I shot my first Axis with my Instinct LAST MARCH.Great hunt with great people.It was a doe and I wanted to get the hide done as a "trophy" and for memories.Anyway I finally called the taxidermists after MONTHS of being told "It will be in next week".He said come on in it was there.I go up there and he starts playing this game like it just disappeared.He musta said "it was right here" five times.After a good 30 min of this run around he says he will call the tannery and see if its still there.?!?I played it real cool and said i would wait for a call from him.That was 4 days ago.
I feel like he lost it long ago and has been putting me off for months looking for it .He even tried to give me another guys hide.
Between my family and I we have done thousands of dollars of business with him with no real problems.A little slow sometimes but thats it.
So what should I do?What can I do?He has a small deposit of mine but thats it.Is the taxidermist not responsible for your property?Am I wrong in thinking that just giving me my deposit back and saying Sorry I lost your deer is not right?Or is that just the chance I take when i turn it over to them?
Thanks for your opinions.

Ask for your deposit back and let him know that you will never be using his taxidermy services again because he couldnt be honest with you. Also, you will start spreading the word around about how he is not honest and it will work because it will hit him in hte pocketbook. Just my $.02

no he SHOULD give your deposit back right away & should have told you the truth, thats crap..especially trying to give u someone elses

Just my opinion on the matter, but to me, the main issue is not be upfront with you about what has happened to your axis hide.

If the hide was lost/stolen/damaged, whatever, he should have contacted you and sent your deposit back with an explanation.

He has not done that, even when confronted.

I have some clients coming out in April that are wanting both javelina mounts and turkey mounts, I am fixing to have to start checking out taxidermists in the DFW area, because the clients do not want to have to mess with getting a frozen javelina skull and hide or a frozen turkey thru airport security.

I normally tell my clients that if they have a taxidermist that they have been dealing with and are satisfied with to take their trophy to that person.

Now things are changing, these folks don't want the hassel of getting that stuff home, so they are asking me to find a taxidermist here in Texas that can do thwe work and ship the mounts.

I need to find a reputable person nto do the work, as these mounts are going to go to places like Georgia and New York.

I expect a taxidermist to be very communicative as to how they operate so that when I drop the trophies off, I will have a good idea that the hunters will be getting their mounts back in a reasonable amount of time, and the work will be of the best quality.

I feel like you need to confront the guy and get the full story on what happened to your hide, and your deposit back, nothing more, nothing less.

If your family has done business with the guy before he should realize that he has some form of reputation to uphold, by beating around the bush with you over the axis hide, that does not speak well of his business practices.

For starters, I'd do just what you're doing. I'd warn fellow THF folks to watch out for this guy. Seems like everytime one guy speaks up there are others who have had a similar experience. Sooner or later these folks will have no business. If they are reputable they'll have customers come to their defense.

I also recommend you take it a couple of steps further. File a complaint w/ the BBB. Go on yellow pages .com and any other online directory you can think of and write an honest review.

Thanks everyone.For your info it was Torres n Son on the north bound service road of Hwy 67.About 1 mile south of Hwy 20 in Duncanville.
He still hasnt called me.Must not be to worried about it.I think i'll go by there in the morning and tell him to just give my $ back and be done with him.Sucks too cause hes right down the road for me and does good mounts.

Hate to hear about your misfortune. Let us know how everything turns out.

Crazyhorse, I used Modern Taxidermy in Joshua for a buck mount last year. I was real happy with the work. He did a much better job than my last taxidermist and had my mount back to my monthes faster too.

Sorry to hear about your troubles. I used a taxidermy that was close for my first shoulder mount. I was told the mount would be ready by Sept when I dropped it off. When I hadn't heard back from the taxidemist by the end of Sept I figured that they were running a little behind, no big deal. Hadn't heard back from them by the end of Oct and I started wondering what was going on. After multiple attempts to reach them by phone unsuccessfully I took time off work to go by and check in person. No one was there. Really ticked by this time as I had paid most of the cost up front. Made more calls and a couple more trips by during Nov and Dec still no answer on the phone or any one at the shop. Finnally got a call from them saying it was ready in the first Wed of Jan. I set up a time to come by on Fri after lunch to pick it up. When I got there no one was there, again. I continued calling them all weekend and finally got an answer Sun evening. Asked them what happened to Fri and they said they had left Thur for a hunt that they had planned. Ok then why tell me you are gonna be there for me to get my mount?? I went straight there Sun after I hung up with them and got my mount. Told them that after the poor costumer service they would never hear from me again and I would never recommend them to any one. I have never felt right about the mount either. The buck was older and the hide used on mine looks like it came of a yearling. it looks young and is too small to have been from my buck. But what could I do? I wasn't about to go back to them after all the hassles already. Eventually if I get an older cull buck I am gonna take the hide and mount in and have a new mount made. I hope everything works its way out for you.

I had a turkey at a taxidermist for over 2 yrs and had given up on it when he called and said it was ready and was sorry it took so long, he gave it to me free of charge so it was hard to complain and he had done 3 other mounts for me, he was always slow but did great work. would i go back? maybe, but wont ever give a deposit.

I went in today and he said he couldn't find it and was sorry.He gave me my deposit back and gave me another Axis hide that he said was one of his. . .He also gave me a card with his signature on it saying "Refund on next mount(Axis hide)".Not that i will b e going back to them.
Atleast he tried to make it right.Thanks for the input all.

yep same story for me on two ram mounts 2 years and nothing guy said he could not even find were i payed my deposits on them.never again crowley texas taxadermist.Always a song and dance.