Several Taxidermy questions

[KYHeadhunter02]

In thinking about having my bird mounted. I'm looking for a good taxidermist to do a full body mount in Kentucky, the northern part would be ideal. I know of a few, but the are either really expensive or are not that great. I know good taxidermy isn't cheap, it's hard for me to justify spending a fortune.

Also I noticed several of you do great work. How much would it cost to ship a bird to have mounted?

One of my birds spurs is broke, can you make a mold so the spurs match?

One taxidermist sent me pics of his work, I'm not going to post them publicly, but can someone take a look at them and give me feedback?

I would appreciate any feedback!

[Clovis67]

You won't have any problem getting a spur replaced by most any taxidermist you use.Check around and do a bit of homework on taxidermist in your area that are good bird guys.Shawn Whitehead is excellent and is located around Nicholasville I think.Terry Vest is another very good bird taxidermist.Look around and you will find someone near your location that is good and reasonably priced.

[cramerhunts]

As far as pictures go it should be fairly easy to compare and make a decision. Take a look at Blackwing Taxidermy and you'll see a lot of very good mounts. I've seen his work in person and it is some of the best there is and can be seen in his pictures.

Should not be a problem to have a spur repaired or replaced.

As far as price I've found the saying you get what you pay for to mostly hold true but you shouldn't have to pay a fortune but that amount can vary greatly.

[KYHeadhunter02]

Thanks fellas! Yes Mike with Blackwing does incredible work and is a great guy! I hope to send him a bird one day. Right now I've gotten prices from 450 all the way up to $1000.

Does anyone have a bird they can measure to see how tall it is? If not ill go to a shop and get a number. I have a mantle that may be a good spot for him if it's tall enough.

[dejake]

Why would you want to make the spurs match?

[alloutdoors]

I've never seen a $500 turkey mount that I would want to display in my home. Not that paying more guarantees quality, there are plenty of guys that will charge you $750 for an ugly turkey mount, but until you get up to the $700+ range you are pretty much guaranteeing a cr@p mount. Considering the (low) quality you get at $450, the extra $300 or so really shouldn't be that hard to justify. I'd much rather spend $800 on a top end mount than waste $500 on a sad ball of feathers that vaguely resembles a turkey.

[Clovis67]

Do some looking...shop around and you will find that all who do good work are not charging $600 and above.You can find the best value and get a really nice mount if you check around..Some shops just charge a lot because they can,others still try to keep it affordable.

[cramerhunts]

I have a local taxi that only does birds and he is very reasonable at $500 and they come out awesome. For the out of state stuff I've had done at the higher end shops I've paid $750 and been just as happy with the outcome.

As for height it depends on the pose you get and what you have for a base. I have a full strut Gould's that is right at 36" and have an Osceola that is half strut that is under 24".

[KYHeadhunter02]

Why would you want to make the spurs match?

My deer taxidermist suggested it. I don't know that I'll change it.

[alloutdoors]

Do some looking...shop around and you will find that all who do good work are not charging $600 and above.You can find the best value and get a really nice mount if you check around..Some shops just charge a lot because they can,others still try to keep it affordable.

That would depend on your definition of good. This forum is full of examples of below average work with plenty of people commenting and saying how great the mounts are. All this proves is that lots of people have no idea what a good mount actually looks like (or they are just being polite). Honestly I wish people would hold turkey taxidermy  (and taxidermy in general) to a higher standard. In my experience most taxidermists have absolutely no business mounting a turkey for pay, but that never seems to stop them from doing it anyway.

[dejake]

Do some looking...shop around and you will find that all who do good work are not charging $600 and above.You can find the best value and get a really nice mount if you check around..Some shops just charge a lot because they can,others still try to keep it affordable.

That would depend on your definition of good. This forum is full of examples of below average work with plenty of people commenting and saying how great the mounts are. All this proves is that lots of people have no idea what a good mount actually looks like (or they are just being polite). Honestly I wish people would hold turkey taxidermy  (and taxidermy in general) to a higher standard. In my experience most taxidermists have absolutely no business mounting a turkey for pay, but that never seems to stop them from doing it anyway.

I couldn't agree more.  I've seen some absolutely awful mounts on here with lots of positive comments.  I don't offer up my opinion for fear of being bashed.  Maybe it's time for some radical candor.

[Bowguy]

I did taxidermy full time for many years. Only stopped due to some life circumstances. Taxidermy is a funny business w lots of garbage work, short cutters, etc. there are some exceptional guys as well.
Turkeys imo are pretty labor intensive, I'd personally rather have a buncha pheasant than a couple turkeys n would never personally touch them for the prices you guys are quoting.
Just for kicks, shoot a bird this year, get a book n try mounting one. See how long it takes, costs of manikins, freeze drying heads, injection fluid for feet. Fleshing the bird, cleaning the greasy mess up. Shampooing hide, blow drying that hide, sewing holes, sewing hide, glueing neck joint, preserving the hide, cleaning inside the wings n the bones. Rebuilding legs, wings, necks, Oh yea cool preening the feathers. Did I mention even wiring or mounting the bird? What about the price of the base? Painting it?
Logging it into the books, writing a receipt, calling you for 6  months to pick it up. Hearing your great story for an hour each time we talk? Hmmm seems 600-750 is fair so I'll pay some of you to do it for that price.
Seriously guys you have no idea how much work is involved, your quoting imo a price to cheap though costs vary n so does labor but I just aimed in my business for quality customers that wanted quality work as you should be aiming for a quality taxidermist that puts out quality work. If a Guy quotes you 600 run like hell imo.

[GobbleNut]

As others here have stated, a really good turkey mount takes a lot of time and effort. Not only that, but really great turkey taxidermists are truly artists in their craft.  There are many turkey taxidermist that just don't have the artistic abilities, nor the inclination, to ever be great at it.

Having said that, some folks,... 1) don't want to spend a ton of money on a mount,..and 2) can't tell the difference between a so-so mount and a great mount.  Believe it or not, there are lots of people who would rather pay $450 to $500 for the so-so mount than spend $750 to $1,000 for a great one. 

Also, as others have said, there are those taxidermists that will try to charge "a lot" for a mount that is worth "a little", or less.  If you want a museum-quality mount and are willing to pay for it, then by all means, get one of the best turkey taxidermists in the country to do it for you.  If you will be satisfied with something less than the best (and from my experience, most people are), then look around for a less-expensive shop. 

Whatever you do, make sure you look at some mounts from whoever does the work so that you know what to expect in the finished product. If a guy does work that is good enough for you,...and at a price that is reasonable to you,...then use him and don't worry about it. 

[MountNMan]

Gunners Taxidermy- Harry Whitehead. Excellent Turkey taxidermist.

State, National and World Champion

Address: 121 Dewey Dr # A, Nicholasville, KY 40356
Phone: (859) 881-1594

www.gunnerstaxidermy.com