Hair slippage or normal characteristic?

[enysse]

Wow, sorry to see your taxidermy mounts in total ruin! This is just awful!

 

[Sand Rat]

Tick hole............looks more like an ear tag hole to me. Definitely not the same Kudu cape.

 

[harden]

In this taxidermist remark about if you sent dip pack they would be worse. NOT, I have SAVED WORSE ones . Taxidermy IS AN ART. You get screwed over on bad capes and handing . WE fix everyone's screw ups. Here IS one BADLY slipped and trashed and what we can do with them. SAME KUDU before and after. 50 plus years experience is why you come here next time . I'll make you happy with your trophies

 

[PARA45]

I've said it before, and going to say again. When you take your trophies to a taxidermist in Africa, you've taken your trophy to an assembly line, where any Joe, Dick and Harry take your trophies with very little experience or regards to how it looks. There is no pride in the work they do, they get it semi-close to what it should look, and that's it. By the time you get your trophies it's too late, because now there are thousands of miles between you and the taxidermist, and there is nothing you can from here.

p.s. Not all taxidermist in Africa fall into this category, I'm generalizing based on my experience and from what I've seen here.

Here is a picture of my impala looks like. Trust me, I've learned my lesson.

 

[Deleted member 15212]

Following.

 

[Gater]

I sent the following e-mail to the PH last Friday - 8/16/19:

Can you please have the taxidermist send me a detailed explanation of how they repaired the hole in my kudu's right ear? You can clearly see the hole in my hunt pics and no hole in the mount I received. There's not even a shred of evidence that the hole ever existed on the hide on my mount. Also, the white patches above the eyes on the animal I killed are nonexistent on the hide on my mount.
I'd also like to know why the waterbuck mount I received is MANY shades lighter now than when it was killed.
I've discussed both curious issues with a well respected taxidermist in the US known for his African mounts and his opinion is that neither of those hides are from the animals I shot.
Please advise,

So far, all I've gotten is blown off. Here's the response I got today:

I have not forgotten about your last requests.
The Taxidermist and I went over the photos and we are 110% sure you have your own capes.
Unfortunately we are experiencing a lot of clients and work right now and it will take us a little to get the entire email your way. So please bare with us.
Many thanks.

I can't wait to see what "proof" they have that the hides are from the animals I shot.

 

[jeff]

Their blowing more smoke as to be expected !

 

[Mekaniks]

Yeah if the taxidermist is really 110% sure that they are the same capes they would have sent you the evidence immediately. It takes no longer to attach a couple of pics than to type the email that they sent to you.

 

[thi9elsp]

If one looks closely at the bridge of the nose on the Kudu one sees that in the picture from the field there is quite a bit of hair missing. While on the mount there is a little patch missing. Considering the other issues, I would find it hard to believe that they 'partially fixed' the missing hair.

Hopefully, the fact of having the trophies home helps stir the memories and good thoughts / feelings. And, eventually, the lack of quality issue subsides into the background for you. And, you now have an unassailable reason to return to Africa! Whilst I have to talk my wife into through a river cruise in Europe this fall and the 'haven't you always wanted to see Victoria Falls?!' plea.

 

[harden]

Not surprised at your email. Thousands of new first time hunters going on safari every year. Endless supply of business ...they don't need your return business. Rarely have I seen a good outcome with this situation. Was hoping this would be different for you Still good luck with this.

 

[Gater]

Still getting blown off...email from yesterday:

Hallo,


I will need some time my friend. We wish to put it together for you in a way that settles your concerns…


Just relax and enjoy your mounts, they are yours.


Best regards,

 

[johnnyblues]

Such a well debated subject here on AH. I will once again say never leave your Taxidermy to be done in Africa, I don’t care how reputable they are. It’s just a gamble period. Had similar issues ( just not as severe as yours) with two trophies I left there in 2016. Well known and supposedly well respected taxidermist did a subpar job. I for one will never do that again. So sorry to see your trophies in this poor shape.

 

[buck wild]

I'm not so sure the kudu isn't yours. This could easily be the area where the ear tag hole (yeah I'm 99% it's an ear tag hole) was repaired . See the depression ?

Also the angle of the mount pic is slightly different than the harvest pic so it's hard to match up the missing hair on the nose but obviously there is hair missing on both. As for the color of the white eye areas, if the tan below the hair has turned a dark brown after drying, then if could be making that area darker if the taxi didn't address with some touch up paint/powder etc to brighten it up again.

As for the hair slippage- that is the real crapper and unacceptable !!

 

[Adrian]

I've been looking closely at this and I am sure the kudu cape is yours by matching details on the white facial markings.

True, the skin has been stretched over the form and it doesn't look remotely like the kudu in the veld and the white markings are completely different in shape but look closer at the finer details of them and they look like a match to me.

No excuses for the poor taxidermy. That is an all too familiar tale and the PH should be doing more to rectify or at least apologise for the situation, after all, the initial work was done at his base I'm guessing?

They shouldn't be charging you for polishing a turd when the hair slippage didn't happen when everything was finished.

You should've been advised and given the option whether to continue or not as soon as it became apparent.

 

[Gater]

I’ll take some closer pics of the ear later and post them.

 

[Gater]

Just remembered I had a close up of the ear. There's only one spot I could even remotely see where a possible repair was made and I've circled it in the 2nd pic. I'll get a closer in-person look at it once I get home today. I'll post a pic of the back side of the ear too.

 

[Gater]

Here's a better pic of the hole from the field. It's a little grainy b/c I zoomed way in on it.

 

[Gater]

I'm not so sure the kudu isn't yours. This could easily be the area where the ear tag hole (yeah I'm 99% it's an ear tag hole) was repaired . See the depression ?

I've been looking closely at this and I am sure the kudu cape is yours by matching details on the white facial markings.

Guys, thanks for your comments. So, I just got home and took another close look at the ear with a flashlight. You guys are right - the cape is from the animal I shot. I don't know if being in the climate control at my house has causes the skin to pull back some from the repair, but there is now obviously a visible repair in that ear.

I am 100% certain it was not visible when I 1st unpacked the mounts. Do you think it's possible the environment caused it to show now?

 

[buck wild]

Yes the ear skin could be retracting slightly in different humidity levels or the jostling could have caused some of the "putty" to flake off etc, OR it might have been there you just didn't notice as much from 10 ft away as the hole wasn't obviously visible- different angle of light hitting it.

 

[Gater]

Yes the ear skin could be retracting slightly in different humidity levels or the jostling could have caused some of the "putty" to flake off etc, OR it might have been there you just didn't notice as much from 10 ft away as the hole wasn't obviously visible- different angle of light hitting it.

I examined it closely as I was expecting there to be a hole. It wasn’t visible.