[Man Cave Reno]

I like those corner mount hangers. May have to look into getting one for my wall ped of last year's freak buck if I ever get him mounted up.

[My #1 for 2021 finally shows again..]

14 minutes ago, The Jerkman said:

That deer is what like 30 at this point?

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#WeDemandUnlimitedLikes
 

Plus or minus a year or two...lol

[My #1 for 2021 finally shows again..]

Going back through the card, I discovered that I had a couple pics of him on his way back to bed the other morning. He seems to be pretty curious as to what that little redflash going off is. These would have been the only daylight pics that I've ever had of him. Damn...morning condensation.

Judging by these pics of him from '19, I'd say he's gotta be at least 6 yrs old. I dont recognize him from prior years.

 

[So what did you spend on a deer mount this past season?]

3 minutes ago, The_Real_TCIII said:

My first buck was killed opening day of archery (10/15) and I got him back from Jim Block the Friday before the gun opener. Its almost 25 years old and still looks great! I know that's not normal, I just happened to be the first one in and he must have felt like working


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He does really nice work and is someone that I'd consider using if I didn't do it myself. 

[My #1 for 2021 finally shows again..]

15 hours ago, Four Seasons said:

Bet we have a guy that would say he would pass on all those inches in hopes for a good tasting youngster.   Find the buck…Hunt the buck…kill the buck.  The Real Challenge.        Great Deer!

He's gotten this far on his own. No widespread QDM going on here...

 

[So what did you spend on a deer mount this past season?]

19 hours ago, Jeremy K said:

When it's done the time they say it will be done.

That's a fair answer I suppose. At the end of bow/early gun season I told people I would have their mounts back this year by late summer. Towards the end of gun season I told them by next season so about a year. Most were pleasantly surprised when I got them back to them earlier than I said I would have. Still have a few to go though.

Most people have no concept of what it takes to produce a deer mount. If everything lined up perfectly, I could shoot a deer opening day of bow season, take the hide to be tanned (in early season my guy has had them returned to me in less than a week) and I could have your completed mount back to you by Halloween.  

[So what did you spend on a deer mount this past season?]

1 hour ago, Jeremy K said:

Perfect recipe for the guys who deliver a mount 8 months late.

In your opinion what is an acceptable time frame to get a mount back?

[My #1 for 2021 finally shows again..]

Only pic I had of him so far this summer was early July. I did see him through binos a couple weeks ago in a neighboring field...

The finished product.  He lost a small g4 but certainly grew in the G2 dept.  I'm a bit disappointed that his one brow is so short as I call him "Brows"...lol.

 

Last year...

[So what did you spend on a deer mount this past season?]

17 hours ago, Lawdwaz said:

Sure it’s great to be self employed but you need plenty of discipline when it comes to health insurance, retirement, business insurance and tax planning.  
 

Hence the reason plenty of taxidermists run there business as a part time gig.   God forbid you have an injury to your hand in November and can’t swing a knife for six weeks due to severed tendons or damaged ligaments.   Maybe it happens in April or May just as you get 30-40 hides back from the tannery?  Uggh

I hate to be Debbie Downer but…..I’ve seen it in a couple local taxidermist locally and guys in other self employed businesses.   
 

Good luck EITHER way!

Definitely valid points that should and are being deeply considered.

[So what did you spend on a deer mount this past season?]

11 hours ago, 518BowSlayer said:

Definitely worth considering going full time, your deer are top notch! You definitely have a lot more experience than me (this will be my 3rd year doing taxidermy) but I have a small piece of advice. Look into tanning your own hides. It's not difficult and it will save you a few dollars on each mount. Best of all in my opinion, you can take more control of your schedule. No more waiting for weeks for your capes to get shipped back from the tannery. Worth looking into at least

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It is something to consider. I pay $110 per cape...a Dakota flesher is about the same price as taking 10 capes over.

[So what did you spend on a deer mount this past season?]

19 minutes ago, Trial153 said:

If you do decide to do it full time and you focus is just on whitetails a little bit of policy advice for your contract.

Take a deposit of 30 percent with remained due two week before you start the mount. Don’t start the mount till it’s paid up. Otherwise you going to be spending your time chasing down money more then doing taxidermy work. It’s not a big deal when your doing a handful of deer a year. However you start doing 50 plus a year and becomes a problem.

Definitely. After completing the last few heads from this past season I'll be at approximately 165 deer mounted since starting back in 2015. I take $250 down before ordering forms and sending the cape to be tanned. Luckily, I've yet to have an issue with someone picking up there mount.

