I was talking to my taxidermist yesterday about a some things and had to wait a few minutes for him to get to the telephone. I soon learned that he was up on an elephant that he is currently completing that will be a full body mount. It was interesting to hear him tell me about the process and what all he has to do to get the color right, which is where he is currently involved in this project. I began to wonder how many people would get their ele mouted in this fashion.... How about you? If you shot an ele, what would you (or have you) have done with it?

What is the cost to have something like that done? I am guessing upwards of 10k right?

Red

I have no idea, though I did get an indication that a few of such mounts for a taxidermist can significantly improve their bottom line. This particular fellow was invited to accompany 8 hunters to Botswana a couple of years ago, including General H. Norman Schwarzkopf, where many fine elephants were taken. The largest was around 90 pounds and the smallest was just under 60. No doubt he is able to use such an experience to help make the elephant he was working on yesterday quite a prize for someone....

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Originally posted by Dago Red:
What is the cost to have something like that done? I am guessing upwards of 10k right?

Red

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More like $100k

I checked a couple of taxidermists in this area and only one has full body mount ele listed. $100,000+. That's more than I would ever be able to afford. I'll be damn lucky to ever get to hunt elephant. I'll just settle with bringing the tusks home.

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Originally posted by Dago Red:
What is the cost to have something like that done? I am guessing upwards of 10k right?

Red

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Several years ago I was visiting my taxidermist when a crate came in with a tanned rhino skin. I asked what he was going to do with it and he replied he didn't know but the customer had asked for a quote for a full body mount which came to $35k.

One night many years ago on the Tonite Show Johnny Carson asked guest Nelson Rockefeller how much it cost to buy an Island in the Pacific like he had.
Nelson smiled and said to Johnny...."Well Johnny, if you must ask the price, you can't afford it."

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If you shot an ele, what would you (or have you) have done with it?

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Let the locals eat it.

Wow that's pricey! I would definitely settle for the tusks. I have seen the mounted head that is at Foster's in Rio Vista, CA, impressive indeed. But ouch that hurts.

Vapo, I have heard that expression before and always thought it was very silly. Maybe people that are filthy rich and have never been otherwise don't think about it, but most people I know even ones with lots of money like to know how much something costs.

I think rich people and salesman like to say that sometimes because they know it was assanign to begin with (the purchase or what they are charging for it).

The guy getting this done must have one a hell of a trophy room, would like to see some pics of it.

Red

St the Dallas SCI a taxidermist quoted me 75k for a basic full body mount on an Ele..

My taxidermist did a life size elephant 2 years ago and charged the client $85,000.00. At that price he actually thought he lost money on the mount.

Mark,

Was that $85,00.00 each or for both? If it was for both he loss money! I charge $68,000.00 for a lifesize elephant, on a habitat base with wheels!

Any takers?

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Originally posted by Widowmaker416:
I charge $68,000.00 for a lifesize elephant, on a habitat base with wheels!

Any takers?

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How much to truck the elephant to zip code 84108 and construct a room on my house to put it in?

500grains,


We'll talk!

I have a builder in the family!

Larry Quinn, American Sportsman Taxidermy, has done several full elephant mounts. They are indeed interesting, as those of us here in Tallahassee who have had the opportunity to see one in progress, know. On top of being a great taxidermist and designing trophy rooms (he gringes when he see mine), he is one of the really nice gentlemen in the hunting/taxidermy business. If you every need any thing done really professionally, contact him. kudude

If anybody wants to see one, they have one at the Bass Pro Shops in Springfield, MO. It was pretty impressive indeed. I got a picture of my little boy in front of it.............DJ

My first thought on this was that you'd need a BIG room, and a checkbook to match...

The one in Cabela's Home store in Sydney was taken with us by Dick Cabela in 1989. It was quite a job skinning it and getting it back to camp. If I remember right there were 7 pieces of hide. The tusks used in the mount are fiberglass (a weight problem I guess) but the original are mounted in the same pedestal.
Rich Elliott

Just what I need for my den. Gotta have one of these!
- mike

Cabela's in Hamburg PA has a real good mount, lifesize that is.

If I ever manage to shoot an elephant, I'll take just the tusks home as trophies!

AD

Some people must still have them done as I drove past Lifeform Taxidermy last week and they had 2 fullmount elephants and a fullmount W. Rhino standing outside waiting to be crated.

........although heaven knows how they go about crating one!

I asked . . . Lifeform, I think, back about 3 years ago at the Reno convention just how the Hell do you get an elephant head mount into someone's house let alone a full body. They laughed and said that all the big mounts are built and shipped in pieces and that when the time comes to install, they send a crew to do it for you. That must be included in the $100K. If I ever shoot an elephant I'll bring home a picture!