Hey guys, my brother killed the bird of a lifetime and we're trying to find a taxidermist for it. The guy we used to use is around 700 for a bird now. We're in mid/north missouri. Any suggestions would be appreciated! Pics welcome too!
Buddy I don't do tons anymore but the price seems cheap to me. Tons of work, check some of his pieces. Turkeys are lots of work
Hazel Creek
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Considering that you are in Missouri, Hazel Creek has to be considered for turkey work.
If you're wanting a full body mount done on a turkey for a bargain price then be prepared for a bargain looking mount. I'd rather hunt with a cheap gun than use a cheap taxidermist. That said, Cally Morris is the man. http://www.hazelcreekinc.com/taxidermy.htm
Buy once, cry once on a turkey mount if you want a good one. $700 is not totally unreasonable if the taxidermist is good.
Doubtful that Cally Morris would even see your bird, let alone work on it. One of the best I've seen is Mike Mizelle of Blackwing Taxidermy.
700 is a bargain for a good turkey mount. You'll likely pay more if you have a "turkey specialist" mount it.
birds are expensive its why I don't haven't one mounted yet at the price it takes to get a great looking mount and you do want a great looking one I always think maybe I'll get a better more deserving one. I think the guy I've used for deer is $875 for birds these days.. eventually i'll get one or two on the wall even my wife wants one
Lots of hours go in but that doesn't make the check writing less painful
Todd Huffman at Birdman Studios.
http://www.birdmanstudios.com/newmounts/newmounts.html
Check out the colors on his heads - to my eye they are the best I've ever seen, by a long shot.
Blackwing turkeys look really great also, but if I lived in MO it's doubtful I'd pass by hazel creek to have a bird mounted Florida. As far as Cally Morris seeing or touching the bird, I wouldn't care. The shop does great work.
Just look at some of the work that is posted here. Ask yourself does it look alive. If the answer is "almost, but there is something about it....." Then it doesn't matter how many folks are polite and say "looks great".......it's not. Plenty of examples of less than ok work posted online.
You can try Rick Morris at the Turkey Roost, too. Heck, either Morris would do. ;)
Sounds like cally Morris is a great lead but does he fall in the $700 range? If he does God bless em. I know prices change from place to place but if not have touched one for that price 10 years ago. Again in that area it might be fair
I believe Hazel Creek will be more than 700. I think they were in that range 10 years ago if not more.
If it is $700 when the market is charging a good bit more than that just don't be surprised if it is, as Hobbes says, just a little off.
Can't have a taxidermy discussion without Chuck Testa.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJP1DphOWPs
Quote from: hobbes on April 25, 2017, 02:56:58 PM
I believe Hazel Creek will be more than 700. I think they were in that range 10 years ago if not more.
Well that's what I originally said. 700 bucks is gonna be tough to get a good guy. If you guys ever saw what's in a turk you'd see why they're expensive
I've smelled what's inside a turk. I figured that was why they were expensive.
Timberland Taxidermy in Missouri does good work.
Check out John Beard at BirdsOnlyTaxidermy. Great work! Tennessee.
Quote from: BHMTitan on April 25, 2017, 04:37:44 PM
Check out John Beard at BirdsOnlyTaxidermy. Great work! Tennessee.
This. Incredible work. He did my smoke phase Osceola.
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I know what's in a turkey. I ran quite a few on the wire wheel before changing over to a pressure washer. It's been over 10 years now but I've not forgotten: :)
I've got three in the freezer that I keep saying I'm going to mount. I think I've even got a freeze dried head or two left over.
Wow, kill "the bird of a lifetime and then want to skimp on having it mounted. Unbeilvable. I will be writing a check for 1600.00 not including the down payment for two Merriam turkeys I killed last year. I expect to be enjoying these Turkeys for the next twenty years. I do not want a poorly mounted Turkey. You get what you pay for.
I have two Rios in my frezzer that I will be switching out when I pick up my Merriams. I paid 4 grand to have my Mountain lion mounted and don't regret it for a moment. I would suggest you leave those turkeys in a frezzer untill you can afford a decent taxidermist. Just my nickles worth.
Apparently I missed that he was looking for cheaper than 700. I just thought his old guy was 700 but he was looking for someone worthy of mounting a bird of a lifetime.
Generally speaking, cheap taxidermists are a dime a dozen and they typically aren't worth a dime.