[So what did you spend on a deer mount this past season?]

It is very coincidental that this thread popped up today. I'm in the position right now where I'm about to make a major life decision. I have been tossing around the idea of quitting my dead end day job to pursue the taxidermy hobby as more of a full time gig. The money isn't great but all of my interests revolve around hunting/outdoors in one way or another.  The main competitor in my home area just quit taxidermy as a side business and I believe that I could easily double my intake if I was proactive about it. Plus, the members of this forum usually toss a few deer my way too...

[So what did you spend on a deer mount this past season?]

4 minutes ago, grampy said:

No mounts for me last year. But..... I have decided that my next one will be a pedestal mount. What are the average prices for one of those???

Typically $50-100 more: the forms cost more, as do the mount hangers, it depends on the type of backing used and it takes more time to put the mount together than a standard shoulder mount. 

[Something a little different...]

6 minutes ago, NYBowhunter said:

I'm sure that helps but most taxidermist don't go to your extent, I can immediately see when a person takes pride in thier craft and at the same time are talented enough to pull off such great mounts, just awesome!!  Keep it up bud, you are doing a great service for the hunting community and preserving such an great animal.

Thanks again for the compliments! All that I know for certain for this coming fall is that I definitely want to take in FEWER heads than I did in '20. Easier said than done, but I can only do so much on a weekend only schedule. 

[Something a little different...]

7 minutes ago, NYBowhunter said:

Even the viens in the nose area, talking about paying careful attention to detail, you my friend are very talented and have found your calling in life. Great work!!

Thanks. Luckily my cape tanning guy shaves the cape pretty thin to show more detail. 

[So what did you spend on a deer mount this past season?]

It costs me around $250 in supplies...lol. For everyone else, my taxidermist charged $550 for a standard shoulder mount and $600 for a basic wall pedestal last season. This year's prices are TBD.

 

[Something a little different...]

This is the first doe that I've ever mounted. It was actually a car kill from near the Seneca Army Depot (not a true albino). I was glad that it came out alright as the cape was very bloody with a lot of road rash on the top of the head that had to be cut out and stitched up.

[Man Cave Reno]

4 minutes ago, phade said:

That white doe has to be cool; shoulder mounting them seems more practical than my piebald which unless it was a full body, you wouldn't get an appreciation for with a shoulder mount.

BTW have you checked out Mears forms? They seem popular too on the FB taxi groups.

No, but friends use them and like them. I'm sure I will give them a try this coming season as more sizing options become available. I did just buy one of his 8" replacement heads for my own mount that I still need to throw together.

[Man Cave Reno]

1 hour ago, phade said:

@WNY Bowhunter would need to chime in LOL.

I just finished a wall ped of a white doe from the Seneca Army Depot last night. This coming weekend I've got a buddy's bow buck to mount up, the following weekend I've got a MT mulie...THEN its your PIA Coombs wall peds. Unless, I do my own mount before them...lol.

In all seriousness, my goal is to have both before the 10/1 opener. 

[Good card pulls at #1 spot]

1 hour ago, Lawdwaz said:

Time to order some extra taxidermy forms..........nice bucks!

I hope so. Still have last year's gun buck to mount up first...

[Good card pulls at #1 spot]

1 hour ago, Lawdwaz said:

Time to order some extra taxidermy forms..........nice bucks!

I hope so. Still have last year's gun buck to mount up first...

[Good card pulls at #1 spot]

34 minutes ago, Bolt action said:

Those are all nice deer. The one in the middle in the distance in those first two pics made me do a double take! Is it the same deer that shows up in the later pix at the end of the set?

Yes it is. 

[Good card pulls at #1 spot]

7 minutes ago, Biz-R-OWorld said:

Isn’t the mayor named Jerry?


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"PYGMY" .

[Good card pulls at #1 spot]

47 minutes ago, moog5050 said:

I think the Steuben Co welcome sign reads “Welcome to the Iowa of NY”

I wouldn't say that at all. This particular spot is the preferred food source for quite a ways and draws alot of bucks to it but most disperse by mid-late sept. It's still cool to have that many bucks congregated in one spot. I've got multiple years of history with a bunch of these deer.

[Good card pulls at #1 spot]

2 minutes ago, Biz-R-OWorld said:

wow. that's like a 140" minimum lease!

I was actually starting so get sick of even looking at deer but I'm coming back around now. There at least 4 more bucks at this spot that should be 140-150s. The biggest is a STUD. Not quite Monroe County status, but ok for rural Steuben County.