Taxidermy question - reedbuck

[bandit]

When a taxidermist does a shoulder mount, is it 100% imperative that they use the original horns? I just took my reedbuck shoulder mount out of storage and am convinced the horns are plastic. None of the other trophies have that feel or shine to them. What makes me even more suspicious is both the horns on the mount are uniformly curved whereas the photos of the real animal show one horn was much straighter than the other.

Assuming I have been cheated, what should I say to the taxidermist? Ask for an explanation? Demand a refund?

[coach]

I'd say you definitely should start by asking your taxi for the full story.

[Ron.C]

Id say yes it imperitive. It's your trophy and you are paying lots of $$$ to have it mounted. If you have photo evidence showing these are not your antlers or if the ones on the mount are fake, I'd be confronting the taxidermist and demanding he makes good on it. Either return your money and the antlers or do it properly. In either case, I would never use him again.

[BiG Boar]

There is a chance he:

A: had a good reason for it (eg, they tend to over boil african skulls, and this damages the horns to some extent) or
B: He received them from africa and thought they were yours. Or
C: They are your horns, or they were switched for someone eles's, from the shipper there. Or
D: Your taxidermist wanted to keep your so-so non-typical reed buck horns for his own personal collection and switched them out for a fake set.

Lets really think this through before saying your taxidermist cheated you.

[bighornbob]

I would definately talk to the taxidermist first and see what he says. Was the taxidermist here or in Africa? Do a bit of internet research on it, maybe all Reed buck horns are repos.

Second question is for you. You say you took the head out of storage? Do you mean storage like a storgae locker or the crate you got from the taxidermist that sent them from Africa. How long has it been in storage? Why did you not notice they looked like plastic when you got them back from the taxidermist? If you did not notice it the first time does it really matter now, especially if they have been in storage for months or even years.


Regardless talk to the taxidermist.


BHB

[SHAKER]

Either way any competent guy should be able to rebuild the horns if they were damaged during the core removal process. If you guy had to use repro horns that should have been mentioned to you way before hand. If it was done in Africa then I guess thats the risk you run since your kind of at their mercy.??? Lets hear some more to the story before we jump to conclutions though.

[bandit]

Was the taxidermist here or in Africa? Do a bit of internet research on it, maybe all Reed buck horns are repos.

You say you took the head out of storage?

BHB

Its an African taxi, he already "lost" a zebra skin of mine so I am not gonna give him the benefit of the doubt on this one. The original unofficial measure by the PH had it as SCI gold, but it seems to be half an inch shorter now! I have seen pictures of reedbuck skull mounts so assume it is not common practice to swap the horns out.

The mount has been sat in my basement for the last year since it arrived in Canada - there is only so much wall space in my house and a lot of animals to fill it! When I originally opened the shipping crate I only did a once over to make sure nothing was broken then put it back in all the bubblewrap for safe keeping. It was only when I was measuring it and comparing to the photos yesterday that I got suspicious. The bases have been built up and the whole horn feels plastic to the touch when compared to my other mounts.

Will get in touch with the taxidermist, dont expect a satisfactory answer but thanks for your help guys n gals.

[bighornbob]

Its an African taxi, he already "lost" a zebra skin of mine so I am not gonna give him the benefit of the doubt on this one. The original unofficial measure by the PH had it as SCI gold, but it seems to be half an inch shorter now! I have seen pictures of reedbuck skull mounts so assume it is not common practice to swap the horns out.


The shrinkage could be due to the fact it has been a year since you first measured it. All horns shrink, that is why it is best to officially measure all horns as soon as allowed by the rule books. Also alot of the taxidermy practises are not to condusive to getting a good score, from boiling horns to popping horns off the sheaths and letting them dry out. All of these would easily drop a 1/2 inch off an animal in a years time. And thats just the time since you have had possesion of it. How long has it been since the animal died?

Regardless of score, if its plastic its a mute point. The easiest way to tell if its plastic is to knock on it with a screw driver or something like that. You dont have to compare it with real horn as knocking on plastic will sound just like knocking on plastic.

Lets see some pics of the African critters you got.

BHB