Quote from: eorlando on April 25, 2017, 04:38:28 PM
Quote from: BHMTitan on April 25, 2017, 04:37:44 PM
Check out John Beard at BirdsOnlyTaxidermy. Great work! Tennessee.
This. Incredible work. He did my smoke phase Osceola.
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Ditto on this. Only reason I didn't mention it earlier was because I thought the OP may have wanted to stay local. Not only is John's work top notch, but he's a great guy too.
I'm with you Hobbes,I didn't read into it,"I want cheep".
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mtns2hunt, congrats on having plenty of dough to burn on mounts. my brother is 17 and does not. The rest of yall, thanks for all the input, like I said my original guy does a great job and upped his price by 200 recently. 700 is average for a good mount from what I see. Hazel creek does phenomenal work, but like i said a 17 year old does not have 1200 lying around. just looking for taxidermists in the 5-700 range with recommendations from people that have used them. .
Hope you find what you are looking for. Congrats to your brother again.
Quote from: Bowguy on April 25, 2017, 12:57:46 PM
Buddy I don't do tons anymore but the price seems cheap to me. Tons of work, check some of his pieces. Turkeys are lots of work
Hey Bowguy how long can a bird you want to mount stay in the freezer without ruining it? If I where short of funds and looking at a true Turkey of a Lifetime, I would see what I could save up and have it mounted right. Just don't know what that wait period is before it would no longer be good to be able to mount.
MK M GOBL
With frost free freezers you could actually freeze dry it, the quicker the better. Normally I'd skin the head out asap n start the freeze drying on that but for 500-700 it might be a plastic head. I'd also take the fan off n card that. I take the tails off even pheasant n bondo them into form. It makes them rigid/secure the way just pinning them won't.
If it was like 6 months or so id not worry. Prob even a bit more but why not bring it to a guy n give the deposit n get it started. Be honest n tell him you need time to get the rest up so he doesn't finish the piece n it sits. Have him call to ensure funds are available before he mounts it. Any taxidermist worth his salt is gonna be almost a year out due to having lots of guys use him.
The better you wrap it the less moisture escapes. Birds have very thin skin so don't wait forever
Quote from: Bowguy on April 26, 2017, 02:46:12 AM
With frost free freezers you could actually freeze dry it, the quicker the better. Normally I'd skin the head out asap n start the freeze drying on that but for 500-700 it might be a plastic head. I'd also take the fan off n card that. I take the tails off even pheasant n bondo them into form. It makes them rigid/secure the way just pinning them won't.
If it was like 6 months or so id not worry. Prob even a bit more but why not bring it to a guy n give the deposit n get it started. Be honest n tell him you need time to get the rest up so he doesn't finish the piece n it sits. Have him call to ensure funds are available before he mounts it. Any taxidermist worth his salt is gonna be almost a year out due to having lots of guys use him.
The better you wrap it the less moisture escapes. Birds have very thin skin so don't wait forever
Excellent advice. Most Taxidermists will work with you and if he is good the wait will be at least a year. I usually wrap my turkeys head in cloth and a plastic bag then put under wing. I then use a commercial orange turkey bag to cover. Then newspaper and plastic to transport and store in the frezzer. If the Turkey is unfrozen and being transported it is advisable not to use plastic as he will sweat and the feathers may matt. Precautions should also be taken against blood spilling while unfrozen.
As for my unlimited funds. I work seven days a week and take a few days off for hunting each fall and spring. When I was seventeen my big desire was a 243 rifle. Put one on layaway and worked my butt off working two jobs to get it. Turned out the 243 had a shot out barrel. Traded it for a Browing BPS which is the shotgun I am using to complete my slam. Only need that Florida turkey now. What I am saying is if that is truly the turkey of a life time you should not skimp. There is no reason to hurry, get the funds and get it right. I have been there and done that.
Really, it all boils down to what a person can afford and what his expectations are. From what I have seen, most folks don't know a great turkey mount from an average one,...and some don't seem to know an average mount from a really bad one.
As others have noted, if you look around a bit, you can likely find someone who will mount a turkey for $400-$500. Take a look at their work, and if it is satisfactory in your eye, that is what matters. Quality relative to price is ultimately in the eyes of the beholder,...and especially in the eye of the holder of the check book.
Quote from: GobbleNut on April 27, 2017, 08:53:16 AM
Really, it all boils down to what a person can afford and what his expectations are. From what I have seen, most folks don't know a great turkey mount from an average one,...and some don't seem to know an average mount from a really bad one.
