Has anyone seen my missing taxidermist ?

[Scotstr]

So I took my 2016 buck to my taxidermist Dan Fowler in Caneadea, near Belfast, NY Allegany county  in November 2016.  This was the third buck that I've taken to Dan over the years.  The first two he completed in about 1 years time.  Earlier this year I called him and he said he was running behind , but he would have my mount done soon.  Now when I call the phone just rings and rings. No answering machine, nothing.  Besides my deer head , he also has my $200 deposit.   Does anyone know anything about Dan Fowler ?

[nosquibs]

Send him a letter, I had a similar thing happen to me with an online order, turned out the owner passed away suddenly and the family had no idea of what I wanted done with the parts. Hope you get it back. 

[Lawdwaz]

On 11/15/2018 at 8:28 PM, Scotstr said:

So I took my 2016 buck to my taxidermist Dan Fowler in Caneadea, near Belfast, NY Allegany county  in November 2016.  This was the third buck that I've taken to Dan over the years.  The first two he completed in about 1 years time.  Earlier this year I called him and he said he was running behind , but he would have my mount done soon.  Now when I call the phone just rings and rings. No answering machine, nothing.  Besides my deer head , he also has my $200 deposit.   Does anyone know anything about Dan Fowler ?

Just a thought; have you driven to his house/shop?

[Ron White]

I took my buck to Dan fowler2years ago also gave 200 dollar deposit same thing exactly called him last July spoke to him he said it wouldn’t be long nothing since

[Versatile_Hunter]

6 hours ago, Ron White said:

I took my buck to Dan fowler2years ago also gave 200 dollar deposit same thing exactly called him last July spoke to him he said it wouldn’t be long nothing since

Amazing. At this point it’s almost a better story if you never get the mount. 

Edited July 23, 2021 by Versatile_Hunter

[Lawdwaz]

12 minutes ago, Versatile_Hunter said:

Amazing. At this point it’s almost a better story if you never get the mount. 

As we can all figure out, somebody (Scotstr and Ron White) have hard on for Mr Fowler and should air their grievances in another fashion.  I don't know jack about Mr Fowler but these two are douche bags.

Oh and a blind man could see the two complainants are the same DB.......

[Nomad]

Been there got the t shirt . Bow buck “ oh it’s here early maybe 8 months .”

Well it was two F Ing years with zero communication, don’t answer the  phone, return messages , drive to shop never open .

Some guys May do good mounts but they’re clueless business men , and just not good, people .

Edited July 23, 2021 by Nomad

[Versatile_Hunter]

I’m very amused… My Maui guide is doing a euro mount on a trophy goat. Taking Hawaiian time into account will easily add an extra 2 years. I’ll probably have to book another hunt just to get him to finish it. 

[greensider]

A guy I know paid 400 years ago for the most incredible rack I ever saw to be mounted never saw the rack or money again I hope you get yours back 

[Dinsdale]

8 hours ago, Lawdwaz said:

As we can all figure out, somebody (Scotstr and Ron White) have hard on for Mr Fowler and should air their grievances in another fashion.  I don't know jack about Mr Fowler but these two are douche bags.

Oh and a blind man could see the two complainants are the same DB.......

Guess I'm a douche bag too.

I've used a forum just like this one to chase down a deal going bad, got myself a pm from a member who was also struggling with the same person, and we got our situation fixed.

I wasn't going to drive to Arizona.

Hopefully saved someone else the same issues in the process.

[G-Man]

Hope you can track him down ,in person is best way at.least you could get rack back and take.someplace else and buy a cape

[phade]

13 hours ago, Nomad said:

Been there got the t shirt . Bow buck “ oh it’s here early maybe 8 months .”

Well it was two F Ing years with zero communication, don’t answer the  phone, return messages , drive to shop never open .

Some guys May do good mounts but they’re clueless business men , and just not good, people .

Same - I've had shoulder mounts and Euros done by seven different taxidermists over the years. I'm running less than 50% on my experiences as far as having a good business exchange. A taxidermist who can master the art/science of the craft and the business side....is worth their weight in gold. 

My hunting partner and I are working with an 8th for our turkey mounts...add that one to the poor experience list. Missing deadlines is one thing, failing to communicate is another, but then you get into all the other BS. Guy sent my hunting partner a photo of his bird with damage on it/missing feathers on one side. Wanted to change the pose - he is starting a month after it was due back (2020 bird). Here's the funny thing, this guy is highly recommended, and that bird had no damage there when dropped off. So much so, that the hunt was filmed for TV production - it's literally on multiple High Def cams and no damage to the bird. It went from the field straight to this taxi - not stopping past Go. Right to the taxi. Within an hour.

Good thing Jason is around for deer.

[WNY Bowhunter]

12 minutes ago, phade said:

Same - I've had shoulder mounts and Euros done by seven different taxidermists over the years. I'm running less than 50% on my experiences as far as having a good business exchange. A taxidermist who can master the art/science of the craft and the business side....is worth their weight in gold. 

My hunting partner and I are working with an 8th for our turkey mounts...add that one to the poor experience list. Missing deadlines is one thing, failing to communicate is another, but then you get into all the other BS. Guy sent my hunting partner a photo of his bird with damage on it/missing feathers on one side. Wanted to change the pose - he is starting a month after it was due back (2020 bird). Here's the funny thing, this guy is highly recommended, and that bird had no damage there when dropped off. So much so, that the hunt was filmed for TV production - it's literally on multiple High Def cams and no damage to the bird. It went from the field straight to this taxi - not stopping past Go. Right to the taxi. Within an hour.

Good thing Jason is around for deer.

Your two wall peds will be coming back soon, I promise...lol. I'm only able to mount 1 to 2 heads per weekend but my ultimate goal is to be wrapped up by Oct 1. Besides, your mancave isn't even complete yet!

