Taxidermy gone wrong...

[Timt]

Thought I would share an experience with some taxidermy gone wrong and why it is so important to choose the right taxidermist.
I hunted SA in 2012 and got some decent trophies and memories. Waited the normal 12 months until the finished trophies turned up at my door...

Didn't really like the quality of work and the fact that some of the work werent done right.. (wrong trophy mounted with skin and the other way around)

Didn't think about it so much as I didn't have room to put up most of the trophies.

I recently completed my trophy room in my new house and started to put up the trophies and it was alot worse then I remembered.

4/6 Springbok european mounts missing their nosebone and more due to overcooking. Cooking and all taxidermy work is done on site of safari, actually about 30 steps away from the lodge were we stayed.
Skin on the wrong trophy and the real trophy done as a european mount and not glued properly to the wood plate.

A mount with the tusks from three smallish warthogs where 4/6 tusks had split down the middle and the pieces rattling around in the crate and needed alot of superglue. Some small pieces missing from the tusks aswell.

A halfmount nyala where there was alot of hair missing on a point on the back between the shoulderblades looking like a whirl and also alot of glue or something similar on top of the head around the horns also without any hair. Doubt it was hair slippage as you can see the marks from tools.

My steenbok arrived in the wood crate with one horn broke off and more or less crushed, took me 19 glue joints to put back together.

Photos:
Nyala

Springbok as it arrived

Steenbok when fixed( Right horn on the pic, luckily im a dab hand with the loctite)

Was going to burn the taxidermist in the thread but decided against it as it wouldn't do any good.
More important to make sure future hunters only go to a well renown taxidermist with alot of previously happy customers.

It is equally important as the research you regarding what outfitter you are going to travel with.

For me this is a sad part of the learning curve when you go down to Africa as there is alot of your memories that come back tainted.

What im doing with the mounts:

The springbok mounts are going in the trash as soon as I need the space.

I will save the horns on the Nyala for lampstands or similar and use the rest of the mount for target practise with my 470NE.
Guess I will have to go shoot a new one if a real big one comes around when I'm next down for hunting. Until then the photos will have to go up.

The warthog tusks will go up on my "pig wall" anyway.

The Steenbok will go up on the wall together with the other tiny ten mounts when they arrive. Atleast until I get to shoot another one for a full mount this time (last one was shot with a 300wm which made it explode)

So do your due diligence when it comes to taxidermy otherwise you might be in for a bad experience when the trophies arrive home.

Will disclose the name of the taxidermist if Brickburn or any mod wants me too. Will also add some more photos later.

 

[TokkieM]

Mate it is a sad state of affairs, bloody heartbreaking to be honest. Like you say, get a good Taxidermy and stick with them. Have a whole container on its way and right now I am terrified of what awaits me even though I know and trust my Taxidermist.

 

[BRICKBURN]

Bloody sad really.

The breakage of horns seems weird. Was the crate damaged?
Pieces rattling in the crate....

Those cracks around the Nyala bases. Did that get sent that way or were they shaken in transit.
One way of the other I am not impressed with that mount.

I think you are about to make excellent use if the form with the 470. Do share the result. Preferably in a video! I hope it helps you feel better. It might for me.

Over boiling can be done right at the Outfitters. Many of the workers have zero clue about how easy it is to boil those bones out of the nose.
It never matters on a shoulder mount but it is devastating for a Euro.

Posting the name is not about burning the taxidermist per se. Just the facts. They did the work and were willing to send it out. They can live with the results of what people think of their work. Including the client who paid the bill.

I always appreciate the warning of whom I should be avoiding. You help those with their future due diligence.

Thanks for sharing the painful side of your trip.

 

[Timt]

Everything was sent/recieved as seen in the photos.
That Nyala mount is a disgrace tbh.

No damage to the crate as far as I could see and everything bolted to the sides of the crate with bubblewrap around it.
The horn from the steenbok looked like it had been stepped on.
The parts of the tusks were just laying at the bottom of the crate.

Well then I'll post the name of the taxidermist: African pride taxidermy.

Will do a video of me shooting the Nyala to pieces when the weather is right...

 

[JimP]

That was one of my greatest fears on my upcoming first Safari to SA. I talked to my local taxidermist and he showed me a couple of mounts that people had brought in that needed to be fixed. The problem was that the mounts had been done in SA so the owners really didn't have any recourse unless they wanted to foot the bill to ship them back and then to hope for a remedy.

Boiling skulls is a crap shoot. I have done my share and some turn out fine while others for no reason come out a lot like yours did, even when watching them constantly. One thing boiling is really the wrong term, the water should never be much more than a simmer and boiling will destroy a lot of structure in the skulls. I learned this the hard way when I first started doing it.

My hope is that the taxidermist that I have chosen in SA will do a good job in preparing my skulls, horns, and hides and that they will arrive here in the States in fine shape. And yes, I have my fingers crossed.

