09/04/2024
Hello everyone! I hope everyone is great and has had a good summer! 2024 hunting season quickly coming! So 2024 customers you will want to read at least the bottom portion of this post!
I have been absent from here for a few months for a few reasons. But I'm still here. 😊 Lots to cover here so hang in there with me! I first need to get something off my chest. I debated this many times - but its about time many of you realize some things. This will be about what has been going on in the shop and with me for the past year since last fall (beginning), it will discuss the world taxidermy show (middle), and it will also discuss this upcoming hunting season (bottom).
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With hunting season rapidly approaching, there are some things to discuss. A lot has been on my mind past few days of what I should talk about and what not. It has been a very rough year since last fall. As many who have reached out have learned, my health wasn't the best. As many knew I had facial paralysis last fall and couldn't see out of my left eye for almost 2 months, and my health just kept deteriorating for months after leading to the spring of this year. Without going into much as I have learned so many people anymore lack any type of empathy, I wasn't doing well health wise. This led to minimal work times in the shop due to literally feeling ill most days, which then led to some HORRIBLE and I mean HORRIBLE customers that due to their entitlement of immediate gratification, took it upon themselves to destroy me and my mental & emotional health. Which then between doctors appointments to uncover what was affecting my health and literally mentally feeling defeated from those few mean customers, it took everything I had internally just to go work out in the shop. It is amazing how a few cruel entitled people can destroy someone. It took discovering what was wrong with me, (which is now known and being treated), and a few close amazing friends that reminded me that I am NOT a slave - I am NOT your servant taxidermist to be s**t on and treated poorly. You do not have a right to also steal from my business by pretending you didn’t understand the contract you signed or the money you are expected to pay for your materials or services. I am human - and I, like many other taxidermy friends of mine, have suffered some major set backs health wise this past year. I don't have employees - so that means when something happens to me - things will slow down. Show compassion. A little goes a long way - trust me. I have always put my customers sadly before me - my life, my health, my family. I then in turn was walked on, abused, taken advantage of my good nature - I was stolen from, I was destroyed/lied about on social media, and I was verbally attacked. I had so many of my friend taxidermists telling me of this and stories they shared with me when I started out that had happened to them - and I thought - hey if I am super nice, if I am super communicating, if I am up front, and bend over backwards and so forth - there was no way this could happen to me - I was WRONG. In fact, the worst was being treated poorly by those I did so many extras for - was the most accommodating for. And I forgot the golden rule - no one is your FRIEND in a business. In fact, those customers that came to my shop that spoke poorly about other local taxidermists, I should have turned away right then and there - because eventually they became the jerks to me and did the same to me - its a pattern clearly for them.
So I took a step back for a few months back in the spring/early summer - focused on my health and getting my blood glucose/insulin under control with medications and monitors. Thankfully we discovered what was wrong and learned that is actually what may have caused my facial paralysis last fall and if it was - I am very thankful to be alive as it is something that can kill you. I am doing SO MUCH better now. Mentally, I focused on some major projects - they allowed me to find my art again - to find my heart in these pieces again. I listened to my fellow taxidermists that told me - for once focus on something for me. So for 2 months I worked on a show piece for a customer and a show piece for myself - to find my happy place again in this business. It is again amazing how a few rotten, cruel people can take this from you. This healing of my physical and mental health has given me a new charge and drive! And I'm back! For those customers that have hung in there, and for those customers that reached out to check on me and have been so supportive - thank you truly from the bottom of my heart!
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Which leads to now....
First - I can now officially say I am a WORLD AWARD WINNING taxidermist! 🤩 I cannot post the pictures because I will be showing these pieces next spring and fall at some major shows until I retire the pieces! But if you stop on by the shop you can take a look at them. I accomplished something that is truly tough to do! I have never competed outside of my state shows, and even then only officially really twice. I have again always put my customers first. I attempted something with a whitetail and habitat that pushed the limits of everything I knew! I was told by a close friend in this industry Wes Mote who said to me - Gina, Go Big or Go Home when it comes to competing at the world level! And I did! I challenged myself beyond anything I had ever done. I knew when I brought my pieces to the World Competition - that I was competing up against the best of the best out there. Other taxidermists that either one - only do this for competitions and focus on pieces all year long they will compete with (they aren't commercial taxidermists) or people that have shown for years and were major master award winners with major experience. Due to the rules, if you use a mouth cup or nose made from another, you cannot compete at the masters level (you must make your own and I don't have the money to afford that equipment to do so), so had to compete at the Open/Professional Division - which didn't matter again I was competing up against master award winning taxidermists in same boat had commercial noses or mouth cups in their pieces so I was still competing up against master taxidermists. I knew going in to get a 3rd or even 2nd place at the world level would be tough as many go home with nothing so I went in with that mindset.
