Hunter Sues Local Taxidermist

[sheephunter]

Yikes, some serious money involved in this one
http://www.edmontonsun.com/2012/05/09/hunter-launches-100000-lawsuit

It’s never a good idea to upset a person who travels around the world killing animals for sport.

Edmonton businessman Raymond Moher has launched a $100,000 lawsuit against local taxidermist Clarence Kriaski after alleging he carelessly destroyed the hides of 18 animals he had hired him to preserve.

According to a statement of claim filed in Court of Queen’s Bench on April 18, Moher is an experienced trophy game hunter who travels the world to participate in safaris and hunt remote trophy animals for sport.

Moher alleges he hired Wildlife Originals by Clarence Kriaski to mount 18 animals he had hunted, including a buffalo, a feral sheep, a feral goat and several deer from Australia; a Marco Polo sheep and a Himalayan Ibex from Tajikastan; a Desert bighorn from Mexico; a wart hog, an impala and a kudu from Africa and an Alberta porcupine.

Moher claims he made numerous requests to pick up the trophy mounted animals, but Kriaski kept putting him off and saying the job was not yet finished.

On Feb. 10, Moher says he had the unfinished hides picked up at Wildlife Originals and taken right away to Artistic Taxidermy to have the work completed.

He alleges he was then called by Artistic Taxidermy owner Brian Dobson immediately after the hides had been dropped off and told they were contaminated with silver fish bugs, full of eggs and the hair was falling out.

Moher alleges Kriaski caused “irreparable damage” to the hides as a result of not taking reasonable care in his work and negligently storing them.

He claims the damage stems from the incorrect application of the appropriate preserving chemicals, incorrect tanning technique, incorrect mounting technique and a failure to freeze or freeze dry the hides.

Moher says he is out the money he paid for trophy fees and shipping and will have to pay more fix the damage.

A statement of defence has not yet been filed.

Statements of claim and statements of defence contain allegations which have not been proven in court.

[DAVE]

Yikes, some serious money involved in this one
http://www.edmontonsun.com/2012/05/09/hunter-launches-100000-lawsuit

X2

[buckbrushoutdoors]

good ol Clarence lol

[drake]

anyone have any pics of his work?

[darius]

what could you buy these hides for on the open market ?

that is all the hunter is legally entitled too . .

[DAVE]

good ol Clarence lol

Yup. lol

[avb3]

good ol Clarence lol

Wasn't he known for his fish work?

[bonedogg]

any chance the eggs and larvae were there prior to the first taxi touching them?

[gopher]

anyone have any pics of his work?

Ya it's on his web site.

[huntinstuff]

Finally someone got mad enough

Not surprised in the least

Ive paid him a few personal visits in regards to work taking 3 or 4 years.

I hope the hunter gets every cent

[CaberTosser]

what could you buy these hides for on the open market ?

that is all the hunter is legally entitled too . .

Nope.

What did his numerous safari's cost him? Damages aren't always limited to an items market value. If your child is killed in a car accident can the insurance co send you an orphan from Somalia and call it even?

If you were a lawyer, you wouldn't be eating very well.

[ShawnM]

Nope.

What did his numerous safari's cost him? Damages aren't always limited to an items market value. If your child is killed in a car accident can the insurance co send you an orphan from Somalia and call it even?

If you were a lawyer, you wouldn't be eating very well.

You're partly right, in Canada all a person is entitled to in a civil lawsuit is ACTUAL damages. In this case he may be entitled to some of the money he spent on hunting the hides, transporting them, etc. Having said that your example refers to PUNATIVE damages, which in Canada is FAR below the numbers you hear from the states. He won't get $100k, even if he deserves it.

[darius]

Nope.

What did his numerous safari's cost him? Damages aren't always limited to an items market value. If your child is killed in a car accident can the insurance co send you an orphan from Somalia and call it even?

If you were a lawyer, you wouldn't be eating very well.

sorry . . .

you can 't compare a lost kid to monetary value , since it is not legal to buy or sell children ., no open market per se

if your pet dies and its the vets fault all you are entitled to is the value of the pet . ie- what you paid would probably be the replacement value . if it is a bitch that you sell her litter then you have a case to get more ., a proven loss of income in this case .

if you pay $50k for a hunt and you can buy said hide for $5k, shipped to you and all fees , etc . . that is what you are legally entitled to in this case as this is all the taxidermist damaged . you still recieved the hunt so why should the taxi be liable for that ?

good thing you are not a lawyer .. .:lol:

[CaberTosser]

It's funny when people read intentional hyperbole and interpret it as literal.

[darius]

It's funny when people read intentional hyperbole and interpret it as literal.

Nope.

What did his numerous safari's cost him? Damages aren't always limited to an items market value. If your child is killed in a car accident can the insurance co send you an orphan from Somalia and call it even?

If you were a lawyer, you wouldn't be eating very well.

you said it , not me . . . .

[depopulator]

Curious what a Marco Polo and Desert bighorn cape [lifesize I'll bet] go for these days...

[wwbirds]

I don't think the claim is nearly high enough. Anyone with an Ibex, marco polo or Desert Bighorn cape could ask $100,000. just for those capes. Where else would you get one. Not like there are any floating around on Kijiji.

Had a similar experience where a local taxi over bleached my cape on a Dall and promised to replace it. Found a replacement cape for him a couple years later which I know he purchased from a friend of mine in Yukon but never replaced the frizzy cape he ruined. In hind sight instead of trusting him to do the right thing I should have sued to warn off others that sometimes his work was sub standard.
You hate to do that to a guy when this is one problem mount of many he did that turned out well.

