johnf Posted January 11, 2007 Report Share Posted January 11, 2007 I finally got my Mount back from last year. One of my former students dad did it for me and to be honest, I'm not 100% satisfied. The buck had been fighting alot and was torn up pretty good so that's not a big deal. The neck and head just don't seem to be what they were and the mount looks like a younger buck then the what I shot. The buck was aged at 4 1/2 years, my mount looks more like a 2 1/2 year old to me. Tell me what you think. PLEASE BE HONEST WHATEVER YOU DO!!! Moderators, if you know how to shrink the pics. feel free. Here's what he looked like alive. Ok, well dead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unioncountyslayer Posted January 11, 2007 Report Share Posted January 11, 2007 Re: 2005 mount Looks like he was doing some serious fighting John! Great pics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnf Posted January 11, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2007 Re: 2005 mount BTW, what do you think he would score? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IllinoisHunter Posted January 11, 2007 Report Share Posted January 11, 2007 Re: 2005 mount The head doesn't look to bad, but by looking at your initial photos, I think he could have used a little larger mount. Maybe he made incorrect measurements upon preparing his order. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAstringking Posted January 11, 2007 Report Share Posted January 11, 2007 Re: 2005 mount i think the head was ordered a little small and the details are more young buck oriented. the pictures in the back of the truck doesnt really make the buck look that old. the facial bone structure looks to be older but the general apperance of the buck seems young. i think the semi or full sneak mount adds to the deer looking young. btw i think he will score 105" gross Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnf Posted January 11, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2007 Re: 2005 mount [ QUOTE ] general apperance of the buck seems young. [/ QUOTE ] You also have to consider that this isn't a Northern area buck. He was the largest bodied deer shot in this area last year. We don't have monsters that you've got up there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M00N Posted January 11, 2007 Report Share Posted January 11, 2007 Re: 2005 mount I have to agree with you John, I wouldn't be fully satisfied with that mount either. It does look too much like a younger buck and is detailed like a younger buck, too, in my opinion. It's better than something I could do at this very moment, but I'm not a taxidermist. It's definately not the worst mount I've seen though by far. But, I wouldn't pay top dollar for that kind of quality mount. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arrow32 Posted January 11, 2007 Report Share Posted January 11, 2007 Re: 2005 mount Good mount. Think the head is alot smaller on the mount. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaun_300 Posted January 11, 2007 Report Share Posted January 11, 2007 Re: 2005 mount I think the mount would look a lot better if he would have used a little bigger head, and different eyes. The eyes were the first thing I noticed. They seem to be too light for a deer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brownie65 Posted January 11, 2007 Report Share Posted January 11, 2007 Re: 2005 mount The form maybe being to small for him was my first thought. Not much muscle detail in the neck either. Just kind of looks straight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texan_Til_I_Die Posted January 11, 2007 Report Share Posted January 11, 2007 Re: 2005 mount Not a good match with the post kill pictures. I've got a friend that killed an old busted up buck like that. He had it mounted with a swollen neck and the ears in the laid back fighting position, and it turned out great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drkillemquick Posted January 11, 2007 Report Share Posted January 11, 2007 Re: 2005 mount I still like the mount! The eyes seem off like shaun said and his nose seems alot thinner now. Looks younger than what he is, but still a nice lookin mount! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAstringking Posted January 11, 2007 Report Share Posted January 11, 2007 Re: 2005 mount [ QUOTE ] [ QUOTE ] general apperance of the buck seems young. [/ QUOTE ] You also have to consider that this isn't a Northern area buck. He was the largest bodied deer shot in this area last year. We don't have monsters that you've got up there. [/ QUOTE ] yea i guess i didnt really think of that. i also agree that the eyes are a little light. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted January 11, 2007 Report Share Posted January 11, 2007 Re: 2005 mount Yeah, I could see where you would be disappointed John. He should have used a swollen neck form as your buck in the pics had quite a swollen neck and the mount does not show that at all. Not sure I like the eye detail either. Another thing I am noticing, the red on your deers coat in the kill pics is not very apparent on the mount. Looks more grey, is there a chance he used a different cape and measured for the wrong deer getting too small a form? Far as a score, with him being busted up and not much height, would guess he would not go over 110 gross. He has got a nice spread though. Here is a pic of my heaviest bodied deer I have had mounted. This guy was 4 1/2. Went with a semi sneak swollen neck form. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogg6 Posted January 11, 2007 Report Share Posted January 11, 2007 Re: 2005 mount Overall it doesn't look that bad. I also would have went with the swollen neck according to your post kill pics. The mount doesn't make hime appear as large as he does in the pics. But congrats none the less on a fine buck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest GATORBAIT Posted January 11, 2007 Report Share Posted January 11, 2007 Re: 2005 mount i would be madder than i dont know what.that mount looks nothing like the pic in the truck. he should have used a larger mold for your deer.depending on how long he has done taxidermy work there is no excuse for that kind of foul up.i would definitely ask for a refund Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnf Posted January 11, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2007 Re: 2005 mount He grosses 114 1/2" Price was $250, did I get what I paid for? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