What I accomplished was truly something I have never been more proud of! This was the largest show in history they have ever had - almost 800 entered! I am not sure of the final count yet - but maybe 30+ whitetail bucks in my division alone? Best part? My original mentor/teacher, Joe Meder, was there and I got to show him how much I had grown since 2019 when I took a class with him. I received a first place for both my whitetail buck and my habitat which he was on that I built from the ground up! I have never been so proud of myself! I had so many stopping at my piece and taking pictures of it from other countries - so cool! I had also brought my customers Bighorn piece. Unfortunately, in the chaos of game heads , my Bighorn and 3 other bighorns of other competitors were put in a master judges pile instead of the judge for the open/professional division and we got scored at a master level - way way tougher. Even then, I beat out those other ones, which to my surprise were national award winners and state show champions, so that was a high honor - especially since this was my first Bighorn ever! I scored a 77 (a high 3rd), in the "masters" scoring system! Which was unbelievable! If it had been scored in the open/professional scoring system it would have been a high 2nd or low 1st - it sucks because I would have preferred that ribbon/score - lol....but to know my Bighorn stood toe to toe with the masters group & scoring system and beat out many of them - pretty cool! Especially since I had NEVER mounted one before in my life! That piece was all new learning the entire time! So all in all, between the professional development we received at that show with the week of trainings and of course the high honors of what I accomplished - I have never been more proud of myself. It is truly an amazing feeling knowing I am a WORLD AWARD winning BLUE RIBBON Whitetail taxidermist!!!
Now back in the shop, I'm full steam ahead mounting every day and putting in very long hours with a renewed mindset. In fact, as many knew my 2022 year set me back horribly. Due to lots of issues, I was very backed up and didn't even have half of my 2022 capes back from tanning until beginning of this year. But all good! I am pushing out bucks daily and will have all completed by the end of October which still means they will all be done before the 2 year mark. Now - not ideal, but you all signed that contract understanding that it was estimated that it would take 2 years for completion. Point is - I will have them done! Which means since I took so few in 2023, that those 2023 pieces will be rolling soon after and be done if all goes well and no snags by the end of year latest beginning of new year. Which means the 2023 and now 2024 pieces will finally be back to the 12-16 month turnaround again - which is the typical turnaround. Whew! So I'm back and strong and better than ever!
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Ok, so what does this mean for this year's hunting season?
2024 -
*I will take around 50 whitetail bucks for the 2024 season. I still want to make sure my turn around goes back to 12-16 month turn around.
*Any other animals like mule, elk, moose, pronghorns, ram, the “hooved animals”, etc - I will ALWAYS take in - I do not set a cap on those as they are only a fraction of my business! So bring them on over - I love working on them! Once I get some professional photos taken I will post that Bighorn I took to the World Show!
*Half-life size and life-size will be accepted.
*This is something new - I also do customized habitats for homes/showrooms - you can again stop out and see the nature habitat I created for this whitetail buck I took to the world show. It’s a huge nature scene on a rolling platform with deer trails, other small animals, a man made oak tree and so on.
*I will do African animals!
*If you are a regular on good terms, customer of mine, and have made an agreement with me - I will take bear.
*I still am not taking birds for about another year.
I DO NOT DO fish, or general mammals. *Eventually I will take in limited mammals and of certain species but not this year.
About half of the whitetail buck number taking in will be saved spots for my regulars. I will take limited new customers this year. I still want to keep on track of a faster turn around so still don't want to over take in numbers.
Out of those 50 whitetail spots - if you were a customer from last year (2023), You have a spot saved already in the beginning of the list regardless of harvest time! That is your privilege for sticking with me. If you didn't harvest anything last year, but were a good customer of mine from the very beginning - you have a spot. All other spots will be open to grab.
*PRICES WILL REMAIN THE SAME AS 2023 - they will NOT be going up.
*Deposits still $450 minimum down. NON-negotiable. NON- refundable. Do not show up without it or you will be turned away - no exceptions - have gotten burned on this.
*As for payments, I will take cash, checks and cards (cards have a 3% bank fee on them), BUT unless you are a long time customer in which I trust, checks will no longer be a final payment option, unless you give that check a few weeks before I start your piece in which the check has had time to clear.
*In addition, due to all the issues with people not paying and picking up their completed pieces in a timely manner - you will now be contacted a few weeks before I start your piece, you will then need to have payment of your balance PAID IN FULL before I start your piece. If I don't have that payment in full by the time your piece comes up, you get bumped. You can bring that payment by, you can mail the check to me (I will wait for it to clear before I start it), or you can ask me to invoice you so you can pay it by card online. But, again, I won't even get your tanned skin out of the freezer to begin the work until you have paid your balance in full. This way, if you take forever to pick up your completed piece, at least I've been paid for it already. This will also help those that need a “spread out payment” plan.
I am tired of waiting over a month to get paid for work I did and spending my valuable shop time hounding you when you will be picking up your piece and paying. This is my full time job. My income is the back half of what you are paying for - the deposit isn't mine - its for your personal materials for your piece. My income is that other part - and when it takes over a month to get paid after doing the work - many taxidermists now are going to this method where we don't start your piece until its paid in full. I have friends that have 30K hanging on their walls from customers that just won't come in to pick up and pay for their pieces. That is just unacceptable. Now you will have paid in full by the time I touch your buck, so if you take a few weeks after its finished to pick it up - so be it - I’ve already been paid for the work.
I know this post may have started with a negative tone - but I feel it had to be said. I am not your servant or door mat. I put my heart and soul into each and every piece. I am very honored to have mounted all what I have for you and I'm deeply happy when I see that smile on your face when you see the finished product. I pride the fact, I can take a customer piece off the wall and take it to my state show and compete with it and win blue ribbons with it every day! You pay for the best - and I give you the best! I will never be that average, subpar taxidermist.
Thank you again, for those that have supported me and kept me going even in my darkest times over the last year! Love you all!
- Gina
These two pics are of my actual world piece buck - but done with that painting app to keep the real photos of them "off line" - again due to showing this piece next year.
