REPORT: Taxidermist Eastern Cape Port Elizabeth Johannesburg

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

Bill, I stay out of taxidermy. Full stop. Too many have let me down. You tell me where your skins are going, I get it there.

 

[billc]

Also as far as being in business for 30 years that does not mean someone new can not be as good or better.

 

[BRICKBURN]

Gents,
Please, please please. I have been saying this all along. You cannot judge on photos. Those mounts are so old, and if I saw those photos, I would not use them either.. Do you know that H&C has been operating for over 30 years. It use to be owned by the father of the current owner. He's taken over, and started fresh. Visit the studio, look at the new forms, and current mounts then pass judgement.

Sadly, It is all they are presenting to the public for consumption.
That is one of the reasons to keep your website fresh with good photos of your current work.

Old mounts being presented as the quality of work also washes the other way. Old mounts done really well and the person doing the work is long gone from the shop.

This goes for Outfitters as well.

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

Also as far as being in business for 30 years that does not mean someone new can not be as good or better.

Agreed. (In some cases)

 

[billc]

You can say that again.Most guys dont realize now a days how important a updated website is.Not waiting till mid way through the next season before posting pictures of trophys taken would help alot of guys.I think must of the guys on here do a good job with there sites.
With the new way of business a good website with good info and alot of good pictures goes along way.

Also guys can get good info by watching forums like this.If I was an outfitter I would be checking out all the place talked about on here if I have not already.Plus relive seems to be what more then a few like so I would be tell my guys to look there also if I liked it or not.

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

Sadly, It is all they are presenting to the public for consumption.
That is one of the reasons to keep your website fresh with good photos of your current work.

Old mounts being presented as the quality of work also washes the other way. Old mounts done really well and the person doing the work is long gone from the shop.

This goes for Outfitters as well.

Fully agree Wayne. If my hunters are unsure, I take them to wherever they want to go before heading out to camp. Exactly like gutterdoc, who posted this thread. He's hunting with me in June '15. Before we head to camp, we'll visit the list of Taxidermy's he wishes to visit, then he has the entire hunt to decide on where he wants to go.

 

[Diamondhitch]

Gents,
Please, please please. I have been saying this all along. You cannot judge on photos. Those mounts are so old, and if I saw those photos, I would not use them either.. Do you know that H&C has been operating for over 30 years. It use to be owned by the father of the current owner. He's taken over, and started fresh. Visit the studio, look at the new forms, and current mounts then pass judgement.

I couldn't agree with Bill more, if I was looking for a taxi I would see their pictures and take them off my list. the ones with the best pics would go on my short list since time for visiting taxis is always limited. I would love to see what they are doing now.

 

[Diamondhitch]

For you Bill,

Here is the first African mount I ever did. There are some issues that I can see and now that I have done Blesbok I will be able to correct them on the next try, still taxidermy is taxidermy and the ability to follow reference is the most important skill a taxi can have. That way even the first try can come out better than many who have mounted numerous specimens of a given species. The issue I see with this mount is the width of the nose bridge around the midpoint, it is too narrow and from what I can see the available forms are all sculpted that way, it is an easy fix when mounting though, many times forms need tweaking when mounting. Not perfect but good enough to shoot holes through the "more experienced with African game=better quality" theory.

 

[billc]

Nice job you even made a dam SA goat(blesbuck) look good.That is very good for a first try as I know mine would look more like a pile of crap if I tried.

 

[Diamondhitch]

Nice job you even made a dam SA goat(blesbuck) look good.That is very good for a first try as I know mine would look more like a pile of crap if I tried.

LOL thanks, do you dabble in taxidermy at all?

 

[Royal27]

Gents,
Please, please please. I have been saying this all along. You cannot judge on photos. Those mounts are so old, and if I saw those photos, I would not use them either.. Do you know that H&C has been operating for over 30 years. It use to be owned by the father of the current owner. He's taken over, and started fresh. Visit the studio, look at the new forms, and current mounts then pass judgement.