need2hunt Posted January 11, 2007 Report Share Posted January 11, 2007 Re: 2005 mount Personally I don't care for the eye or mouth work (especially the red area). I also think the form could/should have been bigger. As for the price, IMO all taxidermists are not created equal and neither is there pricing. I have a guy that does mine that I pay around $325 for a head to be done and he does awesome work, seen guys that charge more and they don't do as good of a job (as well as some that do). My question would be did you check out this guys work before you gave him yours to do, if the work you saw looked similar and you were pleased with it then you shouldn't expect yours to be far from what you saw. If his work was 10 times better on what you saw compared to yours then I would be upset. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted January 11, 2007 Report Share Posted January 11, 2007 Re: 2005 mount [ QUOTE ] He grosses 114 1/2" Price was $250, did I get what I paid for? [/ QUOTE ] Dont think so John. I mean the deer I posted the pic of ran me I think $235 at that time. That taxi man is now up to $275 this year. He has been doing taxidermy for a very long time and has mounted 4 deer for me over the years. He has people from all over bring him deer and deer is all he does. His rate is high in comparison to some in the area, but really relatively low considering all his years of experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rad_112176 Posted January 11, 2007 Report Share Posted January 11, 2007 Re: 2005 mount I looked hard at the pictures to see if it was still the same cape from your deer. The mount looks just like my first buck i got mounted and it was a 2 1/2 year old deer. It is hard to have someone do your mount that you know cause it is harder to go to them to display your discomfort. I have a cousin that is doing mounts and he is doing a good job, but i would not give him anything i was serios about getting done just so that it would not be a issue. I know that you hate to spend the extra money, but if you don't want to create tension betweeen you and him i would go to another taxidermist with your pics and the mount and see if he could get you a new cape and remount it for you. Yes you are paying for it twice, but that will only upset you for a short period of time. If you leave the mount the way it is then you are going to be upset every time you look at it. It isn't a bad mount, but it is just not showing off the potential of the deer. The neck has to be much larger and the eyes need to be changed. Sorry it didin't turn out how you wanted, but he sure is a nice buck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Andrea Posted January 11, 2007 Report Share Posted January 11, 2007 Re: 2005 mount The first thing that struck me as odd are the eyes. They look like they were from a goat, not a deer. And the neck looks A LOT bigger in your pic. Not a bad mount, but doesn't look like your deer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M00N Posted January 11, 2007 Report Share Posted January 11, 2007 Re: 2005 mount The thing that stuck out first to me was the eyes, then the overall size of the neck and head of the deer, and last was the mouth. Those three items I feel could been better on your mount. As I said in my last post I wouldn't pay top dollar for this quality mount. But, as others say every taxidermist varies greatly in prices and some of them their prices are worth the work they give and others their prices are overpriced. If this mount is similar to others he's done in the past then I'd have to say you got what you paid for from this particular taxidermist and if you don't like what you paid for just don't go back. Now if he showed you much better work before the contract than what you got now I'd ask for a refund from him and make him aware you're not satisfied with his work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom2008 Posted January 11, 2007 Report Share Posted January 11, 2007 Re: 2005 mount Why is there blue around his mouth? I'm gonna agree with Moon on this too. We discussed this last night and I wouldn't be satisfied with that mount either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAstringking Posted January 11, 2007 Report Share Posted January 11, 2007 Re: 2005 mount if you paid $250 in my area then yes you got what you paid for. if $250 is an average price around you then i would say that you should take it back to him and tell him that you want it to look more mature. there are things that they can do after the fact to make it appear more mature. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardwood_HD Posted January 12, 2007 Report Share Posted January 12, 2007 Re: 2005 mount the neck sure does look bigger on the pics of it in the truck, it also looks like the coloring is a little off too but it sure does have a nice rack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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