donate deer, thats great..I believe Emmy from Eastern can accommodate you in that endeavor, and he is as honest as the day is long.You could also bring the deer to ANY deer processor, pay the required amount, pick up the meat, and then donate it on your own. There are always options. I really wasn't trying to ruffle your feathers, just pointing out that there is alot of red tape involved with the donation program, namely the timely pickup of meat..if they could streamline it better, maybe more processors would be involved. Until then, everybody should do thier homework before the season, call ahead to processors and taxidermists, see who's work is up to your standards, maybe visit some shops,etc. Most hunters don't even think about where or what place to take thier game to for butchering or a mount until it's tied on top of the car, and wifey tells them to not even think of bringing it home like that..then they drop it off at whatever place answered the phone first. I have been in this game for 30 years, and have seen that exact scenario play out every year.

On L.I., you can get another tag if you bring the head to the check station in Ridge.

Like I said..nobody wants to store it until it gets picked up...I don't even store it for customers, they have to pick it up after I call them that it's finished... And let's be honest, most guys are donating just to get another tag, or because thier wife won't let it in the house.... Rich

Down on Long Island there is only one processor who participates in the venison donation program and they require that you call first. That's a problem, as the state pays a fixed amount to the processor for butchering a deer while the processor can make more money by butchering a deer (minimum of $70.00) from anyone else. We need more processors down here to participate in the venison donation program. There is more than one butcher who participates in the donation program on L.I. One of them got in a lot of trouble last season for taking in deer as donated deer, and then selling the meat to undercover officers. He got busted for selling at least 10 deer. It was all over Newsday last November... I process deer, but cannot participate in the donation program as I have nowhere to store the meat until the foodbank decides to come get it. I charge $80 to butcher a deer, and it seldom takes me more than a few hours to get it ready for pickup. You can call if you need butchering: [516]847-0087. I just did 2 bears for some Maine hunters today... Rich, Fins to Feathers Taxidermy

Last season, my price for a shoulder mount was $425...price this season may be more depending on whether or not my form prices and tanning costs are going up. Turn around depends on several factors, including time at the tannery, and workload..I normally do at least 100 heads per year, as well as about 200 birds, so normally, deer head customers get thier mount back over the summer. As far as the sticker shock, I can tell you this: you get what you pay for. There are alot of fly by night operations out there that do a cheap head and fast. Problem is, when the bugs are eating it the following year because they didn't tan it, or the hide shrank so much that the seam is opening, and the lips have pulled out and the skin is pulling away from the antlers, you will certainly realize that there was indeed a tradeoff for the low price... Rich, Fins to Feathers Taxidermy

American burger..used to go there all the time when I was younger...super great Gyro place next door also... The price for a whitetail shoulder mt. was $425 this past season. Most of my butchering comes from guys that live on the island, but if you wanna bring it, I'll do it...