Sounds like this fellow had more than an isolated incident of bad work. Hope the hunter gets judgement but then again he stil has to be able to find income or assets to enforce it.

Rob

[depopulator]

any chance the eggs and larvae were there prior to the first taxi touching them?

Messy! Whats the potential of a countersuit for having the taxi shop contaminated by "dirty" capes ? :fighting0074::argue2:

[colour86]

Clarence's shop is a mess. This was probably a long time coming. I have no idea how he got anything out. Walking in and tripping over a rotting deer skull thats been there for a week isnt how a business should operate. Fiance used to do rugs for him and the stories I would hear. This was just a matter of time. He started taking in too much and got over his head.

[DNORTHERNSNIPER]

He does great work, I have 9 mounts from him.
Most were done in timely fashion but then it all changed.....

He has had my last White tail deer and a bear for 5 years and gives me a runnaround everytime I go see what the status of them are.

Now Im really going for a visit.....before he closes.

:sHa_sarcasticlol:

[ShawnM]

I don't think the claim is nearly high enough. Anyone with an Ibex, marco polo or Desert Bighorn cape could ask $100,000. just for those capes. Where else would you get one. Not like there are any floating around on Kijiji.
Rob

The Marco Polo sheep is nearly irreplacable as far as I'm concerned. Extremely rare animal to hunt and the dedication it can take is very high.

I'm getting the run-around from my taxidermist too. Jesus I hope it doesn't end up like this...

[Big Daddy Badger]

5 plus years?


Good Lord... how many guys are waiting in line?

Some guys must have the patience of Jobe.

I'd have flipped my toque a long time ago.

[colour86]

he had 5 or so big deep freezes full to the brim, and hides/ horns all over the place. Im guessing hundreds of people in line at Clarence's shop.

[Big Daddy Badger]

he had 5 or so big deep freezes full to the brim, and hides/ horns all over the place. Im guessing hundreds of people in line at Clarence's shop.

Wow...and every one with a deposit down I'd imagine.
Long ago spent and many will probably never have a thing to show for it in the end.

[Jamie Black R/T]

not very surprising from his reputation....hope the hunter gets his compensation.

[leo]

Clarence has gotten a fair bit of business from me in the past(deer and birds). Never had an issue and workmanship was outstanding. That changed with the last mount I took there around 6 years ago. I hounded him weekly for 18 months, this after he had it in his possesion for over a year. He didn't even brush out the pelt before giving it to me. Hair was full of salts. I haven't been back since, it's a shame, he is very talented.

[WTHunter]

I have used him for a couple of bear rugs, a moose rack plaque and numerous euro mounts. He has always done a quality job for me.

His shop is a mess....the place stinks....and he takes a very long time.

I know that one fourm member waited over three years for a bear rug from Clarance.....and another one got a big pike done and was unhappy with the job.

Too bad....seems like a nice guy, and he is capable of good work.

[scrapper]

If it really takes this guy 5 years or even one year to do work clearly he is in the wrong business, any business requires quick turn around to make a profit, maybe time for this guy to just call it a career, if he loses this lawsuit I would not want to have anything at his store when the door swings shut. Even if he has Liability Insurance I am not sure they will cover this type of screw up.

[209x50]

I've been through a long line of deadbeat taxidermists as much as the next guy. When you find someone who does great work in a timel fashion you really appreciate them!

[Sooner]

I know of 3 people who have taken nice quality size fish to him, 3 plus yrs later what they got back was a far cry from what they took in. This guy is the master of delays from what I see and hear.

[darius]

im not one to mount any of my kill s , but i have an artistic eye .

i have seen deer heads done by this guy , yuck !!!

[chuck0039]

I have taken two fish to him and my Whitetail. I have never had a problem and have been happy with his work. The two fish have been perch and I have got them back three months after I have taken them in. The deer took close to 8 months but I was happy with his work.


I have reqommended him to my friends and they have all been happy with his work.


I know there are two sides to every story so I will wait and see what the out come is before I pass judgment on Clarence.

[horse_men]

Funny this comes up as he has a great horned owl of mine, I though about it today, pulled the pink slip to give him a call and see what is happening. The date of drop off was Aug. 2007!! I have called several times over the past few years and evertime it is the same answer, should be done soon. when I called earlier today there was no answer. Doesn't look like I will get my owl or my deposit now.

[scrapper]

Sadly even the most talanted artists/taxidermist in many cases are brutal business men. Sounds like this guy fits into that catagory. He does great work but sadly will never in his life time get caught up. He should just slam the door for the next five years and do the work he has to clear the backlog, no way in the world anyone can justify waitng up to five years for a mount. Regardless of how the hide is stored it cannot last five years in a freezer without extreme freezer burn due to dehydration. And if the place is a mess then cross contamination between hides is a certainty. The guy probably has a pretty good case that Clarance is responsible for the damage to his hides.

[huntinstuff]

There r many very talented taxidermists in the province

Alex, Brian, Marko come to mind.

I have never seen a poor mount from those guys. Ever. Its called pride.

Yes. Some things take time. But three or four years is unacceptable.

I use a semi retired taxidermist. I pay 100% or close to it up front. I have yet to wait more than a year for anything. I am fortunate to know him.

[Big Daddy Badger]

There r many very talented taxidermists in the province

Alex, Brian, Marko come to mind.

I have never seen a poor mount from those guys. Ever. Its called pride.

Yes. Some things take time. But three or four years is unacceptable.

I use a semi retired taxidermist. I pay 100% or close to it up front. I have yet to wait more than a year for anything. I am fortunate to know him.

I agree... that is far too long.

Most guys want to see their mount while they can still remember shooting it in the first place...

[huntinstuff]

I agree... that is far too long.

