STUFF IT RIGHT

[Outdoor Writer]

With some of the recent threads, I thought I'd add this short article I wrote several years ago.

 

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STUFF IT RIGHT

 

Copyright by Tony Mandile

 

A few years ago, I pulled into my driveway after a successful hunt in British Columbia. Because the 60-inch antlers from my moose wouldn't fit in my shell camper with all the rest of my gear, I had tied them atop my canoe.

 

One of my neighbors, an 11-yr. old boy, was cutting his lawn. James quickly shut off the mower, walked across the street and stood next to the truck almost before I turned off the engine.

 

"Man, that's a monster elk. Did you get him here?” he asked.

 

I quickly realized the youngster obviously knew little about game and even less about Arizona's resident game species. "No, it's actually a moose , and we don't have them in Arizona. I killed it in Canada."

 

"Oh, guess I need to learn more about animals. You going to get him stuffed?”

 

Rather than correct the boy's terminology outright this time, I merely smiled and replied, "Yup, he's a trophy, so I'll definitely have him mounted."

 

I thought that would be the end of it, but the youngster’s insatiable curiosity led to more questions. "Is that the same as stuffing it?"

 

I nodded affirmatively.

 

"How do you keep the thing from stinking and getting rotten?"

 

I smiled again and invited the James into my house so he could see the rest of my "stuffed" animals. I also used the opportunity to explain the art of today's taxidermists to him.

 

Taxidermy has progressed a long way from the days animals were literally stuffed with material like excelsior and cotton batting. Instead, taxidermists now stretch tanned hides over a urethane foam form, modeled as close as possible to the actual shape of the animal. Then they go about putting the finishing touches on the mount so it looks like a live animal or fish.

 

Although it sounds simple, the entire process from tanning the hide to the last step of painting the features takes months to complete.

 

Good taxidermists are actually skilled artists. Yet, as it is with most businesses, not all taxidermists are at the same skill levels. Some merely view their trade as a way to survive by doing another day's work, and their only concern involves the quick and easiest way to turn out their products and collect the money. In contrast, the artists care about their craft; they go about it as if they were doing the work for themselves. They use quality supplies, and with meticulous pride, they patiently produce life-like detail in their work.

 

Sadly the biggest problem for sportsmen is finding the real artists, not those who merely think they are. For the first-timer the search is even more difficult.

 

Hunters often ask me for recommendations, but at times some of the caveats are a bit disingenuous to the question. Asking about a good taxidermist who is inexpensive is akin to wanting a big V-8 truck that gets 40 miles per gallon; they don't exist. In regards to taxidermy work, the adage, "You get what you pay for," rings true because time is money, and quality mounts require time.

 

The first big-game animal I had mounted more than 40 years ago was a pronghorn -- my first antelope. I quickly learned a lesson. Being new to the state, I used the phone book to locate several taxidermists. At the time, I had a wife and two babies to feed on a whooping $100 a week salary. So I went with the least expensive.

 

The job, quoted at $65, stretched over 18 months. When I picked it up, I knew it didn't look too good, but I was anxious to get it home and show it off. The more I looked at it, however, the more steamed I got. It was ugly and appeared to be smiling. Six months later, the hair starting falling out in chunks and continued to do so until the head was nearly bald.

 

When it first began, I called the taxidermist; the number was no longer in service. I drove to the shop the next morning; it was empty. At that point, I realized I had been victimized.

 

A few years later a new hunting partner of mine recommended another taxidermist, and he did my work for nearly 18 years. When he passed away, though, I was back to the same dilemma -- finding a new taxidermist.

 

I thought it would be easier now because I had many more hunter friends. Not! I still waded through a couple more taxidermists who did so-so work.

