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Less than 2 months ago, I was fortunate enough to down a super dall ram. The Wildlife Gallery is doing the mount for me. Their shop turned out some pretty impressive work, posted here on AR. I have not had the best of luck with taxidermists lately. Tired of being lied to, and waiting over a year. Dan Caitlin quoted 8 weeks to do the job, prices were in line, so I chose them to do my ram. 6 weeks into the project, they posted photos of the work in progress on a personal web page. Needless to say, that service is exceptional. Here is the ram on August 25th  Here he is on October 15th  The work looks good!  So far, so good. Will post more as they arrive. Good Hunting! "You only gotta do one thing well to make it in this world" - J Joplin | ||
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Great ram, great photo, great taxidermy. Congratulations! "There are worse memorials to a life well-lived than a pair of elephant tusks." Robert Ruark | |||
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Jack, Thanks so much for the compliment and the opportunity. DAN | |||
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Looks good to me. Look forward to seeing him on a finished base. Congrats on a fine ram. Nice pants too.  "The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry" - Robert Burns | |||
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Congratulations on the ram. What a great experience. As for the 8 week turn around, could you elaborate a little bit? Are you paying more for it to be done faster? I can't imagine how any full-time taxidermist that does decent work could only be 8 weeks out on getting a lifesize ram completed. Just wondering, not trying to be negative. | |||
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Mc, No extra cost for our turnaround time. We have a large qualified staff and work with a system in place to both track and complete projects in a timely manner. As for the 8 weeks, we received the ram during the summer which is typically slower and allows for a little faster return time. Our normal time frame is 3 months. Thanks...DAN | |||
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Jack, that's a beautiful sheep. Dan, what do I say that doesn't sound like sour grapes? I know that I can't get my hide tanned from Wildlife gallery in the time you had it tanned for your shop and the animal mounted. And if I did, I know I'd have to pay a hefty price for fast service like that. With that kind of competition from a commercial taxidermy tannery, I hope you teach some of your shavers and tanners how to do diorama work as many within the industry are looking for different tanneries. RETIRED Taxidermist | |||
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It is not often, but I agree with George on this.  | |||
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George, I know I don't have to respond to you, however I respect your opinion because much of the time you are just being brutally honest regardless if it's the popular opinion, which I respect. It took us 5 weeks to get this skin tanned and that was the return time for all tanning customers at the time. During the peak, I have to pay rush service to the tannery to get the 30 to 45 day turn around time. We are truly two separate divisions with two separate check books. If mine don't balance I'm on the hook from the boss... Thats a business discussion which is another topic in and of itself, not for a customers success post... DAN | |||
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The Tannery discussion has been done, everyone knows about that situation. What I would be more concerned about is, That picture was taken at 6 weeks and the sheep in obviously still wet because the feet aren't finished. I've mounted a lot of sheep and there is no way that sheep will be dry enough in two more weeks to do the finishing, I don't care how many staff members you have. If they are blowing it with fans, trying to dry it out fast, that is not good. There are too many variables. It will probably be OK, but I would never rush out a beautiful animal like that just so I could say that I'm faster. Jerry Huffaker State, National and World Champion Taxidermist | |||
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"Good work takes time, the best takes a little longer." "Speed Kills!" I could go on, but why bother! In this gotta-have-it-now society where far too many people have the attention span of a gnat, this kind of thing just feeds into that. This is not a "good thing." John. Improving the Quality and Status of Taxidermy Since 1970. | |||
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You guys are killing me. Damned if you do, and damned if you don't. I have MORE than my share of taxidermists who do not have a calendar, answering machine, dialing finger, or a care if you ever give them any more business. WG has the courtesy to treat me with respect, do what they say they will do, when they say they will do it. And now you have the guff to question work you have not seen? Yeah, right. Time will soon tell whether you nay-sayers are correct, or simply taking a back seat to a business run like a business. Cheers! "You only gotta do one thing well to make it in this world" - J Joplin | |||
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Jack, I'm sorry for telling you that your baby is ugly. But you're a hunter and you took a quality animal. I gave you that. So how about return the favor. I'm a TAXIDERMIST and I know a bit out my industry. You can choose who you want and I wish you the best with your choices. However, this one touches an ethical line in MY business and this IS a taxidermy forum. The "Big Game Hunting" is probably better suited for all babies being pretty. RETIRED Taxidermist | |||
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George, I will assure you Jacks baby is not ugly. If he isn't happy with it not only will I be surprised, but will make a trip to California myself to make it right. Just being honest...DAN | |||
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No and that was a poor analogy I'm sure. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder or I'd never keep the customers I do. What I was telling Jack was that he's crossed the experience of his pay grade when he starts barking at other taxidermists. You and I speak an entirely different language when we talk versus what he understands. RETIRED Taxidermist | |||
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I'd like to point out that I never made any comments about the quality of this mount, The main problem here is that this picture should have never been published on the net for the world to see. I'm sure Dan had no intentions of this picture being seen by everyone, it should have been for Jack's eyes only. There are a lot of adjustments that have to be made on wet mounts during the drying and finishing process. Jerry Huffaker State, National and World Champion Taxidermist | |||
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My Ram is home, and he is spectacular!     What can I say? The Wildlife Gallery did an outstanding job. The lead time was 10 weeks from receipt of my hides, and in my humble opinion, the work is better than most if not all of my mounts. Thank you Dan and crew - you earned my business. And to the nay sayers, well....  "You only gotta do one thing well to make it in this world" - J Joplin | |||
