Best Cat Taxidermist

[proguide66]

who's THE best cat taxidermist around?......not looking for a 'deal', am very willing to pay $ for the best job....( full mount , natural pose---thats NOT with the teeth gaping out looking menacing)
To me , taxidermy on a special trophy is a ' one time shot' .....deer can be re -done easily if you try someone new and it doesnt work out but bears and cats are a one time go.

[Blainer]

You should probably already know.
You work his trapline,no?
The boys have my lynx from this year.

[pnbrock]

fur and feathers taxidermy in surrey the man brings animals alive!!frank gilbert is the owner and great guy.

[KB90]

I too wonder that. I have seen some pretty poor and cheesy looking full cat mounts (with gaping teeth haha) I would not want mine to turn out that way.

I think I've only seen 1 lynx mount that looked really nice to my eye.

[duckhunt]

I'm for fur and feathers the work is unbeatable!

[Angel]

Ray is the man to use for sure. HBC member as well.

[Dirty]

What kind of cat are you going to be mounting?

[bigwhiteys]

I have seen some pretty horrible cat mounts!... One of the BEST I have ever laid eyes on was done by Craig Stolle? he is a member on this site.

His cat mount looked as real as it gets... Maybe someone will post it... I am sure they know which one I am referring to.

Carl

[Steeleco]

Ray is the man to use for sure. HBC member as well.

If you'd seen the work he's recently finished for another of our members, you'd be talking to Ray for sure.

[deerstocker]

i would say take it to gander taxidermy in surrey on fraser highway will do a great job drop buy and take alook around at what they have very good job

[Fisher-Dude]

Dean Titanich did a beautiful job rugging my first cat. Harley White also does a great job.


http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e70/Fisher-Dude/catrug1.jpg



http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e70/Fisher-Dude/catrug2.jpg

[houndogger]

http://www.philipsoucy.com/gallery/index.tpl

Best there is end of story. Cats and wolfs are the hardest make look real.

[d6dan]

I have seen some pretty horrible cat mounts!... One of the BEST I have ever laid eyes on was done by Craig Stolle? he is a member on this site.

His cat mount looked as real as it gets... Maybe someone will post it... I am sure they know which one I am referring to.

Carl
I agree with you Carl, That cat looks great. Pm sent.

[Slee]

Odd Auslud has the best cat work ive seen. not too sure if he is still doing them though....

[FLHTCUI]

I have used Gander Taxidermy exclusively for years.
Two Brant, one large Sprig, and one Blk Bear head mount,
always a pleasure dealing with Eric and the old boy there .
I'll be taking the hide from snareman123 to try High Caliber in the very near future,
Rob
So, there have been a few other names dropped, but no links or contact info, just fist names , who are they?
Rob

[bigwhiteys]

So, there have been a few other names dropped, but no links or contact info, just fist names , who are they?

Craig Stolle Artistic Wildlife Studios Cambell River BC. 250-830-0636

Not sure if he has a website and I cannot find a larger version of the following pic.

http://www.summittaxidermy.com/testimonials.htm (scroll down a little ways and he has a testimonial, with a picture of the Cat)

Carl

[Moose72]

www.wildlife-art-works.com (http://www.wildlife-art-works.com)

[Ron.C]

Glacier Mtn Taxidermy in Cranbrook did one that was one of the coolest mounts I'd ever seen. Very natural cat mount sitting on a beam

http://www.glaciermtntax.com/lifesize.htm

[hntcrazy]

If you can Find him "Jack Gibson" He is in richmond bc artist/taxidermy and is awesome ......

[BlacktailStalker]

You want THE best ? Phil Soucy.

[newhunterette]

who's THE best cat taxidermist around?......not looking for a 'deal', am very willing to pay $ for the best job....( full mount , natural pose---thats NOT with the teeth gaping out looking menacing)
To me , taxidermy on a special trophy is a ' one time shot' .....deer can be re -done easily if you try someone new and it doesnt work out but bears and cats are a one time go.