Most guys want to see their mount while they can still remember shooting it in the first place...

Exactly. If it cant be done in less than 2 years, you either need to work more, get some help, or learn to run a business properly.

Clarence is a nice man, but his shop is unorganized.

Pay a visit to Northfork in Whitehorse if you wanna see a taxidermy shop. Truly amazing.

[Grizzly Adams]

There r many very talented taxidermists in the province

Alex, Brian, Marko come to mind.

I have never seen a poor mount from those guys. Ever. Its called pride.

Yes. Some things take time. But three or four years is unacceptable.

I use a semi retired taxidermist. I pay 100% or close to it up front. I have yet to wait more than a year for anything. I am fortunate to know him.

Way I see it, taxidermist and business man seem to be an oxymoron, especially good taxidermist. :lol: Too many out there who can't combine the two and the customer is the one who suffers. Stopped to check out one place, west of Sundre. Big sign on the road, but when I got there, scary looking operation, photo copied price list. Crossed that one off my list real quick. :D

Grizz

[gitrdun]

I have taken two fish to him and my Whitetail. I have never had a problem and have been happy with his work. The two fish have been perch and I have got them back three months after I have taken them in. The deer took close to 8 months but I was happy with his work.


I have reqommended him to my friends and they have all been happy with his work.


I know there are two sides to every story so I will wait and see what the out come is before I pass judgment on Clarence.

Your deer may look fine now, but come back in 10 years and see if it still looks as good then. I got a mulie and pheasant done bu Jim Boland 20 some odd years ago and they look alive still. You pay for quality. I have to wonder if this hunter brought his animals to this guy, he must have seen the supposedly bad workmanshil and stepped over the junk that others have mentioned, why then would he leave them there. Seems to me that if I were to spend that kind of cash on taxidermy, I'd be wanting to peruse his mounts and check references.

[buck-8835]

This is all a surprise to me. I have taken him 2 deer and a bear so far and I have gotten all three back within 6 months and I love the work.

[LacLaBicheNS]

I'll add my experience with him.

I took a pike to him last august or sept (2011).. He told me it would be done by nov. Well it wasn't done by nov. I called a few times and he kept me updated on the progress and was a very nice guy to deal with. The fish was finished on about dec 18th 2011. So about a month late. No biggie.

The only thing I have to say in a negative way and I am not sure to this day what really happened. The day I caught the fish I measured it at exactly 44inches. And my buddy with me measured it at 44 as well. I tried to release her, but blood pouring out of the gills and belly up for about 15 mins. So I kept it, happy but wish she woudl have swam away. So to make sure I didn't waste the fish I speed home and wrapped her up in a wet towel and into the freezer. I did not weigh or take a girth.

............. when I picked the fish up from clarence, it looked a little short. I measured it and it comes to about 40.5 on the wall. The girth looks the same, but the length to this day looks short. Even comparing it to the pictures when I caught it, it doesnt look to be the same fish? The only thing that I scratch my head over is that a 44 inch fish would give clarence about 60$ more than a 40 inch fish that he charged me for so I dont get it. Unless he had a 40 inch mould in his shop but no 44 inch mould???? I dunno.

Other than that, I was really happy and the fish looks great. Anyone that see's it says so

[flyguyd]

I'll add my experience with him.

I took a pike to him last august or sept (2011).. He told me it would be done by nov. Well it wasn't done by nov. I called a few times and he kept me updated on the progress and was a very nice guy to deal with. The fish was finished on about dec 18th 2011. So about a month late. No biggie.

The only thing I have to say in a negative way and I am not sure to this day what really happened. The day I caught the fish I measured it at exactly 44inches. And my buddy with me measured it at 44 as well. I tried to release her, but blood pouring out of the gills and belly up for about 15 mins. So I kept it, happy but wish she woudl have swam away. So to make sure I didn't waste the fish I speed home and wrapped her up in a wet towel and into the freezer. I did not weigh or take a girth.

............. when I picked the fish up from clarence, it looked a little short. I measured it and it comes to about 40.5 on the wall. The girth looks the same, but the length to this day looks short. Even comparing it to the pictures when I caught it, it doesnt look to be the same fish? The only thing that I scratch my head over is that a 44 inch fish would give clarence about 60$ more than a 40 inch fish that he charged me for so I dont get it. Unless he had a 40 inch mould in his shop but no 44 inch mould???? I dunno.

Other than that, I was really happy and the fish looks great. Anyone that see's it says so

Artificial heads come in a few different sizes. While the girth may be correct the length maybe longer or shorter depending on the fish:)

[LacLaBicheNS]

Artificial heads come in a few different sizes. While the girth may be correct the length maybe longer or shorter depending on the fish:)

I didn't know this?!
How do I avoid this? Do you have to be blunt and tell them you want it measuring 44 inches when its on the wall?

from talking to clarence I thought the head was the real head? I know he told me the gills are the real gills.

[double gun]

I didn't know this?!
How do I avoid this? Do you have to be blunt and tell them you want it measuring 44 inches when its on the wall?

from talking to clarence I thought the head was the real head? I know he told me the gills are the real gills.

I spoke to him about the use of artifical heads this winter. He said he uses the real head on pike. In fact the only one I can remember him mentioning using an artificial head on was trout because of the grease.

[flyguyd]

I didn't know this?!
How do I avoid this? Do you have to be blunt and tell them you want it measuring 44 inches when its on the wall?

from talking to clarence I thought the head was the real head? I know he told me the gills are the real gills.

If you've got a real head and your missing 4 inches its either a different fish or something went very wrong in the process, IMO.

