I have somes heads with Schenk Taxidermy at the moment, and I have a few concerns.

After sending detailed instructions, notes and sketches along with the heads, with clear instructions to get back to me with replies, I heard nothing. I sent 5 emails, and called the guy a few times, each time he promised he would get back to me very quickly with the email that would explain and update everything.
He told me it would take around 3 months to finish the first head I sent him.
Among the instructions in the letters I sent him was to provide me with his bank coordinates so I could send a deposit for his work, and I never even recieved those!
2 months have passed and I have yet to get a single word of information.

Does anyone have any first hand experiece with this business? I believe I am dealing with Wolfgangs' son, not the man himself.

Something that really frustrates me is that the majority of taxidermists operate like this, and we let them get away with it?

So far I have lost a moose head from a canadian hunt to a taxidermist who went out of business, another "lost" my first big fallow buck, 2 roe bucks and 2 boar, back home I lost 2 big goat heads to another taxidermist who never recalls recieving them... The list goes on.

Am I the only one who has such bad luck with taxidermist?

Ex,

Concerns are not good ..... my experiences with both Erik & Wolfgang have been positive. As I understand Erik is taking over the busines and Pappa is bowing out.

I've never personally contracted any work with Erik but we are, well ..... aquaintances. I know him causually and we normally see each other at the convention in Dortmund.

On the other hand, I know Wolfgang Schenk very well, he's done some work for me and it was done on schedule and the price was agreed to prior to undertaking the work. I've no complaints.

I've never had to communicate extensively with either as their Studio is @ 40 minutes from the house and ususally after a phone call and agreed time either Wolfgang or Erik have been present when I arrived; either to give up raw trophies or pick up completed ones.

Gerry, my last and rather stern email sollicited a quick reply giving me some of the information I had asked for and promising a further email with the rest.

He has also given me completion dates that are pretty close to the initial ones. Only thing is that we didn't discuss the prices beforehand and the quotes I am now being given are a little higher than I was expecting, but I cannot blame them for that. And I am happy to pay a little more if the work is quality.
Erik has given my work priority, seeing that I will not tolerate being neglected after losing 5 heads I sent to their business in 2003 it appears to be making his best efforts to make things up.

We shell see how this develops, for the moment things are looking up.

Cheers.

Gerry. He is usually at Dortmund show coming up soon. Suggest you contact and arrange to meet if you are really worried . He does nice work.

Wolfgang Schenk is first class to deal with it. His work is outstanding also his reputation.He worked for Zimmermann in Nairobi before he opened his own business in Germany. His son Erik is another story...

Seloushunter