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Delivery vehicles for taxidermists — what to buy .

By
Aaron Stehling
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One subject that rarely gets covered in the taxidermy industry is vehicles for delivering clients completed mounts. Most shops eventually get  hit with the dilemma of having to deliver finished customer pieces . There are a number of approaches you can take to this issue. I will discuss some options in this article and expound on our choice.

Option 1 — Let the customer take care of it 

This is the easiest way to handle the issue, but presents a lot of problems for you and your client. Making the customer deal with getting a trailer/ vehicle is an inconvenience for them and the chances of them damaging the mount in transit and unloading means you may be heading to their place to fix it .

Option 2 — Rent what you need 

This can be a good way to handle things , especially if your just starting out in business . You can rent trailers and cube vans for a relativity low cost for a day or two . The down side is you are using a rental vehicle that is not branded for your company and that can look cheap . You also have to deal with used equipment that may not be in the best shape for hauling delicate taxidermy mounts.

Option 3 — Buy a trailer 

Most taxidermists that need to make deliveries on a regular basis have a trailer. You can get a ” good ” trailer for around $6000 that a 1500 truck can pull under most conditions . However, for hauling delicate taxidermy mounts with scenes you should invest in an upgraded suspension and consider getting a goose neck . We also have a 2500 truck and have found it is much better in the long run to have the extra pulling power . Having your own trailer also lets you brand it with decals and wraps . This makes your business look more professional and is great for advertising . The downsides to the trailer is trying to back it in tight residential areas and the ride — even with good suspension the ride can be bumpy. Buying a trailer is a great way to go, but there may be an even better option…

Option 4 — Box Trucks

In our opinion, this is the best option for delivering finished taxidermy mounts. The ride is smoother than a trailer, they are easier to back and maneuver in tight places, it is easier to watch the load in transit, and box trucks are also easier to secure. A box truck also gives you a ton of advertising potential .  Our box truck is a 2017, 3500 Chevy express with a 15′ box. It has a wood interior in the box which helps to adsorb some of the shock and makes for easy attachment of mounts. We had the sides wrapped with an outdoor scene and decals on the front and rear doors . The back has a step up to get into the box and a pull out ramp . The only downside to getting a box truck is the cost. It is substantially higher than a trailer . However, if you are planning on doing a lot of deliveries a box truck or cube van might be the best choice. Always charge for the delivery service– you need to cover your costs and it is well worth it to the customer !

Here are some pictures of our truck  :

 

 

 

 

Taxidermy With CJ Herring

By
CJ Herring
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CJ Herring Taxidermy

Taxidermist and North American wildlife artist CJ Herring has recently launched an underground member’s only Facebook Taxidermy Group. The name of the taxidermy Facebook group is called Taxidermy Lab and is exclusive to only his industry contacts along with some of the worlds leading taxidermist.

If you have not been living under a rock and frequently visit other taxidermy forums, and Facebook groups then you know who CJ Herring is. If you do not know who he is then here is a little run down on CJ.  CJ Herring is the senior head taxidermist at Cliffords Taxidermy which is located outside Cooperstown, New York and has been for over 20 years. He is also chief editor and CEO of The Taxidermy Journal, an online taxidermy publication and a senior contributing for Taxidermy Talk News which is based in Wisconsin.

CJ’s main focus in taxidermy is whitetail deer, upland game birds and both cold water and warm water fish. Small mammals are also an income provider for CJ. CJ also has over 20 years in tanning experience and has tanned thousands of animal skins from elk to bear and everything in-between.

CJ Herring specializes in bird body carving and small mammal wrapping where he custom makes all of his small bird and mammal forms.

To learn more about CJ and to see his behind the scenes taxidermy posts, visit the Facebook taxidermy group today.

Whitetail Cape Shaving 101

By
D.Price
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0
Whitetail Cape Shaving 101
Whitetail Cape Shaving 101

By D. Price

 

So many times I am asked or either see posted on the internet, how do you know when your deer cape is shaved thin enough? This is an important question and not an easy one to answer with words. I often see or hear someone answer it with “When it turns blue that is thin enough.”

In this article I’m going to attempt to answer this question with less words and more photos. To start with the cape is just not going to suddenly go “POOF” and turn blue like a Smurf. This “Blue” answer can often confuse a newbie to the industry trying to find their way. So let me explain it a little differently.