 

One in particular turned into a real disaster, with some of his business practices bordering on fraud. He spent more time worrying about his own hunting trips than taking care of his customers. Too often, I knew he was lying when he talked to other customers either in person or on the phone while I was standing there. His dishonesty eventually drove me away, luckily well before he went belly-up and burned a lot of folks who had work in progress. When I pulled everything he had of mine, I did wind up getting someone else's lion skull that was smaller than the one I had left, however. Unfortunately, I had no way to prove it.

 

I also went round and round with another taxidermist over a salmon mount. Although I was supposed to get a skin mount, I received a molded fiberglass one. Due to a comedy of errors, it was nearly two years later. So yes, there can be unpleasant results if you choose the wrong taxidermist.

 

Burned once too often, I vowed to do my homework better. A hunting buddy and satisfied customer told me about Wildlife Creations. After talking to owner Marc Plunkett, I examined his work at his shop in Glendale.

 

Plunkett, now in his early 40s, has been involved in taxidermy for nearly 30 years. In fact, becoming a taxidermist was his childhood dream. Self-taught, he started mounting game when he was 10 years old. He later worked with two of the well-respected artists in the business, Bob Hancock and Jeff Sievers.

 

"I went to work for Jeff as an assistant, and he told me it was no problem if I still did some mounts at home for my customers. Jeff quickly had me doing most of the deer and a few elk. I worked for him until a car wreck killed him," Plunkett said.

 

Plunkett then worked for a taxidermist in Alaska before returning to Arizona and opening his own shop. So far, he has done more thana dozen mounts for me, and all of them reflect the pride he feels for his work.

 

Just recently I asked him what hunters should look for when choosing a taxidermist.

 

"Too many guys think a six-week class or a home-study course make them experts. These are the ones that can burn you. In fact, most have only scratched the surface. The only thing that teaches the artistic side of taxidermy is practical experience in a good shop. So unless you know for fact that a particular shop is reputable, shop around carefully," he told me.

 

"If possible, freeze the hide first. Then seek out the shops that appear to offer decent work for a competitive price. Don't pick one from the phone book and leave your trophy there without knowing anything about the place. Visit several and ask to see their work, both finished and those of customers' mounts in progress. Too often the stuff in the showroom represents their best work. Nobody displays garbage. Also, talk to other hunters who have had work done by a particular taxidermist."

 

Plunkett happily guides customers through his work area. "I want prospective customers to see the mounts I'm doing for other customers. They can examine mounts in various stages, from the very beginning processes to the final painting and cleaning. The nearly finished ones will show what my customers get for their money. I can't afford a lot of advertising, so I let my work and satisfied customers advertise for me," he said.

 

Plunkett also provided some advice for those who already have made their choice. "Whenever you leave something to be mounted, get a receipt that shows what you left, when you left it, what's to be done to it, the total price, your deposit and a probable completion date. It's basically for both the taxidermist's and your protection," he said.

 

My past experiences have caused me to add some other protections. I ask the owner of the shop to SIGN the receipt, too, basically turning it into a contract. After losing the trophy lion skull I also inconspicuously now mark what I leave for mounting, so I know I get back my animal.

 

Prices for trophy mounts have increased a bit from the $65 I paid for my first antelope, but getting something mounted might be the only memory that will remain of your hunt. So be sure it gets "stuffed" right.

 

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[CouesWhitetail]

Thanks Tony!! Nice article.

[Hunting6]

Good read Tony, and words to live by in terms of good taxidermists are generally skilled artists as well.

[tjhunt2]

That was a good write up Tony. I too went thru some of the things you experienced and can relate quite well. Jeff Sievers was my taxidermist until his death and a very sad tragedy. I don't have alot of mounts stuffed but what Jeff did still looks better than some recent mounts I've had done. Hopefully your advise will pay off for a few members on here. I've said it before and I'll say it again, "we are very fortunate to have you as a member with the knowledge you have to share".

 

TJ

[liv4coues]

Thanks for sharing your taxidermist article Outdoor Writer. It's as pertinent today as when you originally wrote it.