Taxidermy Progress Reports

Originally Posted by BRICKBURN

Apparently the Kudu finally quit wrestling with home sickness and decided to allow himself to be loaded on the plane.

Not scheduled to arrive for 5 days, which puts its arrival on the weekend ensuring that the government inspection office is closed, necessitating a two day wait before they can schedule inspection on a week day.

Another week or so.

APPARENT PROOF THAT THE CRATE WAS LOADED ON A JET.

Thats great glad to see its finally coming together.

Good, I want to see some critters before I go! All in all though you shot these last summer and are receiving them mounted this spring, its hard to complain about that turnaround regardless of oopses.

Diamond, besides the OOPs' the turn around time and quality of the work you can't really. Just a pain.
That will fade in time.

I'll get these trophies onto the wall and start sharing the pictures. Camera is charged and ready to go.


With the Kudu Karma I expect to have one final encounter with the Customs folks.


After all this I may just ask everyone on AH to share who they have used; Crating, D&P, Shipping, Taxidermy just to get a bigger data set for comparison.

Originally Posted by BRICKBURN

With the Kudu Karma I expect to have one final encounter with the Customs folks.

They'll probably demand to know where you have hidden the other ear! LOL

I like the share and compare idea but I am sure you will get alot of conflicting ideas about each outfit. Seems the way of things in this matter.

Originally Posted by Diamondhitch

Good, I want to see some critters before I go! All in all though you shot these last summer and are receiving them mounted this spring, its hard to complain about that turnaround regardless of oopses.

Diamondhitch I know your going to be in the Tarkastad area but I don't know if I ask how you were going to do your trophies mount or D&P the Taxidermist I used in Tarkastad is Umlindi I can highly recommend them they do great work I also used the shipping company that they recommended Rex Frieght forward attached is a copy of their 2012 price list for you to compare with others. If you would like to see some of there work just go to my pictures I have some posted. Bob

Originally Posted by Diamondhitch

They'll probably demand to know where you have hidden the other ear! LOL

I like the share and compare idea but I am sure you will get alot of conflicting ideas about each outfit. Seems the way of things in this matter.

No, increased price because it was so special.

If I ask it will be the facts only. Dates, timeline, cost, quality (pictures), year, trophies shipped, etc. Try to reduce it to something you can actually draw some conclusions from.

Originally Posted by Bobpuckett

Diamondhitch I know your going to be in the Tarkastad area but I don't know if I ask how you were going to do your trophies mount or D&P the Taxidermist I used in Tarkastad is Umlindi I can highly recommend them they do great work I also used the shipping company that they recommended Rex Frieght forward attached is a copy of their 2012 price list for you to compare with others. If you would like to see some of there work just go to my pictures I have some posted. Bob

There we go, facts, location, and an opinion. This might just work in the new thread.

Originally Posted by Bobpuckett

Diamondhitch I know your going to be in the Tarkastad area but I don't know if I ask how you were going to do your trophies mount or D&P the Taxidermist I used in Tarkastad is Umilindi I can highly recommend them they do great work I also used to shipping company that they recommended Rex Frieght forward attached is a copy of their 2012 price list for you to compare with others. If you would like to see some of there work just go to my pictures I have some posted. Bob

I appreciate the info Bob but I know a great taxidermist that works cheap - Me. LOL Half the fun is getting them on the wall. I have just started on last years animals and should have them all done by the time this years arrive. I will post pics when complete. I am doing some really neat things with some that I have not seen before so I am quite excited, the Nyala in particular should be real converation starters.

Originally Posted by BRICKBURN

No, increased price because it was so special.

If I ask it will be the facts only. Dates, timeline, cost, quality (pictures), year, trophies shipped, etc. Try to reduce it to something you can actually draw some conclusions from.

Could be a good thing.

Originally Posted by Diamondhitch

I appreciate the info Bob but I know a great taxidermist that works cheap - Me. LOL Half the fun is getting them on the wall. I have just started on last years animals and should have them all done by the time this years arrive. I will post pics when complete. I am doing some really neat things with some that I have not seen before so I am quite excited, the Nyala in particular should be real converation starters.

bob, he's shown some pictures of his work. "Not too bad" on that Alberta stuff.

I'll hold judgement on Africa until I see this Nyala mount he's doing.