Marius,

They definitely need to update the website then! Pictures are where most of us start looking and then go from there. I know I've eliminated taxidermists simply on the pictures. It is their job to sell me, not mine to overcome poor marketing. With all due respect, if someone doesn't care enough to keep updated and recent pictures of their work then I would question why.

Heck, I will use your website as an example, as I've visited it often. You definitely don't lead with 30 year old pictures and call out the 2014 season at the top of the gallery, as you should. I KNOW you've got a quality area. I don't have to come see your area to figure this out, although I'd love to!!!!

 

[billc]

If hanging it after I pay for it is dabbling then yes if not then no.

I wish I could do it but finding the time has not happened yet.I take on more work so we can hunt more so it takes away from the time getting to try some stuff like taxi work.

I have talked with my son about him learning it.We spent almost a whole day out at wildlife studios with wes good and my son was amazed with all the stuff they were doing.Maybe a nice job for him as much as he loves to hunt and fish.

 

[Diamondhitch]

I wish I could do it but finding the time has not happened yet.I take on more work so we can hunt more so it takes away from the time getting to try some stuff like taxi work.

I am actually in the same boat. I have a huge pile of critters to do but with work there is very little time to get to them. My problem is that I know I can do a good job on them myself so have a hard time paying someone else to get them done. I have big plans to knock a whole bunch of them out starting Thursday until Jan 4 during Christmas break, after that I will be lucky to get one done the rest of the year.

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

Marius,

They definitely need to update the website then! Pictures are where most of us start looking and then go from there. I know I've eliminated taxidermists simply on the pictures. It is their job to sell me, not mine to overcome poor marketing. With all due respect, if someone doesn't care enough to keep updated and recent pictures of their work then I would question why.

Heck, I will use your website as an example, as I've visited it often. You definitely don't lead with 30 year old pictures and call out the 2014 season at the top of the gallery, as you should. I KNOW you've got a quality area. I don't have to come see your area to figure this out, although I'd love to!!!!

Royal, I'm not sure why everyone is addressing me. I'm simply stating facts and have ZERO allegiance to any taxidermist. I have taken hunters to a couple of taxidermists, and they have chosen H&C, that is why I know what is in their showroom. What they do with their website or Facebook or whatever, has ZERO to do with me. As a matter of fact, I'm the happiest when I hear a guy only wants photos from his safari.

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

I KNOW you've got a quality area. I don't have to come see your area to figure this out, although I'd love to!!!!

Oh, by the way we have mediocre areas, the difference is in the PH's. ( Sorry, you tee'd that one up so nicely.)

 

[billc]

marius we are picking on you because you were the only ph brave enough to join the thread.

On one post you asked for info that may help h/c.Thats why it was brought up why most picked others over them.
You are telling us there work is better then there pic's.We are all taking your word on that.So all we can say is tell them to change there pic's if they want to get looked at more seriously by some of us.

No one is blaming you or even saying you are wrong.You can tell them or not but you are saying there better and we are saying not by what we can see.Please dont think there is anymore then that behind it from me.

As for the ph and not area that is awhole other thread.LOL

 

[Royal27]

Royal, I'm not sure why everyone is addressing me. I'm simply stating facts and have ZERO allegiance to any taxidermist. I have taken hunters to a couple of taxidermists, and they have chosen H&C, that is why I know what is in their showroom. What they do with their website or Facebook or whatever, has ZERO to do with me. As a matter of fact, I'm the happiest when I hear a guy only wants photos from his safari.

Sorry Marius, didn't mean to come off that way. Statement would have been the same regardless of type of business - marketing matters. Wasn't saying that you were defending, promoting or anything else.

Wait, you're happiest when guys just do a photo safari???? What tha heck????

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

Wait, you're happiest when guys just do a photo safari???? What tha heck????

KMG 1 - 1 Royal

 

[billc]

marius please just take better pictures then H/C please if you are going into photo safaris over hunting ones.LOL I had to say it

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

Sounds like a lot of work.......taking all these pictures.

But, all our animals are trained. Look how nice and still they lie in the photos with all the nice people.