I cant believe you of all people would have to ask considering whose trapline your workin but to each his own - I love the work Ray does and I respect his work as well but I have to stick with my family and well Rob Gander is my son's godfather after all and knowing the entire Gander family for more than half my life sort of makes me biased I suppose

everybody has their own favourite so just go with what your heart tells you as you said taxidermy on the once in a lifetime trophy you want to be near perfect in your eyes - I have friends who use Gilbert (Fur and Feathers) he has many years behind him as well and does a very nice job on work I have seen by him

I have also heard many horrow stories about other taxidermists, losing work, stealing work, disappearing acts etc. - So I will stick with the names i have heard over and over for good work to do any trophy I am lucjy to bring home.

But again this is just my opinion :)

good luck with your trophy cat

[bushguy]

Damn that Soucy guy is GOOD!

[srupp]

I agree that Soucy guy is AMAZING....and prices not that bad..a couple examples of others work looked pretty sad compared to Soucy..

I had Jack Gibson do a sheep and deer for me he is AWESOME also..I have not seen his cats...dont know where he is now??

Marco Pilon from Red Deer Alberta does some of the BEST whitetails..and was getting some cougars for on his website cant say I have seen his cats..

I think Harleys bears looked awesome..and will wait till I get my sheep back from him..again Soucy did some awesome lifesized sheep..

cheers
Sr

[HighOctane]

Just stress to whomever does it to get the ears right. Too many times the ears on cats are in an overly alert position instead of relaxed or laid back a tad. Try and look at mounts that the taxidermist you are considering has done in the past and let that be your deciding factor. Like a painting, taxidermy is an art, and some guys may apeal to you more than others.

[farside]

Have to agree - SOUCY is the man for the job. I have some pics of a cat he did for a friend but not on this comnputer. Pics do not do it justice at all.

[proguide66]

I cant believe you of all people would have to ask considering whose trapline your workin but to each his own - I love the work Ray does and I respect his work as well but I have to stick with my family and well Rob Gander is my son's godfather after all and knowing the entire Gander family for more than half my life sort of makes me biased I suppose

everybody has their own favourite so just go with what your heart tells you as you said taxidermy on the once in a lifetime trophy you want to be near perfect in your eyes - I have friends who use Gilbert (Fur and Feathers) he has many years behind him as well and does a very nice job on work I have seen by him

I have also heard many horrow stories about other taxidermists, losing work, stealing work, disappearing acts etc. - So I will stick with the names i have heard over and over for good work to do any trophy I am lucjy to bring home.

But again this is just my opinion :)

good luck with your trophy cat

Rick and his brother do great work..but due to the place they get their tanning done they have been put behind by over a year.
I have used 4 or 5 different taxidermists in the past.Only one predator and it was a full mount book grizzly by a good freind in north Dakota....I'm quite sure he wasnt INSULTED when I took my book b tail to Rick .....and I am sure Gander would not be insulted if I used someone less busy to mount an animal for me....wich is a couger.

[Kody94]

Glacier Mtn Taxidermy in Cranbrook did one that was one of the coolest mounts I'd ever seen. Very natural cat mount sitting on a beam

http://www.glaciermtntax.com/lifesize.htm


I dropped my cougar off with Dan. He has done some pretty nice cats the last few years.

[Buck]

I stop in to Ganders now and again.He does very nice full mounts with scenes.They have alot of experience and i'm always impressed.

[Lucky77_]

aasland in cranbrook

[Will]

Don't get this guy..............:???:
http://208.116.9.205/10/content/18627/35.jpg

[guest]

Will !!

What a classic !!

Where did you find that ??

Must be a coastal cougar that fell into the Pacific and got swallowed by a Killer Whale then got Shat out OMG that looks tooooo funny !

Nice mount, sure wish mine would look like that !
Hahhaha

CT

[bighornbob]

Cats are probably the hardest to do

You have to remember, just becuase a guy mounts a awesome mule deer, does not mean he can make a cat look good. Some guys do great birds while others do great fish. The more a guy mounts of a certain species the better he gets i.e. practise makes perfect.

For example would you take a sheep to get done in Alabama where a taxidermist might get one every 5 years. probably not. But I would wager some money that same taxidermist can do an awesome whitetail.

BHB

[Will]

The more a guy mounts of a certain species the better he gets i.e. practise makes perfect.
There's a joke in there somewhere............

[dutchie]

PG66

Ray is doing 2 guys I know Dalls, he has done lots of unreal taxi and let these pictures speak for themselfs.

http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=26446

I have personally seen this kitty and others that he has and I would trust no other then Ray with your mount.