Originally Posted by BRICKBURN

There we go, facts, location, and an opinion. This might just work in the new thread.

You start it old Buddy and I'll post. LOL

Originally Posted by Diamondhitch

I appreciate the info Bob but I know a great taxidermist that works cheap - Me. LOL Half the fun is getting them on the wall. I have just started on last years animals and should have them all done by the time this years arrive. I will post pics when complete. I am doing some really neat things with some that I have not seen before so I am quite excited, the Nyala in particular should be real converation starters.

Sorry Diamondhitch I had forgotton but your still going to need someone to do the D&P & shipping we'll wait till BRICKBURN gets the other thread started before I tell you that there is another Taxidermist in Tarkastad that may be a little cheaper then Umlindi but I've never used their services. Bob

Keep in mind I dont beleive I have posted anything that was completed yet. Still wet, nose full of saran wrap, epidermal loss around the eyes, etc. I will have to post some completed work. For now here is Christines Blesbok minutes after applying the wet skin.

IMG_1482 (450 x 600).jpgIMG_1484 (450 x 600).jpgIMG_1486 (600 x 450).jpg

Having mounted this one I know some of the weaknesses of this form that I would correct next time. Most notably is the muzzle. It should have been narrower just below the eye gland and been wider just behind the nose. That would have made the face look just like the field photos.

Some work. Just the Sheep, etc. No close ups.
Theres that Elk and Sheep in the background ....

Tough when you have to do repair work from slippage.
Ears are a pain too. Not as furry as our critters.

I would not knock this mount that much. It looks good.
Although I have never run into a good taxidermist that did not knock something in their own work.

Look forward to the finished product pictures.

Originally Posted by Diamondhitch

Keep in mind I dont beleive I have posted anything that was completed yet. Still wet, nose full of saran wrap, epidermal loss around the eyes, etc. I will have to post some completed work. For now here is Christines Blesbok minutes after applying the wet skin.

IMG_1482 (450 x 600).jpgIMG_1484 (450 x 600).jpgIMG_1486 (600 x 450).jpg

Having mounted this one I know some of the weaknesses of this form that I would correct next time. Most notably is the muzzle. It should have been narrower just below the eye gland and been wider just behind the nose. That would have made the face look just like the field photos.

Diamondhitch Best I can tell it still looks pretty good and when you get the finishing touches on it, it will look great, and unless your going to hang a field picture beside it and invite a lot of Art Critics to view it no one will be able to tell the difference but you. Good Work!

Epidermal loss is quite common, even on our local game. It does nothing to affect the final finished product, there is still epoxy work and painting to be done once things are dry.

You are right about knocking our own work. Really there are 2 types of taxis, those who over scrutinize their own work and constanly improve and those who couldnt care less as long as the cheques keep rolling in.

Originally Posted by Bobpuckett

Diamondhitch Best I can tell it still looks pretty good and when you get the finishing touches on it, it will look great, and unless your going to hang a field picture beside it and invite a lot of Art Critics to view it no one will be able to tell the difference but you. Good Work!

I know most will never see it. The funny thing is I saw something was just not quite right when I applied the hide but couldnt put my finger on why right away then Christine walked in and instantly saw it from across the shop! She is still happy and I am too, these forms are from the most common supplier of african game so there are 1000s of very happy hunters with Blesbok mounts with this small form flaw. As long as we dont tell them about it they will continue to be happy.

Not trusting this Kudu at all, and being impatient. Four days ago I used the BA cargo tracking system to determine if the crate did make it to London. Nothing in the system.

A system update was requested. Nothing. My suspicions about the Kudu are true.

Four days later the tracking system has finally been updated. The Kudu is in London!
My "booked" shipment, that was "booked" to depart in about 1.5 hours, is now "booked" for tomorrow.

Apparently the Kudu likes London and wants to stay a Saturday night!

It should not be surprising by now, but "booked" in air cargo language is the same as "reserved" in air passenger language.
Maybe you have a seat, maybe you don't.

Cargo Shipping Category: Consolidated Bump.


Impatiently waiting and learning new euphemisms .......

Cant blame the Kudu for wanting to spend a saturday night in London. If he arrives smelling of beer and cigars you will know he went club hopping.
At least he is inching his way closer to home all the time.

You better hope that plane doesn't end up in Vegas! He may never come home!