To start with, the bluish color people often refer to is nothing more than the dark hair follicles beginning to show through the white skin as it gets thinner therefore causing a blue tint to the skin itself.

Whitetail Cape Shaving 101
Whitetail Cape Shaving 101

Now this does not hold true for the entire cape. There are several exceptions, one being all the hair on a whitetail is never all dark such as the throat patch, arm pit areas, belly areas and never depend on the blue color on an albino or piebald cape because you will have thin bald spots all over it.

Whitetail Cape Shaving 101
Whitetail Cape Shaving 101

Another area to watch out for is if there was deep bruising of the deer around bullet wounds, drag marks or other injuries.

Whitetail Cape Shaving 101
Whitetail Cape Shaving 101

The staining of the blood in the skin could penetrate as far as the outer layers of the dermis so there will be no dark follicles showing through a white skin.

Whitetail Cape Shaving 101
Whitetail Cape Shaving 101

I have seen many damages in these areas because of this very reason. Here is an example of a bruised area most likely from falling after being shot.

Whitetail Cape Shaving 101
Whitetail Cape Shaving 101

Okay, “feel” is always the best way to make sure you have a properly thinned and evenly shaved cape, “sight” is second on the list.

The first thing you need to get a properly thinned cape is a clean pickled skin.

Whitetail Cape Shaving 101
Whitetail Cape Shaving 101
Whitetail Cape Shaving 101
Whitetail Cape Shaving 101

Make sure to completely flesh and wash the cape before adding to your pickle.

Whitetail Cape Shaving 101
Whitetail Cape Shaving 101
Whitetail Cape Shaving 101
Whitetail Cape Shaving 101

You want to remove as much of the meat and body fluids as possible. This will leave you with a cleaner skin to work with as well as a cleaner pickle. This will keep your fleshing machine cutting smoother if there is no trash there to damage the cutting edge.

Whitetail Cape Shaving 101
Whitetail Cape Shaving 101

Once the cape has been in the pickle long enough to penetrate the skin it is time to start the thinning process.

Whitetail Cape Shaving 101
Whitetail Cape Shaving 101

As you are shaving you should constantly be feeling or pinching the skin checking the thickness as you go, making sure everything is nice and even, especially on the neck and shoulder areas. If you have seen my “Mastering the Fleshing Machine A-Z Plus” online video series you will notice me constantly pinching the skin for this very reason.

In the brisket and arm pit region of the skin it can be tricky, many capes need no thinning at all in these areas if they were properly fleshed at the start.

Once you get to the face it is more of a seeing what you are doing in cleaning up the nose, chin, muzzle and around the eyes.

Whitetail Cape Shaving 101
Whitetail Cape Shaving 101
Whitetail Cape Shaving 101
Whitetail Cape Shaving 101

The forehead and around the ear butts is going to be other “feel” areas. Behind the ear which is actually the top and back of the head is usually a fairly thick area that needs extra attention.

Whitetail Cape Shaving 101
Whitetail Cape Shaving 101

The forehead may appear thicker than it really is due to the extremely course thick hair in this area, so tread lightly here.

Whitetail Cape Shaving 101
Whitetail Cape Shaving 101

I hope this explanation along with the photos helps to explain this often asked question, “How do you know when your whitetail capes are thinned enough?”

As always, thanks for reading and you can reach me at d.price@outbacktaxidermy.net or 919 562 4280

 

Deer Cape Drying Without A Tumbler

By
CJ Herring
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Deer Cape Drying 101

If you’re like me and operate out of a small studio you just don’t have the room for a tumbler or dryer to aid in deer cape drying. Trust me if I had the room I would have a tumbler. Plans in the near future are to expand my work space and a spot for a tumbler will be reserved.  In the meantime we must improvise and be creative.

Before I get too deep into this article, if you do not tan your own deer capes then this article is probably not going to be of any use to you. This article is specifically for those who tan their own deer capes so let’s move on to doing some deer cape drying.

I cannot emphasize enough that deer cape drying is one of the most top priorities if tanning with a brush on tan, applying oil after a soaking tan, and last but not least in mounting up your deer. Three of my main tanning agents used here in my shop is PRO-1, Lutan FN, and Krowtann. At one point during or after the tanning process you must get your cape dry to where the hair is dry and the skin is damp. The thinner you shave down your capes the faster it will go.

