just a little more info
there is NO set time on HOW long it takes a taxidermist to DO a mounted deer head, as there are many variables in things, most start at how/who does the tanning of the hide.
not many do this themselves and as such, MOST tend to then wait till they get a LOT to send in all at once, this way they get a better price on things(more profit for THEM)
I have had taxidermist who did there own tanning and I got beautiful heads back in a few months, some time under 5 months! and they STILL look great 30+ yrs later!
a lot of problems and delays happen, when a taxidermist takes in MORE than expected work, than they can really handle, and when this happen, , quality also seems to suffer and they start to make mistakes and take short cuts!, this is also where many again, will but forms in BULK to get discounted prices, and use a one size fits ALL, rather than finding the RIGHT form for the hide!
add in a lot of taxidermist do the work a a second job and not as a full time deal, that then means they only work on things as TIME allows, and they can again get over loaded, if they bulk send out hides and then in return get BULK hides back at once!, then get overwhelmed with more than again they had hoped they would get, throwing off there time frame, as now they have LOT mroe work than expected, as they do heads, the first onbe's slower, or at there NORMAL rate and before long start to notice there getting WAY behind on things, the quality almost always starts to go down hill, and worse yet, customers also still end up waiting longer than expected, and then get a sub par head back
the upside to "X" taxidermist, is, that again, MOST guys just don';t know the difference in a so so mount, s to a GREAT mount,
as many only have a 1 , or few, and maybe the first they have is worse already as could be older or, many first timers, some times let FRIENDS mount there first deer or??(I heard this all the time when I worked in my buddys shop)
and then, when they FIRST pick up there head, most are just HAPPY to get it back, they don;t really see the flaws till they get home and have it next to another head, maybe done better!
or after someone that knows more about things points things out!
cannot tell you how many crossed eye'd deer head I seen at hunting camps LOL
or lots of white showing on one eye and NON on the other!
some never ever notice these things or care!
but when ever a taxidermist GIVES a time frame, I always expect things to to be PAST that, before done, 90% of the time, unless they give you some crazy 1+ yr date
things shouldn't;t take more than a Yr, IMO< yet its becoming more and more common.
forms, eye's tanning and all that doesn;t take LONG to have done folks!
the rest is labor on the taxidermist for the most part, some work more often and faster than others, and quality doesn't have to be graded on TIME spent, its graded on work put out!
I again, strongly recommend folks that plan to have many deer heads mounted , should learn how to take measurements, and take GOOD pictures, not a BAD idea to take pic's of tape measure ON the deer at time of measurements then you have evidence in things?? not that it will correct a messed up mount, but might get you some leverage on price, or can be used to show the taxidermist and his customers what he did wrong!
when you get a receipt at drop off time, get the expected date in writing too(again doubt it will help but ads evidence to your side)
Bad taxidermists are out there ALL Over the place, and most stay in business due to folks lack of knowing what real quality is and to look for, and worse yet
due to folks don;t make as big a fuss to make them either do better or get out of the game
like said, a sucker born every minute? many count on this to stay in business I think!