And it will eventually leak grease. My pike is over 20 yrs old and its finally stopped leaking...lol

[Alberta Bigbore]

Hopefully the guy gets the money he's asking for. Unreal. I'd be pretty upset too.

[Killerb]

Yikes I don't know the guy but the stories sound typical. It seems like he was a good taxidermist but greed and overbooking got to him. He probably focused on getting people through the door instead of quality.

[.257Weatherby]

sorry . . .
if your pet dies and its the vets fault all you are entitled to is the value of the pet . ie- what you paid would probably be the replacement value . if it is a bitch that you sell her litter then you have a case to get more ., a proven loss of income in this case .

if you pay $50k for a hunt and you can buy said hide for $5k, shipped to you and all fees , etc . . that is what you are legally entitled to in this case as this is all the taxidermist damaged . you still recieved the hunt so why should the taxi be liable for that ?

good thing you are not a lawyer .. .:lol:

Good Thing your not a Lawyer either .
The Judgement maybe more or less than you paid for said Dog or said Trips to the Dark Continent or Down Under for that matter, what you failed to mention is the fat chance the defendant will actually pay up.
Even if the person is insured the fees will still have to be paid unless the Lawyer is working on a fee recovery basis.
Thus the chance of even replacing items are slim.
Then again if the Claimant can afford 100k trips around the world I am sure he has a connection to a Good Lawyer.
Tight Groups and will be an interesting read,
Rob

[338ultra]

This is going way back, does anybody remember when Clarence used to get his shop broken into every couple of years always in December right after he took in some book whitetails,always thought it was kind of suspicious,thats when i pulled the plug. Started using Gord at northwest, good thing, one of the best mounts i have was done there by Brian whenhe was only learning the craft, it still looks as good today as the day i picked it up.

[LacLaBicheNS]

If you've got a real head and your missing 4 inches its either a different fish or something went very wrong in the process, IMO.

And it will eventually leak grease. My pike is over 20 yrs old and its finally stopped leaking...lol

Anyway I could tell if something went wrong? like should I look for a seem in the middle of the fish or something?

[Lefty-Canuck]

Anyway I could tell if something went wrong? like should I look for a seem in the middle of the fish or something?

I think at this point I would just enjoy what you have to show of the memory of the trip. I don't think it is going to get fixed if there is a problem anyway. Too bad it seems it is either not your fish or it is not representative of the fish you caught.

LC

[Bigtoad]

Marco Polo, shmolo....

what is truly irreplaceable is the trophy Alberta Porcupine he was having mounted. Those things don't just grow on trees around here you know... That hide alone could run 10K, easy.:acigar:

[Mike_W]

I belive there are some good taxidermist and there are some bad ones!!
I took my wolves into Northern Impressions Taxidermy and both Doug and his wife were exceptional good communication can go along ways. Doug gave me a date of when he expected to have them done and due to some beetle issues and the cold they werent working my skulls as quick as normal.
So I called to check a couple times and if I left a message I would be called back usually within the hour it is amazing how far good communication can go!!

[hwy_6363]

I got a whitetail mount done by Clarence about 2 yrs ago. When I took it in it was the end of Novemeber and it seemed every square inch of his shop was covered by newly delivered heads. It was quite the site, heads of all sorts everywhere. There was a definite smell to the place. But, Clarence was super nice and he showed me a few of the mounts he had in progress. It took him about a year to do my whitetail and I am happy with it, it looks just how I wanted it and the deer looks great. I had to call and check in with him a few times to get updates and he always answered the phone.
It does seem like he has taken on too much work and has gotten overwhelmed. I'd heard he'd taken on a few apprentices over the years but none of them stuck around after getting trained. He should stop taking on new clients/business and get caught up on what must be hundereds of mounts. He's a good guy and a talented taxidermist but needs to get some help.

[colour86]

There is a reason apprentices don't stick around there. Its the way he treats people and his attitude. The shop gets overwhelming after awhile too. Like i mentioned earlier my fiance was doing rugs from him and the stories do not sound like how anyone should run a business or how anyone should treat someone else. It was a joke.

[PistonBroke]

All i have to say is....brian dobson....brian dobson... Worlds finest taxi, imo

[High_N_Wide]

There are lots of taxidermists out there to choose from. Lots of things to consider when you are picking one too. Experience, specialty, personality, delivery times and lastly price.

As Mike said I use Northern Impressions and Doug is a stand up guy who has done some of the nicest mounts I have seen. I would put my full coyote up against any. With that said Sugar Creek looks like he does amazing work and there is another one on here I believe from around Provost that looks like great work aswell.

I know if I had all the amazing animals that were apparently ruined, I would have done some homework on who was mounting them. And although I do not know the defendant or his shop, it sounds like he may have had a bit of a reputation before this happened.

Trev

[LacLaBicheNS]

I think at this point I would just enjoy what you have to show of the memory of the trip. I don't think it is going to get fixed if there is a problem anyway. Too bad it seems it is either not your fish or it is not representative of the fish you caught.

LC

like I said I'm very happy with the mount, the time it took and dealing with him. I will deffinitly use him for a fish again. But as I also said I wish the numbers added up better and half the time I think it might have been my measureing (although I usually come ot the conclusion my measurements are right because someone else got the same).

[DAVE]

Is he still into the Bronze Sculptures. I thought i herd that is his main thing now day's ??

[gwh12]

He still has my cinnamon I shot in 09' beautiful bear

[buck-8835]

lets get some pics going of the guys work. There are some people saying on here that it is horrible. I would like to respectfully disagree.