 

[harden]

Bad Taxidermy can and will RUIN the best of hunts and safari's.
I have been on the Forum for many years now, I am in the US and I say support American Taxidermists.
We are hunters and sportsmen like all of you and taxidermy money spent in africa does nothing to support african wildlife.
Your Safari Dollar does, it supports your PH and his investment in his area and wildlife management practices he is involved in.
YES it costs more to have taxidermy done in the states, even a few bucks more to have it done by the best...
But what are your Memories Worth?

Sorry to hear this about your trophies and the bad deal you got.
It just sucks and puts a huge black eye to the term taxidermy.
What you received I call Junk...

 

[BRICKBURN]

Dennis do you know anyone is Sweden that can do good work?

There are very few people who could afford to ship the trophies twice. Never mind the Taxidermy bill.

 

[petrusg]

Please could you share the name (or inbox me) as I would prefer not to advise on taxidermies that deliver unacceptable work like that. I actually also want to make sure its not one that I currently advise on, and if so, stop using them.

 

[Timt]

Just as an update I have found a taxidermist in SA that does all my work now and that I am very happy with. I am more worried whenever I will go to a different country to hunt. So far 3 shipments that has come out excellent and one more that they are now working on.

And I am sadly in Sweden and not the states Dennis. Otherwise Im pretty sue you would have some of my trophies to work on

 

[Patrick R]

My hope is that the taxidermist that I have chosen in SA will do a good job in preparing my skulls, horns, and hides and that they will arrive here in the States in fine shape. And yes, I have my fingers crossed.

If i may ask, who are they? perhaps you can get a friendly warning in go ahead using / NOT USING THEM!

 

[harden]

Brick, I do have a close personal friend that lives in the Netherlands and is VERY VERY GOOD ! I would have him do my work if I lived across the pond.

 

[BRICKBURN]

Please could you share the name (or inbox me) as I would prefer not to advise on taxidermies that deliver unacceptable work like that. I actually also want to make sure its not one that I currently advise on, and if so, stop using them.

If i may ask, who are they? perhaps you can get a friendly warning in go ahead using / NOT USING THEM!

........
Well then I'll post the name of the taxidermist: African pride taxidermy.
........................

 

[BRICKBURN]

Brick, I do have a close personal friend that lives in the Netherlands and is VERY VERY GOOD ! I would have him do my work if I lived across the pond.

Drop his name in here Dennis. We have plenty of folks around the world on AH and helping them find a good Taxidermist in other countries.

 

[Wheels]

Sorry you have had to deal with this. The overboiling of skulls is one of my pet peeves.

If you hunt long enough and in different places, it seems something happens occasionally.

 

[Nyati]

Finding a good taxidermy in SA is not easy, I´ve had two problems which I was able to solve, but totally unacceptable.

Outfitters should pay more attention as to which taxidermists they recommend, as they can ruin your experience.

 

[Diamondhitch]

Tim... that sucks, I don't know what else to say.

As far as the Nyala goes instead of cutting the horns off, soak the head, pull the stitches and remove the skull cap intact. You can still get a replacement cape and have your original horns mounted. A replacement cape may not seem like it would be your Nyala but trust me you will not be able to tell the difference.

As for the Springbok, this may be just the thing. A replica skull that your original horns can be mounted on, good as new.
http://www.mckenziesp.com/Assets/ProductImages/EM25.jpg

You didn't post a picture of the "wrong trophy mounted" but if it is a matter of the wrong horns, and you have the correct ones on a euro, then it is also a simple matter to switch the horns for the correct ones.

Hope this helps.

 

[BRICKBURN]

..............
Outfitters should pay more attention as to which taxidermists they recommend, as they can ruin your experience.

More focus on the quality than on proximity and commission.

 

[Ragman]

Came on to this thread late. I'm so sorry you had to experience this. That would have been devastating.

It's the whole reason that I had my skulls/horns and capes sent back to Canada to have my taxidermy work done here. It will cost more for the mounts, but I can take my time getting them done individually. Plus my taxidermist is in the same town that I live in and is world class. He does work for quite a few TV personalities as well.

My warthog is nearly done and I had a look yesterday. It is looking awesome!

Best of luck with your trophies, and I agree with @Diamondhitch...try to get your nyala and springbok fixed!

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

Outfitters should pay more attention as to which taxidermists they recommend, as they can ruin your experience.

More focus on the quality than on proximity and commission.

Wayne, the problem is that with quality, comes higher costs. The nature of the human being, is to convince himself that the quality is acceptable, just because the price is right.
There are much fewer people who will pay more for taxidermy, because they want exceptional quality, as compared to people who wants lower costs and be willing look at "acceptable" quality mounts in their own house.
Dennis here, is a prime example. He might not be the cheapest, but he is an absolute artist and the quality of his work speaks for itself.

 

[UKHunter]

Wayne, the problem is that with quality, comes higher costs. The nature of the human being, is to convince himself that the quality is acceptable, just because the price is right.
There are much fewer people who will pay more for taxidermy, because they want exceptional quality, as compared to people who wants lower costs and be willing look at "acceptable" quality mounts in their own house.
Dennis here, is a prime example. He might not be the cheapest, but he is an absolute artist and the quality of his work speaks for itself.

I agree.

Which is why in my option its better to only get those special trophy's mounted and pay the price for better quality. Then have the others done as Euros.