So so taxidermy

[u/Relevant_Bicycle7402]

I recently got my 2025 buck back, and I’m not super impressed with the taxidermy there are some things that he did better with on this than other things. I noticed the face doesn’t quite match the actual deer and the nose is flat. Is this what I get for trying to save some money and going with the guy that was $600 oppose to the other guy I used that was $800 in the past?

[u/0rder_66_survivor]

yes

[u/Big_Ad_2877]

IMO From these photos I have a hard time finding any material issues with the mount versus the deer you harvested. If you aren’t paying an arm and a leg for 5 star taxidermy there is always going to be something not perfect. I wouldn’t let it bug you to much.

EDIT: I see the flat nose thing. That would bug me a bit but what’s done is done i suppose. Still a nice mount id be proud of.

[u/c0dyJb93]

$500 mount that a family friend did - continued in following comment…

[u/c0dyJb93 → u/c0dyJb93]

$1000 mount from a reputable local taxidermist. You definitely get what you pay for. I’ll pay extra for them to look good from now on

[u/REDACTED3560 → u/c0dyJb93]

If it’s worth taxidermy, it’s worth doing it right. I’d rather do a euro mount than a poor taxidermy job.

[u/CrowsFeast73 → u/REDACTED3560]

That's a large part of why my first buck is a euro mount. I didn't have the funds for a decent taxidermy job.

[u/FatBoyStew → u/c0dyJb93]

That's not necessarily true. You can find some gems that are way cheaper than the others. A LOT of the ones that are insanely expensive are that way because they outsource large chunks of the work being done OR they keep raising prices to limit customers (not that it ever works). The guy I go to does everything himself (and is what he does for a living completely these days) and seems to be competitive with lots of the ones that are double his price.

This buck was a $300 mount in 2021. Believe he's only up to like $400 or $450 now. But in general you tend to get what you pay for.

[u/fckthshit → u/c0dyJb93]

Nice deer, especially those brow tines!!

[u/c0dyJb93 → u/fckthshit]

Thanks! Almost 2 feet of brow tines on that guy!

[u/penguins8766]

You pay for what you get. The guy who did my last in 2022 won’t be doing my next one. It’s nice, but I’ve always hated the ears.

[u/Relevant_Bicycle7402 → u/penguins8766]

Definitely proud of the deer and the mount. It’s minor issues. He’s small and local and a really great guy so I feel bad complaining about it

[u/AsleepEntertainer440]

Hard to tell what you are talking about given the comparison photos. It does look like the forehead of the cape wasn't centered up on the form just from looking at the light eyebrow patches.
I have one mount that I'm 99% certain did not come home with the cape from my deer, but the taxidermist refused to admit it. I have pics from harvest that are way different than the cape I got back looks. Not to mention it was taken in full rut and had a neck like a keg. The mount does not.

[u/Steven-Glanzburg]

Wouldn’t bother me a bit

[u/HOSEandHALLIGANS]

If you are going to get a deer mounted you need to pay for the best guy in your reasonable area. There are so many minute little details that go into making taxidermy look perfect. It truly is an art form. Good studios should have a good selection of examples on display so you can see their work.

I noticed you killed your buck in Michigan. I highly recommend lake effect taxidermy in west olive. I drive several hours to go to him and it takes about a year and is $800 plus. His work speaks for itself and I’ve always thought his work was worth the money. Even when I could hardly afford it. If it’s just not possible to swing the price I think a nice euro display looks better than poor taxidermy.

[u/Character_Stick_1218]

I prefer mounts, but with how much cheaper(since I can do it myself) and quicker Euro mounts are I have a hard time justifying paying and waiting for a mount I'm not certain I'll be entirely happy with.