[diamond k]

I took a mule deer to him approx 5 years ago. 4 years later I get the deer back and it is horrible. After getting some other opinions on the work, I took it to another well respected taxidermist. He looked at it and in 2 min told me that it is not a new mount. He took an old mount and put my antlers on it. So I paid Clarence 575 dollars to do mount and now I am going to pay a couple of hundred more to see if it can updated and cleaned up. I am sorry but he may be a nice guy but as far as I am concerned he is dishonest and a crook. I still believe he either screwed up the cape and either could not find one or did not care to find one as from pics I am sure cape is different than original. Absolutly no sympathy for this guy.

[drake]

lets see some pics boys and girls.......

[DAVE]

lets see some pics boys and girls.......

I kinda of remember Speckle 55 posting some pictures he has that clarance did for him I think it was him.

[Mxyzptik]

I had two antelope done by Clarence and got them back very quickly ( less than a year ) they seemed like good jobs but aren't standing up well at all , especially around the ears.

I took him a big mulie and got it back quickly as well ( less than a year again ) but I am not real happy with the job.

Clarence certainly seemed like a decent enough guy but disorganized as all get out.

It's too bad Marcel Houle wasn't still working, he did my whitetail and IMO he was the best in his day.

I will choose someone else next time I need something done.

[nube]

Got a big ram done by him and it looks great and no problems after about 15 years. Got another book ram that looks horrible by him after 20 years. Got a whitetail done about 15 years ago that looks good holding up wise. It was bad taxidermy and the eye shape is horrible with big round eyes. I also have one other done by him and it is falling apart and looks real bad. Also had 2 cougars in his shop along with my dads whitetail and an antelope and never seen them after 10+ years. I think he can do good work when he wants to but I stopped going there a long time ago. Been taking my stuff to Alex at ADVANTAGE TAXIDERMY the past few years and have not had a problem.

[bear crossing]

If the class of previous employee's is any indication,it is no wonder things like this happens.had a guy do my first bear,took my money and bear ,gone but not forgotten.if i ever get the chance it will be gordon from northwest ,he did 9 deer and i antelope in the past.(side note,he trained brian) nuff said

[7magtime]

Clarence has gotten a fair bit of business from me in the past(deer and birds). Never had an issue and workmanship was outstanding. That changed with the last mount I took there around 6 years ago. I hounded him weekly for 18 months, this after he had it in his possesion for over a year. He didn't even brush out the pelt before giving it to me. Hair was full of salts. I haven't been back since, it's a shame, he is very talented.

I agree. I've had mounts done by him since about 1997. Quality & turnaround were always good but in the last 5 years or so not so much. I took a nice antelope to him about 3 years ago and wasn't happy with quality or the time it took to get done. I won't be back again unfortunately, nice guy though.

[PistonBroke]

Big time agree ^^^^^^^ just had a buddy deal with him after i seen the op, had to let him know to go get his goods back before the taxi doors close up tight.

[waterninja]

personaly i have been very happy with the work he has done for me. the rainbow ( 15 yrs ago) still looks brand new and the black bear (10 yrs ago) still holding up well except for an ear the grandkids damaged. i really think he has become overwhelmed in the last few years and doesn't have the help he needs. it's too bad because he really is an artist imho.

[Jameson340]

Unreal.....tried phoning him for a couple days now about my cinnamon bear that he has had for 4 years now, sounds like im not getting it back......I can't believe i let it go for 4 years, this sucks. :mad3:

[diamond k]

Call F&W you are not the only guy looking for stuff. I believe they are taking info. My buddy phoned and talked to them about his bear that is apparently missing in action.

[The Bit Runner.]

This guy is a absalute joke, like someone else said he has alot of talent and did incredible work many years ago. I had a friend who took 2 mulies there 5 years ago they were there for years and years and when he finally got them back i have seen road kill in the ditch that looked better than they did, It was realy sad!! he has did a few of my mounts, never again my last mulie i got back was unreal. I had to take it to another taxidermist to get it to look like a deer again. His shop should be closed down period and i hope the guy wins!!!!

[echo]

So just a question, i give every animal i shoot the utmost respect which includes which taxidermist does the work, so why would you leave a animal at a shop 3-5 yrs and some knowing that your buddies animal has been there that long keep using this person ? i really dont feel sorry for anyone that has been caused greif by this guy...i guess you get what you pay for.

[diamond k]

So just a question, i give every animal i shoot the utmost respect which includes which taxidermist does the work, so why would you leave a animal at a shop 3-5 yrs and some knowing that your buddies animal has been there that long keep using this person ? i really dont feel sorry for anyone that has been caused greif by this guy...i guess you get what you pay for.

Because your obviously the smartest person in the world. Nobody said he was the cheapest either.

Seriously dont you have some orphanes somewhere to make fun of because they have no parents or a home less guy you want to kick because he has no place to live.

[echo]

Because your obviously the smartest person in the world. Nobody said he was the cheapest either.

Seriously dont you have some orphanes somewhere to make fun of because they have no parents or a home less guy you want to kick because he has no place to live.

you never answered the question did you ? so how about trying that ! never claimed to be the smartest either,orphans dont bother me so why make fun,homeless guy is homeless because of the choices they have made so...why kick them.unless your homeless and then maybe !

[Jameson340]

So just a question, i give every animal i shoot the utmost respect which includes which taxidermist does the work, so why would you leave a animal at a shop 3-5 yrs and some knowing that your buddies animal has been there that long keep using this person ? i really dont feel sorry for anyone that has been caused greif by this guy...i guess you get what you pay for.

You know what, I have friends previous to me taking there animals there and receiving them back with in 6 months, I have also had a previous bear rug done by him. So, sorry I disrespected my bear by taking him to a taxidermy that I apparently should have known was going to be ruined. Sometimes taxidermists get backed up, he told me he was having trouble getting good help around the shop. I kept in contact with him also, he kept back peddling on it, saying its almost done almost done, should have done something about it then, coulda woulda shoulda.