If using a brush on synthetic tan like PRO-1 you must get your cape dry after neutralizing and before applying the tanning oil. If using Lutan FN you will need to get your cape dry after the tanning process but before applying the leather or as some call it finishing oil. If you’re a Krowtann user then after you complete the tanning process and before you mount, you must get your cape dry.

No matter what tan you use in house you must get your capes dry BEFORE mounting. Never mount a wet cape, ever! If your cape is too wet during mount up you are asking for problems. For one shrinkage will be X2 then a dry cape and a wet cape will also affect your hide paste by thinning it down, removing its full gluing potential. You will also be exposed to mechanical hair slippage which is the leading cause of hair slippage during mounting.

After allowing your deer cape to hang and drain for a period, you will need to towel dry it as much as you can. Be gentle when drying the hair side with the towels, don’t be too rough. We will finish off the hair drying with a blower. Pat and dry is best when working the hair side. Next turn your deer cape inside out so the flesh side is exposed. Now lay a BIG towel on the table, and then place your deer cape on top flat. Now take another BIG towel and lay that on top of the cape. Now roll up the cape with towels and squeeze as you roll. The towels will wick a good portion of the moisture from the cape.

To further the deer cape drying process the next step is explained in the video. Watch the video in its entirety. If you complete ever step I explained and follow up with the procedures in the videos, you will without a doubt have a deer cape that is 90% dry. Perhaps more dry then any tumbler with saw dust could provide in the short period of time. This whole process should take you under 30 minutes from start to finish. Good luck!

You can view the video HERE if it does not load properly

Skinning a Deer for a Shoulder Mount

By
Aaron Stehling
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Central New York Taxidermy

By
CJ Herring
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Central New York Taxidermy

There are many central New York taxidermy shops located in the big apple but the one we will be focusing on is located within the Leatherstocking region. Cliffords Taxidermy has been providing taxidermy services to central New York for over two decades now. Located near Oneonta and Cooperstown, NY in Otsego County, Cliffords Taxidermy is the place to go to when it comes to central New York taxidermy.

Cliffords Taxidermy services all of Otsego County and provides taxidermy services to those who live and hunt in Chenango, Herkimer, and Delaware counties of New York State.

Taxidermy services provided by this central New York taxidermy facility includes, big and small game taxidermy, deer taxidermy, bear taxidermy, fish taxidermy and bird taxidermy. Cliffords Taxidermy also provides animal hide tanning, both hair on and hair off.

Taxidermy prices are not listed on Cliffords Taxidermy website but the average central New York taxidermy price range on deer heads is in the $600 range.  Bear heads are also in the $600 range. European mounts averaged $300. Turkey taxidermy anywhere in New York State is usually within $600 to $800. Average fish taxidermy prices in New York are anywhere from $18 to $25 per inch.

Average return time on most taxidermy mounts from Cliffords is 12 months. Cliffords Taxidermy uses nothing but the best when it comes to taxidermy supplies and manikins. They take no short cuts or cut costs just to get your trophy out the door.

So if you’re hunting or fishing in central New York this season and need central some New York taxidermy services why not give Cliffords Taxidermy a call.

 

How to take care of waterfowl you want to have mounted

By
Aaron Stehling
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Altering a Whitetail Deer Form

By
CJ Herring
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0
Altering a Whitetail Deer Form

There is a misconception amongst most people that the deer forms manufactured and shipped to taxidermists today are all one size fits all. That any pose so desired is available. This could be so far from the truth. Half of the work involved in mounting a deer head is sometimes put into altering the form or as some refer to it as altering the deer manikin. If you mount deer chances are you will be altering a whitetail deer form at some point of your taxidermy career.

When I use the term altering a whitetail deer form I am referring to the work and process that is done in changing, reconstructing the original physical appearance of the delivered deer manikin. There are many reasons on why a taxidermist must alter and change the appearance of a deer manikin that they are working on. The form may be too big or too small.  The turn in the head may not be as much or too much of a turn. The nose on the deer may be too long or not long enough. Perhaps the nose on the deer is too wide or too narrow. The list goes on and on.

Altering a whitetail deer form maybe intimidating to some and in some cases overwhelming. You may have to remove the entire head or actually cut off the whole neck of the form. Sanding and sculpting is a requirement for anyone who attempts to alter (modify) a whitetail deer manikin.

