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Taxidermy Wait Times

Wondering what everyone is seeing for wait times on Taxidermy? I was in Africa in July 2019. I have gotten word that my trophies have made it to the states but the hides are in the back log at the tannery. I understand with Covid that the tanneries are behind but it has been over 2 years? Wondering if anyone else has similar (or hopefully different) experience with animals taken around the same timeframe.

Thanks!

Went to Africa may 2019. Mounts delived to my house spring of 2020. Shipped directly from Chicago to the wildlife gallery for tanning then shipped to my taxidermist

Hunted August 2019 have had ours back now about 4 months

I would get tannery info and find out when he sent them and get everything shipped to different taxidermist

Thanks for the responses. I might have to get on the taxidermist a bit more.

Each stage of the process that gets the goods from the hunt to the states counts individually. That said, my 2019 Botswana hunt items are still not yet all on the wall. I only got 3 of 6 just recently and the others are about to get worked on. The fact is that the taxidermy materials are in short supply and the price has climbed. Some shops have had to close up and many are not taking new customers. The supply chain is one part, and the Texas freeze wreaked havoc on some petroleum based products like the forms. Be patient, unless of course you think that you are being taken for a ride.

FWIW....I want to get my muley hide tanned. The one tannery I called in southern Michigan said they are booked thru May 2022 and not taking any hides until then. I don't know if that's normal or not but that seems like a long time.

I used to use a big commercial tannery until they kept mixing up my capes with someone else’s. Good thing I had them all marked with my own code. I switched to a local guy who has a commercial tannery. Does a much better job, better control, longer wait times because he his a one man shop. I don’t have to ship. He has my very last cape right now and should be done soon. I have one customer that has been waiting for 3 years. I talked to him and he is in no hurry so that works great for me because I’m going nonstop in my meat packing plant.

my taxidermist is using a local tannery, took my deer to him tuesday and by saturday he had my hide back. I think he took 3 or 4 at once and got them back that quickly he said.

Maybe my issue is due to a certain tannery? I am not sure. I appreciate everyone's thoughts and comments

I work for a small shop, but we produce a lot of work. 2 years is not unheard of. It sometimes takes a year to get the hides from Africa, then your put in line behind all the others. Then there is time at the tannery. Tanneries are definitely having problems since covid. 1, in some states being shut down to a skeleton crew, and 2, finding employees.

Then we have some backlogs with the taxidermy forms, depending on the supplier. We waited almost a month and a half for a lifesize bison form from a company.

Glass eyes have been on constant back order this past year. Not very long, but what we used to get in a few days, sometimes has taken a couple week. This has gotten better though.

Then we have been swamped with work since the people having a little extra jingle in their pockets from all the giverment money, although (no surprise) that money is all but gone due to the huge increase in our supplies going into the mounts.

Another FWIW. I dropped off this laker I caught in May and got it back yesterday from the taxi.....about 6 months.

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