[Speckle55]

He did my Rainbow back in 1982 and it looks just like when i caught it from Honeymoon Lake Jasper National park in Oct 1982 it was 7#3 and as you see in the picture i broke both fins putting it on display.. he was professional, and prompt but that was 30 years ago..

i will wait till we hear the court case . as i have seen some animals that have been brought into local Taxidermy shops and they are allways looking for capes etc as they are ruined when coming in..i have had capes bought right at the check-in in Camp Wainwright..

52231

Food for Thought
David:)

[Skywalker]

This is very sad news for me as Clarence was my mentor 30 some years ago. He has always been a well liked person and he was like a big brother to me. He taught me how to hunt bears and always said the utmost respect you can give a trophy was to make it lifesize. Advice I took to heart and instrumental in my winning 5 gold medals at the World Taxidermy Championships. He is one of the most gifted "all round" taxidermists I know who always made time to share techniques with someone eager to learn. Let me be honest when I tell you that burnout can be a huge problem for a lot of taxidermists. I have worked at this profession all over the world and its common when a taxidermist cant maintain a stressful workload. And believe me when I tell you no one is immune. Overall there is no excuse for ruining a persons trophies but I know in my heart Clarence would never do this intentionally. Like I said, a sad day for me.

[echo]

This is very sad news for me as Clarence was my mentor 30 some years ago. He has always been a well liked person and he was like a big brother to me. He taught me how to hunt bears and always said the utmost respect you can give a trophy was to make it lifesize. Advice I took to heart and instrumental in my winning 5 gold medals at the World Taxidermy Championships. He is one of the most gifted "all round" taxidermists I know who always made time to share techniques with someone eager to learn. Let me be honest when I tell you that burnout can be a huge problem for a lot of taxidermists. I have worked at this profession all over the world and its common when a taxidermist cant maintain a stressful workload. And believe me when I tell you no one is immune. Overall there is no excuse for ruining a persons trophies but I know in my heart Clarence would never do this intentionally. Like I said, a sad day for me.

Well said Ken.

[echo]

I took a mule deer to him approx 5 years ago. 4 years later I get the deer back and it is horrible. After getting some other opinions on the work, I took it to another well respected taxidermist. He looked at it and in 2 min told me that it is not a new mount. He took an old mount and put my antlers on it. So I paid Clarence 575 dollars to do mount and now I am going to pay a couple of hundred more to see if it can updated and cleaned up. I am sorry but he may be a nice guy but as far as I am concerned he is dishonest and a crook. I still believe he either screwed up the cape and either could not find one or did not care to find one as from pics I am sure cape is different than original. Absolutly no sympathy for this guy.

????

[echo]

Call F&W you are not the only guy looking for stuff. I believe they are taking info. My buddy phoned and talked to them about his bear that is apparently missing in action.

?????

[Bearman]

?????

He has had a buffalo head of mine for 4 1/2 Years. Numerous calls no answer or some bs line about the tannery being backed up. Now he claims he doesn't even know where it is at he has no record of me bringing anything in to his shop. I still have the 1000 dollar deposit reciept. Which I doubt I will get back either. Hopefully this lawsuit grows and puts Clarence out business and then some . the guy is a black eye on the industry.

[junglejay7320]

it sounds like 65-70% of the post are hate posts towards clarence...i would have a little hate on if i had to wait 1-4 years for my white tail to come home...
my first experience with clarence was a 12 inch antelope rack mounted on a plack with a cape over the skull...easy enough to do...i was happy with the results & he charged me a cheap rate....
that winter i took a couple of 12 & 13 inch perch to him with in 6-7 months i had them back & a perfect job....well done clarence....i also brought a nice set of jaws from a bull shark to him for bleaching and i was happy with the job once again...my last experience with clarence was him helping me out with a broken moose rack...in which he did not charge & was very helpful...
guys who bash claence i hear what your saying,& i would be choked too...
but i have no bad words for clarence...a good guy,a little disorganized,but still good work & a good guy....

[The Bit Runner.]

it sounds like 65-70% of the post are hate posts towards clarence...i would have a little hate on if i had to wait 1-4 years for my white tail to come home...
my first experience with clarence was a 12 inch antelope rack mounted on a plack with a cape over the skull...easy enough to do...i was happy with the results & he charged me a cheap rate....
that winter i took a couple of 12 & 13 inch perch to him with in 6-7 months i had them back & a perfect job....well done clarence....i also brought a nice set of jaws from a bull shark to him for bleaching and i was happy with the job once again...my last experience with clarence was him helping me out with a broken moose rack...in which he did not charge & was very helpful...
guys who bash claence i hear what your saying,& i would be choked too...
but i have no bad words for clarence...a good guy,a little disorganized,but still good work & a good guy....

There is no dought he is a GREAT guy, A litlle disorrganized is one thing but his work over the last few years that i have seen is brutal actually down right terrible and the waiting time is out of this world, My buddy took a elk to him 6 years ago and still nothing, wont return phone calls or nothing. Either he takes on too much work or he just has no interest in it no more, Like may other have said and i will say the same that he is a great guy personally and USED to do great work but not no more, Sorry Clarence i hope you pay the price for what has happened.

[insurgus]

yikes. Sounds like this guy is up the creek right now.

[Weekender]

Does not supprise me. I had some poor work done by these guys previously. My whitetail cape came back to me with a rust stain on the neck. It would never go away and their solution was to paint it white. Far from good, good from a far.

[Doodle30]

Because your obviously the smartest person in the world. Nobody said he was the cheapest either.