As others have noted, if you look around a bit, you can likely find someone who will mount a turkey for $400-$500. Take a look at their work, and if it is satisfactory in your eye, that is what matters. Quality relative to price is ultimately in the eyes of the beholder,...and especially in the eye of the holder of the check book.
Perhaps you're right. Who cares how the bird is mounted if the beholder is satisfied. If you have a wad of feathers on the wall representing the bird of a life time. So what if the skin is not tanned/cured right and it starts to rot. The smell will be in the nose of the beholder too! I feel if you kill something that is worth mounting you should mount it right: otherwise its not the bird of a lifetime any more. As far as most folks: don't know an average mount from a really bad one? You are kidding right? Bad mounting is very obvious.
As many have said, Hazel Creek. We used to give him all our turkey heads that weren't jelly. He does the best birds in potentially the whole nation.
Quote from: mtns2hunt on April 27, 2017, 11:06:04 AM
Quote from: GobbleNut on April 27, 2017, 08:53:16 AM
Really, it all boils down to what a person can afford and what his expectations are. From what I have seen, most folks don't know a great turkey mount from an average one,...and some don't seem to know an average mount from a really bad one.
As others have noted, if you look around a bit, you can likely find someone who will mount a turkey for $400-$500. Take a look at their work, and if it is satisfactory in your eye, that is what matters. Quality relative to price is ultimately in the eyes of the beholder,...and especially in the eye of the holder of the check book.
Perhaps you're right. Who cares how the bird is mounted if the beholder is satisfied. If you have a wad of feathers on the wall representing the bird of a life time. So what if the skin is not tanned/cured right and it starts to rot. The smell will be in the nose of the beholder too! I feel if you kill something that is worth mounting you should mount it right: otherwise its not the bird of a lifetime any more. As far as most folks: don't know an average mount from a really bad one? You are kidding right? Bad mounting is very obvious.
Guys no arguement but you certainly can tell the difference when a man spends hours preening feathers, when a mount fairly new bleeds grease. When feet shrink, when the attitude isn't correct. When someone used a plastic head n there's no hairs on it so it looks like painted plastic.
If someone would be satisfied w a 400 mount imo they're expectations are way too low. A smaller game bird yes. A turkey absolutely not.
2 ways you might get it done is to find a brand new guy hard up to get working. After he does yours the price is going up, 2nd way is to find a complete hack that'll make excuses why your piece isn't done n why it looks like a log truck just hit it.
At $700, depending on location, you should start finding competent to really good taxidermists. Considering the time and expertise required to do a turkey right, $700 is a heck of a deal. No one will do many turkeys for less, and that means no one with expertise is doing them for less. As someone mentioned, you might luck out with a truly gifted guy who is new to the business and trying to build a reputation, but the odds are against it. Better to take some time to put the money together...I promise it is the best option. I really do get he doesn't have the money in hand, but he has time to put it together if he really wishes.
John Beard has been mentioned, and he's the best I know. That doesn't mean some of the MO names you've been given aren't in that class as well. John did my son's first bird a few years ago. A taxidermist I've used for decades turned me onto John. Pat has done one turkey and a bunch of waterfowl for me, and when I called him about doing my son's bird he told me he'd retired from turkeys because they required too much time. John does his turkeys too because my friend can make more money than the mount costs in the time it takes to do one. Hope that adds perspective.
Quote from: Bill Cooksey on April 27, 2017, 12:50:39 PM
At $700, depending on location, you should start finding competent to really good taxidermists. Considering the time and expertise required to do a turkey right, $700 is a heck of a deal. No one will do many turkeys for less, and that means no one with expertise is doing them for less. As someone mentioned, you might luck out with a truly gifted guy who is new to the business and trying to build a reputation, but the odds are against it. Better to take some time to put the money together...I promise it is the best option. I really do get he doesn't have the money in hand, but he has time to put it together if he really wishes.
John Beard has been mentioned, and he's the best I know. That doesn't mean some of the MO names you've been given aren't in that class as well. John did my son's first bird a few years ago. A taxidermist I've used for decades turned me onto John. Pat has done one turkey and a bunch of waterfowl for me, and when I called him about doing my son's bird he told me he'd retired from turkeys because they required too much time. John does his turkeys too because my friend can make more money than the mount costs in the time it takes to do one. Hope that adds perspective.
You know this is key, make sure whoever you use does birds regular. As mentioned here this fellow does. Seems hazel creek does too but not all taxidermists do everything