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Jack, the "naysayers" are people who try to eke a meager living out of this art and who have been, in fact, abused by a tannery that they'd perceived as being a friend to the industry. It has nothing to do with Dan as a person or as an artist. It's the name he works under won't process OUR hides in that time, much less get them back to us so that we (even if the few of us with large enough studios with employees to handles such a workload)could even come close to getting you your mount within that 2.5 month timeframe. I wouldn't expect you to understand how insulting it is to us within the industry. If YOU are delighted with your mount, that's all any taxidermist could hope for. What WE think about it is irrelevant. Just a not of PERSONAL OPINION however is that those sheep aren't displayed to give them the most visibility. If I had 2(or 3 or 4 rams) like that, I'd have skipped one of them and built a larger trophy room so they could have been 8 to 10 feet off the floor. RETIRED Taxidermist | |||
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Very nice Jack, I for one am envious. | |||
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Jack, I'm glad you are pleased with the work and service. I look forward to working with you in the future. As for the comments form George about our tanning service not being able to deliver as fast on tanning for him, not true. We have a rush service that he is aware of and it does cost more. Just like our taxidermy prices being higher than his. We have to pay for the rush service as well...DAN | |||
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Jack, Congrats again on a super ram. He is a thing of beauty and a great trophy. Cheers, David Gray Ghost Hunting Safaris http://grayghostsafaris.com Phone: 615-860-4333 Email: hunts@grayghostsafaris.com NRA Benefactor DSC Professional Member SCI Member RMEF Life Member NWTF Guardian Life Sponsor NAHC Life Member Rowland Ward - SCI Scorer Took the wife the Eastern Cape for her first hunt: http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/6881000262 Hunting in the Stormberg, Winterberg and Hankey Mountains of the Eastern Cape 2018 http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/4801073142 Hunting the Eastern Cape, RSA May 22nd - June 15th 2007 http://forums.accuratereloadin...=810104007#810104007 16 Days in Zimbabwe: Leopard, plains game, fowl and more: http://forums.accuratereloadin...=212108409#212108409 Natal: Rhino, Croc, Nyala, Bushbuck and more http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/6341092311 Recent hunt in the Eastern Cape, August 2010: Pics added http://forums.accuratereloadin...261039941#9261039941 10 days in the Stormberg Mountains http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/7781081322 Back in the Stormberg Mountains with friends: May-June 2017 http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/6001078232 "Peace is that brief glorious moment in history when everybody stands around reloading" - Thomas Jefferson Every morning the Zebra wakes up knowing it must outrun the fastest Lion if it wants to stay alive. Every morning the Lion wakes up knowing it must outrun the slowest Zebra or it will starve. It makes no difference if you are a Zebra or a Lion; when the Sun comes up in Africa, you must wake up running...... "If you're being chased by a Lion, you don't have to be faster than the Lion, you just have to be faster than the person next to you." | |||
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Awesome!! Dont let Goerge bring you down. He seems like he only has negative things to say. Great trophy room too. W.  | |||
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Jack and Dan... Congratulations to the BOTH of you! That's one very beautiful animal...  | |||
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He looks GREAT! Congrats... Good Hunting, Tim Herald Worldwide Trophy Adventures tim@trophyadventures.com | |||
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Woodsie, they're only "negative" to people who aren't TAXIDERMISTS. I also design trophy rooms. RETIRED Taxidermist | |||
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That may be, But I certainly am not going to give any work to a taxidermist as cranky as you. W. | |||
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Actually, I'm by appointment only and only deal with perferred clientele. You won't need to worry. RETIRED Taxidermist | |||
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HA! W. | |||
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Jack, He is anyone’s dream of a life time! I can only dream. I’m looking forward to videoing your desert next year the last one to complete the BIG four! PS You should see him in person... nice job Dan NRA Member SCI Member & DSC Member Double Rifle Shooter's Society So. Cal. Chapter | |||
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I think he looks just great. | |||
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I know this is an old thread but I just came across it.... So George, you would spend the money to add on to a trophy room just to put them 10' high and pass up a great ram hunt? That is the dumbest thing I've ever heard in my life. Let's say you add on to your room and 2 years later you get diagnosed with terminal cancer. Boy, I bet you're glad you added on instead of going on the hunt of a lifetime. It would be awesome going to the grave knowing that you got those rams 10' off the ground instead of taking great hunting memories to your grave. I'd rather kill the sheep slam and euro mount them all than kill a Dall and Stone and have to add on to fit the lifesize mounts and miss out on the Rocky Mountain and Desert. Jack, you killed a tremendous trophy. Congrats. Dan, you did an excellent job! | |||
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Ditto Bowkill! Jack you stud! Very nice ram. Congratulations again on your Slam. | |||
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Bowkill, I have to agree with you 100%. Not a good opinion based on the business that I'm in, but if I ever get to the financial position to do a sheep hunt or add on to my trophy room, I'm packing my bags!!!! DAN | |||
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Maybe if these taxidermist "ekeing out a living" would do better financially if they werent so tart?? Great ram Jack, to go along with the other very nice collection of trophies. | |||
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Thanks again guys for the great comments. It's been a while since I looked at this thread The wildlife Gallery recently completed another bit of work for me, the desert sheep. Again, nothing short of amazing work. And I think I like my rams at petting level.  Stay tuned, more on the way. Just one problem, that elk takes up too much room. Have to move something around to put in the goat Dan is working on. Cheers all! "You only gotta do one thing well to make it in this world" - J Joplin | |||
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AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! W. | |||
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Looks stunning, but we need to see a updated version with the lovely leopard in it. | |||
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