Seriously dont you have some orphanes somewhere to make fun of because they have no parents or a home less guy you want to kick because he has no place to live.

While I wasn't going to pose the question in the same manner I was wondering why he continued to get, what seems to be alot of work with so many unhappy clients.

I won't kick guys while they are down but I thought it was a fair question. I guess he had built up so much street cred that he could get away with almost anything.

[echo]

While I wasn't going to pose the question in the same manner I was wondering why he continued to get, what seems to be alot of work with so many unhappy clients.

I won't kick guys while they are down but I thought it was a fair question. I guess he had built up so much street cred that he could get away with almost anything.

whats your point ?

[Doodle30]

whats your point ?

Point is I thought you raised a fair point. How was this guy getting so much work?

[LacLaBicheNS]

He got my fish because there isn't many people who do real fish mounts anymore. In fact he's the only guy I could find and the only guy F and W knew of as well.

I think a lot of tax's get work because its hard to get work done. you call 4 or 5 tax's and ask how long till its doen and if they can take your animal. If all but one say "sorry I can't take anymore work" or "I can take it but it will be a year to get back because I am full" and the one guy says "ya I can take it, it will be done in 4 or 5 months".. you don't have much of a choice. I am guessing Clarence took anyone's animal who called and told them all it wouldn't take him long.

My assumptions anyways..


Again like others have said, its too bad because he does great work when he seems to put the effort into it. I would get another fish done by him in a heard beat. But probably not after all this bs.

[echo]

Point is I thought you raised a fair point. How was this guy getting so much work?

just checking lol seems i took a little heat from a few people about my comment.

[nof60]

Exactly. If it cant be done in less than 2 years, you either need to work more, get some help, or learn to run a business properly.

Clarence is a nice man, but his shop is unorganized.

Pay a visit to Northfork in Whitehorse if you wanna see a taxidermy shop. Truly amazing.

And while there you can see them screw you in a very organized fashion. No doubt shane runs a class act but quotes 1400, bill is 2300 with all the add ons he forgot to mention up front. I told him to enjoy his new caribou and suddenly the bill was back to 1400. He wont see another animal from me. Plus his bears are just awful. However his sheep and boo are second to none. I guess its a screw me once shame on you, screw me twice shame on me kinda thing.

Earlier you said you pay close to 100 percent up front. I would be a little nervous buying a pig in a poke like that. Most of my experience have been OK but I have had a couple bad ones. I currently use Gary Hill for fish as he does a great fish and am shopping for a big game guy. Seems like you here horror stories about every one of them. Maybe time to take up yet another hobby cause with 2 little kids, dog racing, hunting, fishing, diving, volunteer fire dept and work I am still wasting about 4 hrs a night on sleep.

[Yéil]

And while there you can see them screw you in a very organized fashion. No doubt shane runs a class act but quotes 1400, bill is 2300 with all the add ons he forgot to mention up front. I told him to enjoy his new caribou and suddenly the bill was back to 1400. He wont see another animal from me. Plus his bears are just awful. However his sheep and boo are second to none. I guess its a screw me once shame on you, screw me twice shame on me kinda thing.

Earlier you said you pay close to 100 percent up front. I would be a little nervous buying a pig in a poke like that. Most of my experience have been OK but I have had a couple bad ones. I currently use Gary Hill for fish as he does a great fish and am shopping for a big game guy. Seems like you here horror stories about every one of them. Maybe time to take up yet another hobby cause with 2 little kids, dog racing, hunting, fishing, diving, volunteer fire dept and work I am still wasting about 4 hrs a night on sleep.

Have you seen Yukon Grubaugh's work over at Tall Tales in Anchorage? He does some really nice mounts. Yukon does African work as well.

I wonder with Clarence if some of the problems are that he takes on work in anticipation of having an apprentice to help and then they go south on him by either leaving or doing icky work. By the sounds of it, his work is ok some of the time and then it gets bad... wonder if that is the product of an apprentice?

[horse_men]

With no answer at his shop for several days, does anyone have a suggestion as to what to do with regards to animals he still has of ours? If his business folds I don't see much chance of getting ones property/deposit $ back.

[Rackmastr]

With no answer at his shop for several days, does anyone have a suggestion as to what to do with regards to animals he still has of ours? If his business folds I don't see much chance of getting ones property/deposit $ back.

I went through some similar problems with a taxidermist out of Sundre a bunch of years back. Court cases, business closing, movings, etc.

In the end, I lost a really nice cinnamon coloured bear, a 41" moose I shot with my bow, 3 mule deer capes and a Merlin falcon I had a Found Dead Wildlife permit for.

I fought and fought trying to get stuff back and get things sorted out. In the end, I gave up.

I've dealt with 2 HORRIBLE taxidermists now, and never again. My last taxidermist I found is amazing, respectable, and a great business person. Its really a shame we have guys like this and bad business out there....

Hopefully everyone gets their stuff sorted out and Clarence can get his stuff taken care of and everyone can move on...

[Jameson340]

With no answer at his shop for several days, does anyone have a suggestion as to what to do with regards to animals he still has of ours? If his business folds I don't see much chance of getting ones property/deposit $ back.

Yeah i dont know.......iv contacted the police and the f&w, asked them both if they have had any other calls or cases on this, they didnt know what i was talking about. They said they can't do anything about it because its civil....not criminal. In other words you need spend a arm and leg on a lawyer to get anything out of him. Not sure what to do next......really just starting to look like im not getting my cinnamon bear back.

[Neo]

They said they can't do anything about it because its civil....not criminal. In other words you need spend a arm and leg on a lawyer to get anything out of him. Not sure what to do next......really just starting to look like im not getting my cinnamon bear back.