Dutchie

[BlacktailStalker]

Don't get this guy..............:???:
http://208.116.9.205/10/content/18627/35.jpg

LOL I think they put it in a kiln by mistake.

BHB nailed it. Most guys can get the body done ok but its the face, ears, eyes, expression that they can't get. With cats, even "close" looks bad.
I remember reading Soucy has done more than 400 cougars, not including jaguars, caracal, lynx and bobs etc.

[Deadshot]

You want THE best ? Phil Soucy.
X2
Seen a few of his mounts in Reno at SCI.
Amazing work. The mounts were done for Kettle River Outfitters, I believe. I've got pics somewhere. I'll see if I can dig them up.

[hunter1947]

I dropped my cougar off with Dan. He has done some pretty nice cats the last few years.


If it is the same Dan that is Ricks brother that has the game meat butcher shop behind McDonald's he is one of the best cat taxidermist there is ,Is this the same person SSSter ???.

[Springer]

Well the only Taxidermist i could recommend is Marco ,like Steve said .He did his Whitetail. I wont ramble on you be the Judge. www.sugarcreektaxidermy.ca
His Cats are amazingly lifelike.

[Ovis17]

Holy crap WILL..........I am traumatized. :mrgreen: Proguide you should take a look at Fur and Feathers' cats. Just went to his xmas open house and he had a monster life size coug in there......beauty mount. Deer heads are one thing....but cats are a true test for the taxidermist.

[bruin]

I dropped my cougar off with Dan. He has done some pretty nice cats the last few years.

I would definitely recommend Dan. I haven't seen any of his cats other than pictures but I just got a mulie back from him and the detail and work that he put into it was incredible. I think its pretty important that a taxidermist sees animals in the wild alot and I by the sounds of it Dan definitly does.

[Kody94]

If it is the same Dan that is Ricks brother that has the game meat butcher shop behind McDonald's he is one of the best cat taxidermist there is ,Is this the same person SSSter ???.

Its Dan Van Zant of Glacier Mt Taxidermy. Apprenticed under Reg Parsons in the early to mid-90's.

[BearStump]

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e70/Fisher-Dude/catrug2.jpg

I want a 4 point buck done into a rug with this facial exspession! That'd be frickin' cool.

[Barracuda]

I am very happy with the work that Ray did on mine . I posted a picture somwhere.

[winbuckhunter]

Regan, at harley whites taxidermy is an awesome cat taxidermist.. seen lots of his work.. check him out for sure

[Mtnhunter]

Here's some of mine!

http://i812.photobucket.com/albums/zz50/artisticwildlifestudios/2009_0603latest0006.jpg
http://i812.photobucket.com/albums/zz50/artisticwildlifestudios/Rickscatclose.jpg
http://i812.photobucket.com/albums/zz50/artisticwildlifestudios/Cougarmount1.jpg
http://i812.photobucket.com/albums/zz50/artisticwildlifestudios/frombehind.jpg
http://i812.photobucket.com/albums/zz50/artisticwildlifestudios/lynxoutside.jpg

[bruin]

Those look good MH, I really like the face on the second cat.

[bigwhiteys]

http://i812.photobucket.com/albums/zz50/artisticwildlifestudios/Cougarmount1.jpg

That's the one I was talking about... Super nice mount... As real as it gets. Great body position and facial expression, he looks pissed but not snarling.

Carl

[870]

Don't get this guy..............:???:
http://208.116.9.205/10/content/18627/35.jpg

hahahahha. I hope that didn't cost to much.

[bighornbob]

Here's some of mine!

http://i812.photobucket.com/albums/zz50/artisticwildlifestudios/2009_0603latest0006.jpg
http://i812.photobucket.com/albums/zz50/artisticwildlifestudios/Rickscatclose.jpg
http://i812.photobucket.com/albums/zz50/artisticwildlifestudios/Cougarmount1.jpg
http://i812.photobucket.com/albums/zz50/artisticwildlifestudios/frombehind.jpg
http://i812.photobucket.com/albums/zz50/artisticwildlifestudios/lynxoutside.jpg


Why are most of the cougars claws out??? The only real time you will see a cats claws are when its climbing a tree or something like that or attacking prey.

BHB

[Mtnhunter]

You're right but so is the customer and most times they want to see the claws!