My friend and I have a problem with a local taxidermist. We dropped of heads to be mounted over a year ago and through out the year the guy has been giving false promisses about having them done since about the first of May. Well now he won't return calls nor answer his phone. Its been 15 months and still no mounts, even after I was nice all along until around the first of December when I reamed his ass and he told me it would be done the week after Christmas... he hasn't returned a call since. What recouse do I have? Say I just want the rack back can I demad it back from him or what? I've never been in this spot before with piss poor business people!

Should I show up at his house where he has his business and demand it back and if he refusses, should I/could I call the cops?

have you paid him any money?

Ivan,

Are these trophies from an African hunt?

If not please let me know and I will move this to the relevant forum.

Sorry for not posting in the right forum... No they are NA critters, but I thought about using this guy for my african stuff...Glad I didn't!

I gave him a $100 deposite on me deer head, and my buddy paid in full. I really don't care about the loss of the $100 just want the rack back! Its a once in a lifetime buck and if this guy hoses it up I'm pretty sure I'm going to take him to court over the ordeal. But I would just like to get it back and go on with life.

I had a similar problem with a part-time taxidermst a few years ago. What I did was contact ther local attnory general office in his area and informed of what was going on. In the area he was in anything over $500 was considered a felony. Then after that all my correspondence with the taxidermst was copied to the attnory general office. It took sometime but I finally got my mounts.

Sorry about the spelling, I failed that class.

I know a couple guys who have been burned by taxidermists. The one guy contacted his local game warden, and that took care of it. The law in Wyoming gives taxidermists a year to finish a mount unless you agree to something different. Failure to get a mount done in a reasonable amount of time could result in criminal charges. I would think a call from a warden would light a fire under his ass...I know it would mine! If that didn't work, I'd be taking the guy to civil court to get my money and my antlers back. My guess is that you won't be using this guy's services in the future.

There is a local "taxidermist" aka crook that has been taken to small claims court multiple times.

The name shows up every couple of years. None of the locals will go to him. But he manages to stay in business by suckering nonlocals and out of staters.

I would personally go to the taxidermist and demand the antlers back. If he doesn't pony up. Did you happen to get the antlers scored? If they are truly once in a lifetime they worth a felony to this guy. Get the DA involved and you may only be out $100. But the DA will keep the antlers as evidence until the case is completed. I don't know what it is about taxidermist, but as a whole, that group seems to have a high percentage of crooks.

What SD said, it's time to goknock on his door. Before you give anyone your African stuff, get a reference from someone who has used them. The average joetaxi doing deer can't really handle African game heads.

I had a so called friend beg to do my deer heads and fish for me.The first deer was a deer my brother had hit with his car.It looked alot worse after he got through with it.The guy had a fishing guides clients fish and caused the guide to refund all the guiding fees he had charges for the fishing trips because mounting one fish was included in the price.This guy dumped about 100 sets of antlers in the trash.He had a bad habit also of cutting racks in half to make them look bigger also.I tried doing something to him but no one could find him.Another taxidermist pissed off some one and they burned down his whole shop.He was a very good taxidermist but he suied a guy who had shot one of his pet deer.

Go knock on his door and demand to see how far along he is. If he isn't even close or seems to be screwing things up just take the heads and take him to court. Also post his name so others are aware of him.

I hope it was not Musselshell Taxidermist.

I had alot of trouble out of him.

Turn him into the Game and fish dept..I know a guy here that did not keep his promises to clients and he was hauled out in hand cuffs. They take this kind of thing seriously.

Well, in my opinion the only thing the taxidermist did wrong was promise you a finish date that was unrealistic.

I am a taxidermist, and there are a lot of variables in getting a mount done by a certain date. I send all my capes off to a commercial tannery, and that can take up to 6 months just to get your capes back, depending on how busy they are.

Most of my taxidermy buddies have a back log of at least 2 years. I don't, because I only do it on the side, and only take in what I know I can get done within a year. I would rather have a guy take a long time, and do it right, than have him crank it out just to get it done.

Good luck!

Ivan:

As a New Yorker, I'm astonished that a taxidermist in your great state would act this way! Montana is a hunting state. Maybe this guy is a thief - or something has happened. A botched job? Family problems? Snowed under by a bunch of orders from people he wants to please? Maybe a personal visit might resolve things. For what it's worth to you, over a lifetime I have concluded that telephones often don't solve a problem - where a personal visit might)

The very first thing you need to do is go down to your local law library (most county seats have one that the public may use) and research out the statutes pertaining to licensing and practice for taxidermist in your state. If you can find some statute broken, then by all means contact the appropirate authority. Otherwise, unless you can prove that he intends to keep your property without ever giving it back, it is doubtful that the local police would get involved becasue what you have described is a bailment and a contract. You need to research the case law in your state on bailment and breach of contract.

Did you have a written contract? If so, what does it say? Can your prove a breach.

Bailment will come into play if he wrecked your property. A bailee must take reasonable care of the property that is the subject of a bailment.

Yes, you could go for a visit. But he would be entitled to ask you to leave immediately if he didn't want to talk to you, and if you did not leave you could be subject to arrest for trespass!!

Ivan:

If you want, follow 22 WRF's advice - go to the law books and maybe to a lawyer after that.

I spent over 45 years of my life as a trial lawyer in DEFENSE of lawsuits defending against claims against insurance companies. (I was not one of the rich plaintiff's lawyers) I think it's always best to try a personal approach. (It doesn't do you any harm in front of a jury if they hear that you tried to resolve matters) First find out if the guy really is a thief - and you can tell this best by a face to face approach. If he slams the door in your face? Your lawyer thereafter at trial should enjoy letting a jury know about that! But first find out if he will do that. There is an old expression among lawyers: " A poor settlement is better than a good lawsuit".

Just ask him if he appreciates the ability to eat solid food, and mean it.

That is not a threat, it's just a question.

I would try to give the guy the benefit of the doubt and show up to his shop and ask to see the deer. If it is in the process of being done, then agree on a set date, and both of you sign a contract. If it isn't started, take the rack back, and ask for your deposit back. Your decisions next are based on your results at his shop. If he is a business man, the last thing he wants to do is give himself a bad name.