It is very important to test fit your capes to the deer form before mounting up. Chances are at some point you will have to alter the deer form to get the cape to fit properly. Sometimes we taxidermists goof and order the wrong form. Instead of sending the form back while wasting time and money, we will just fix the mistake by altering the deer manikin.

I personally have done dozens of whitetail deer form modifications over the years. Anything you can think of being done to a deer manikin to alter it probably has been done by me at some point. I have taken shoulder mounts and turned them into wall pedestals. I won’t even mention all the nose length modifications I have done. Changing the pose of the deer has been done more than once. The list goes on and on. I will also guarantee you many other deer taxidermist can relate to altering a deer form.

Altering a deer form is not rocket science. If you think you are going to just throw a cape on every single deer manikin delivered to your shop, and be done with it, I got news for you. You need to be handy with a saw and knife and have sculpting capabilities.

Just recently I completed a whitetail form alteration on a McKenzie 6900 series wall pedestal. The deer manikin had a hard right turn look and I made it into a full straight look. You can read all about it along with the step-by-step procedures I used by visiting Whitetail Form Alteration By CJ Herring

Securing Deer Antlers Using The Four Screw Rule

By
CJ Herring
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0
Securing Deer Antlers

Over this past summer the phone rang here at my taxidermy lab and on the other end was a worried voice.  The caller stated that their deer head fell off the wall and now they had a loose antler. They assured me that they believed the skull cap cracked under the cape but were lost for words on way it wobbled but yet still seemed to be attached. I replied by stating that their problem is probably due to how their taxidermist is securing deer antlers. Immediately their replay was “what do mean securing antlers?” At that moment I remembered that most people think we use the whole skull of the deer when mounting deer and not just the skull cap.

After explaining that their taxidermist could most likely fix the problem I was then informed their taxidermist, the one who mounted the deer was no longer in business. The caller couldn’t understand why they went of the business because their deer mounting price was the best in town. Once I learned about the taxidermist who went of business only charged their clients $350 to mount deer I didn’t need to hear any more on why someone with great taxidermy prices could possibly go out of business.

Once I informed the caller it would be a minimum of $100 to walk that deer head into my shop just for me to look at it and possibly do something to fix it, the phone call abruptly ended. Every taxidermist I know who has been in business for some time has received this type of phone call more than once.

I don’t have a clue what the taxidermy schools of today are teaching their students when it comes to securing deer antlers to the deer form. I really don’t and what they teach is their business. However I do have a sneaky suspicion that most taxidermists today secure their deer antlers using only 2 or 3 screws at most. Which is more than enough to hold the antlers in place, but I can tell you right now that it could be recipe for disaster down the road for your client. I can actually count on one hand who has told me over the years that they use and would also recommend the 4 screw rule when securing deer antlers.

If the skull cap under the clay and cape would to ever split down the center (weakest part of the cap) and you used four screws, chances of it wobbling or becoming loose will be very slim to none. Don’t ever take for granted that the hardened clay and dried cape over the skull cap will be enough to keep everything in place by getting away with using 2 or 3 screws. One good bang and it can all come apart.

Turkey Reference Pictures For The Taxidermist

By
CJ Herring
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0
Turkey Reference Pictures

If you’re going to mount turkeys as a taxidermist, then you better get yourself some good turkey reference pictures. Turkey taxidermy can be intimidating for most upcoming and aspiring taxidermists. This does not have to be the case at all, as good reference pictures will guide you the way. If you have any concept of bird anatomy and have mounted other upland game birds you’ll have no problem when it comes to mounting turkey as long as you study turkey reference pictures.  Always have turkey reference pictures on hand ready to go when mounting turkeys, no matter how many turkeys you may under your belt.

While viewing and studying reference pictures you should make notes on the tail fan, breast feathers, the head position and color of the head, the pan feathers which are located directly behind the head, the rear hackles and most importantly the scaulps which fill in the space between the wing and back hackle feathers.

Take notice on the angle and tilt of the tail fan when observing turkey reference pictures. Notice in most strutting birds the tail fan is not straight up and flat as you will see in most turkey mounts being produced by amateur taxidermists. Study the wings and the wing tips and the position of the secondary feathers on the wings. Take notice on the legs. Do any of the drumsticks show on a strutting turkey? When a turkey walks how far apart is the left leg to the right leg? When turkey gobbles, is the head up or down or at what angle? All of these questions can and will be answered by studying turkey reference pictures.

A great source for live turkey reference pictures would be Google Image Search.

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