Taxidermy Rates

casterpollox

casterpollox

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I've been holding off for a few years but I think this is the season that I finally get something mounted.

It may be a little dreaming on my part, but I was drawn for antelope this year and I think... if I get one... it would make a beautiful mount.

What are the going rates so I can start to budget for getting something done. Whether it's a speedgoat or a deer.

Thanks

PS, maybe some pics of your trophies to inspire me? :)
 
antelope taste good but man are they ugly up close... they look really cool running around i'm sure.

i'm getting a fox done right now with a custom form (he was too big for a normal form) and i wanted it fast i didn't want to wait a year for it. so of course i payed more. he's costing me $900 for a full mount with base and everything. i should get him end of this week or early next week i'll post pics then.

right now i have a deer skull that has been "beetled" hanging on my wall and i think that looks awesome.
 
my dad got his buck done for $450 this year. A very well known taxidermist that does amazing work that lives local to me charges $700 for a whitetail shoulder mount. But its the best work I've ever seen.
 
Rates vary depending on who, what and when. $450 is on the low end, and 8-900 is probably pretty high for a shoulder mount. It will depend on the species, type of shoulder mount, timeline you want it done in, and most importantly - who you get to do it.

Definitely shop around and look at a lot of different guys work (in person if you can). Talk to them and get a feel for the kind of person they are (try not to get "sold"), and get an idea of what they expect from you, re: trophy prep., etc.

Good luck.
 
Since you're in Saskatchewan I would suggest talking to Rion White at Orion Taxidermy in Moose Jaw. I've seen a ton of his work and he will be taking care of anything I bring back from Zimbabwe this year. My folks drove down there to meet him and they said he was a really nice guy and spent a lot of time with them showing them around and talking over our African trophies. They'll be headed back later this month to see some African stuff that he was waiting on. He went to RSA with a friend of mine a few years ago and took a ton of photos so that he would get everything right. Attention to small details makes all the difference and when it's going to hang on your wall for many years you had better be happy with it!
 
BigUglyMan said:
Since you're in Saskatchewan I would suggest talking to Rion White at Orion Taxidermy in Moose Jaw. I've seen a ton of his work and he will be taking care of anything I bring back from Zimbabwe this year. My folks drove down there to meet him and they said he was a really nice guy and spent a lot of time with them showing them around and talking over our African trophies. They'll be headed back later this month to see some African stuff that he was waiting on. He went to RSA with a friend of mine a few years ago and took a ton of photos so that he would get everything right. Attention to small details makes all the difference and when it's going to hang on your wall for many years you had better be happy with it!
Click to expand...

Orion does some great work. He finished a piece for me when he took over Timberline here in town. Flippin expensive though, if you have a bunch to do.
 
I'm really only thinking about the buff. Don't have a big list of things to shoot in this trip. I do want my buff to be a top notch mount because it'll be a while before I'm back there.
 
Funny you should mention Rion. He's my hunting partner's friend and my buddy's brother's neighbour.... if that makes sense.

I know his work well and it is amazing, I've just been too embarrassed to ask how much. :redface: I've heard that he's expensive but you can see the quality. I was just wondering how much more his prices are compared to someone else.

Ok, I'll say it. I'm a little cheap... well, more thrifty than cheap. ;) I think I might give him a call.... If I start saving now I should be able to comfortably pay for it when it's done.

Thanks for all the help.
 
Most of the taxidermists in my area will happily take installments as the work is being completed. Maybe a couple of hunderd at the start, then a few payments to get it paid for by completion date. My last mount I put $300 down at the start and stopped by to BS and gave the taxidermist a hundred or two each time. You get a couple of good hunting storeys and the mount slowly gets paid for.
 
The last deer I got from Rion was $825 last week. It was a little different and he couldn't use his forms and had to order this one in (mule deer, sneak). His work is second to none as the price reflects. I have had Rion do all 8 of my deer, my antelope and both my bears, rug and full body. From looking at a lot of other guys work I can see the difference in cheap work and great work. Think of the last time you were looking through the latest issue of big buck magazine and you see some guy with a terrible mount that wasn't painted very well and the deer has a silly expression like a smile. You read how he would like to thank so and so for the great job he did mounting his deer and you want to go find the guy and drag him through the shop of a first rate taxidermist. You have to think about the mount that you want on the wall for the 20 or 30 years and spend a little extra to get alot more. Looking through different shops and getting their prices i have found that the best ones are about the same and the mediocre ones are about half the price. That said you may find a guy that is starting out and does great work but hasn't established a name for himself yet and he is still priced right. But before you drop off the trophy of a life time that you invested your time and money to take look at his work and go from there.
 
Would you mind posting a pic of your antelope that Rion did? I know he does great work and he's a good guy too.

I guess I just got a little sticker shock when I started to hear prices from some of the other hunters around here.

Thanks
 
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