[wolc123]

I only ever dealt with one taxidermist who was fast, good, and cheap (well maybe just with family, because one local member here wasn't too happy with him).  Unfortunately, he passed away a few years ago.  I have dealt with five others, including one who is still in business, that covered 2 of those 3 bases fairly well.

Lately, I have been getting by doing euros on deer myself, with a power washer that I garbage-picked from a nieghbor across the street.  Free is always good.

If I ever wanted another deer shoulder mount, I would likely go back to the same guy that did my last one.  His price was just ok, but his quality and delivery times were good.  If I ever wanted another fish, I would give it to a young fishing buddy.  He has only done a few, but they turned out great.

Fortunately, I have never lost a deer, but I have lost a largemouth bass, a red fox, and a bantee rooster (was supposed to go in the fox's mouth), when the taxidermists became sick and died or closed up shop and moved out of state. 

Edited July 23, 2021 by wolc123

[suburbanfarmer]

He is not fast nor cheap

https://awtaxidermy.com/

[phade]

4 hours ago, WNY Bowhunter said:

Your two wall peds will be coming back soon, I promise...lol. I'm only able to mount 1 to 2 heads per weekend but my ultimate goal is to be wrapped up by Oct 1. Besides, your mancave isn't even complete yet!

Yeah I don't worry with you, that is why I was like good thing you are around, lol. You do a good job and I just appreciate having the confidence that I don't have to worry about it. Something to be said for that in today's world. Maybe talk your wife into buying a formal shop and going FT? Take the local taxi world over!

We're almost there! I think I can unbox the TV and start putting mounts up next week!

 

Edited July 23, 2021 by phade

[WNY Bowhunter]

30 minutes ago, phade said:

Yeah I don't worry with you, that is why I was like good thing you are around, lol. You do a good job and I just appreciate having the confidence that I don't have to worry about it. Something to be said for that in today's world. Maybe talk your wife into buying a formal shop and going FT? Take the local taxi world over!

We're almost there! I think I can unbox the TV and start putting mounts up next week!

 

A buddy of mine who also does part time taxidermy in town just sold all his taxidermy stuff and is moving to Tennessee. I'll have to definitely start turning people way this fall or go full time. Taking in 45 heads last season was MORE than enough for me!!!

 

 

 

 

[BizCT]

1 minute ago, WNY Bowhunter said:

A buddy of mine who also does part time taxidermy in town just sold all his taxidermy stuff and is moving to Tennessee. I'll have to definitely start turning people way this fall or go full time. Taking in 45 heads last season was MORE than enough for me!!!

 

 

 

 

I'm not trying to price gouge phade, but can you raise your prices and do less work and still come out the same (or better)?

[Robhuntandfish]

4 minutes ago, WNY Bowhunter said:

A buddy of mine who also does part time taxidermy in town just sold all his taxidermy stuff and is moving to Tennessee. I'll have to definitely start turning people way this fall or go full time. Taking in 45 heads last season was MORE than enough for me!!!

 

 

 

 

Guy I go to out here has been doing taxidermy for 45 years. He is awesome.  Great fish painter. But he has now semi retired and no longer does fish and only takes in about a dozen deer a year now.  I prob paid a little more than other spots for my deer mount but I know him and his work is great.  He's done 4 fish for me thru the years. I'm worried about him retiring completely as he already goes to Florida every winter now after hunting season. He drops off his capes somewhere in North Carolina and picks them up on his way back in the spring. 

[WNY Bowhunter]

7 minutes ago, Biz-R-OWorld said:

I'm not trying to price gouge phade, but can you raise your prices and do less work and still come out the same (or better)?

I definitely could. With greater notoriety comes more demand and higher prices. So does inflation...lol.

[WNY Bowhunter]

44 minutes ago, phade said:

We're almost there! I think I can unbox the TV and start putting mounts up next week!

 

I'm chomping at the bit to start working on my own mount now. I'm thinking of ditching the revolution form for a Frankenstein wall ped of my own design!

[Lawdwaz]

On 7/23/2021 at 6:03 AM, Dinsdale said:

Guess I'm a douche bag too.

I've used a forum just like this one to chase down a deal going bad, got myself a pm from a member who was also struggling with the same person, and we got our situation fixed.

I wasn't going to drive to Arizona.

Hopefully saved someone else the same issues in the process.

The fact that the two posters looking for the same taxidermist here are "one and done" members shows me that they might have an axe to grind.  Oh I'm probably wrong........it'd be nice if they came back and gave us a little more information though. 

I doubt yours was a "one and done" posting.  Maybe you posted a follow up?

 

 

[phade]

On 7/23/2021 at 4:49 PM, WNY Bowhunter said:

I'm chomping at the bit to start working on my own mount now. I'm thinking of ditching the revolution form for a Frankenstein wall ped of my own design!

Building one yourself or combining pieces from other forms? I thought you liked the Revolution? I like the one Curious Alert form I have. These pedestals will probably be the only pedestals I’ll do, I’m so iffy on them unless they’re part of some base/design instead of just going on the wall lol. Although, I saw a new full sneak wall pedestal. Looks different. Hopefully I have that challenge of picking out forms again this fall lol.

 

[WNYTRPR]

On 7/23/2021 at 4:36 PM, WNY Bowhunter said:

A buddy of mine who also does part time taxidermy in town just sold all his taxidermy stuff and is moving to Tennessee. I'll have to definitely start turning people way this fall or go full time. Taking in 45 heads last season was MORE than enough for me!!!

 

 

 

 

Don’t lie ,You took all your friends business and  drove him out of town lol 

Edited July 24, 2021 by WNYTRPR