Actually, for claims below a certain amount (the last time I looked, it was claims under $25,000), you don't need a lawyer at all -- you can file an action in small claims court. Just get the form, follow the instructions, and file at the courthouse. Not sure what the filing fee is now, but a few years back it was around $300. That gets the ball rolling. And when you get your time before a judge, you most definitely do not need a lawyer present -- small claims court pretty much assumes you'll be without legal respresentation.

That said, purely by coincidence, I was giving my trophy room a thorough once over, and the latest additions from Clarence's shop both showed signs of moth infestation that were not previously apparent when the mounts were picked up. Now I've got a bird mount in the garbage and a full-body mount of a grizzly getting bug bombed, boraxed, permethrined and moth-balled in an all-out chemical assault. Mercifully, I can find no signs that the infestation has spread to any of the other mounts in the room... But you know how this goes... Suffice it to say that every mount in the room is getting at least a weekly permethrin treatment for the next few months.

I'll be the first to admit that moths can occur in any manner of ways, and there's no way of proving that they were infected when I picked them up. And in any event, it really doesn't matter where I got the damn things from --the point is, I have them, and I need to not have them.

Assuming I can save the bear (it's slipping hair in several places, but loosely and not in clumps) and get the moths gone for good, I really should count myself lucky. This could have been a whole lot worse if not discovered relatively early.

I've learned my lesson, though -- my inspection regimen will be getting more regular than it's been...

[Lone_Wolf]

I have a Caribou (shoulder mount) done by Kriaski. It sure is nice. Going to be interesting to see how this case plays out.

[Jameson340]

Actually, for claims below a certain amount (the last time I looked, it was claims under $25,000), you don't need a lawyer at all -- you can file an action in small claims court. Just get the form, follow the instructions, and file at the courthouse. Not sure what the filing fee is now, but a few years back it was around $300. That gets the ball rolling. And when you get your time before a judge, you most definitely do not need a lawyer present -- small claims court pretty much assumes you'll be without legal respresentation.

That said, purely by coincidence, I was giving my trophy room a thorough once over, and the latest additions from Clarence's shop both showed signs of moth infestation that were not previously apparent when the mounts were picked up. Now I've got a bird mount in the garbage and a full-body mount of a grizzly getting bug bombed, boraxed, permethrined and moth-balled in an all-out chemical assault. Mercifully, I can find no signs that the infestation has spread to any of the other mounts in the room... But you know how this goes... Suffice it to say that every mount in the room is getting at least a weekly permethrin treatment for the next few months.

I'll be the first to admit that moths can occur in any manner of ways, and there's no way of proving that they were infected when I picked them up. And in any event, it really doesn't matter where I got the damn things from --the point is, I have them, and I need to not have them.

Assuming I can save the bear (it's slipping hair in several places, but loosely and not in clumps) and get the moths gone for good, I really should count myself lucky. This could have been a whole lot worse if not discovered relatively early.

I've learned my lesson, though -- my inspection regimen will be getting more regular than it's been...

Thanks alot Neo, and sorry to hear about the infestation problem!! Hope you get it under control and save that grizz mount.

[diamond k]

Yeah i dont know.......iv contacted the police and the f&w, asked them both if they have had any other calls or cases on this, they didnt know what i was talking about. They said they can't do anything about it because its civil....not criminal. In other words you need spend a arm and leg on a lawyer to get anything out of him. Not sure what to do next......really just starting to look like im not getting my cinnamon bear back.

I will call my buddy when he gets back from work rotation. He definitly spoke with them and they had some knowledge about it and took down all his information.

Would it not fall under the wildlife act for letting the hides be desrtoyed?

[echo]

I will call my buddy when he gets back from work rotation. He definitly spoke with them and they had some knowledge about it and took down all his information.

Would it not fall under the wildlife act for letting the hides be desrtoyed?

You a lawyer now ?

[C-GMIC]

So how did this finally pan out?

[badbrass]

He did a whitetail mount 27 years ago for me , still looks great! Sorry his work is not up to what it was!

[HARTXXX]

Dropped a hawk off in 2015 Nov. And haven't heard a word from the guy!!

[badbrass]

Had a whitetail done by him 20yrs. ago. A1 Work! 190. 7/8 NT. Things must have changed!

[J0HN_R1]

Dropped a hawk off in 2015 Nov. And haven't heard a word from the guy!!

What kind of Hawk, if I may ?

:confused0024:

[kw12]

I had a wolf mount done by Clarence last year. It was done quick and looks amazing. He has also done a euro mount mule deer for me and everything went smooth. No complaints.

[Canadasnowman]

Wasn't he known for his fish work?


Ya but he did a crappy job on his SILVERFISH ....... They aren't so nice .......... Mowhaha

[58thecat]

I have dealt with a few wankers like this in the past but what I will do is ask for references, if no references given, see ya wanker.
When I do find a place I like I give them something simple to carry out, I take into consideration time, money, quality and then see if I will repeat my business with that outfit. I sure as heck would not dump a truck load of work on a outfit and hope for the best, that being said hope the customer gets something back out of this.

[Pathfinder76]

This thread is five years old.

[Don K]

This thread is five years old.

Maybe so, but he's still around so it's good info for guys that are thinking of using him.

What was the outcome of the charges?

[dustinjoels]

I used Clarence for my 2015 camp wainwright mule deer. Price was fair. Took about a year to complete. Quality was good. No complaints.

Some of the wolf mounts he had in his shop looked amazing by the way.

[last minute]

Never had a problem with him I like his work

[imatreestander]

I shot a 6 1/2 foot bear last spring.Not having a freezer or anywhere to freeze it until i got to my usual guy, i took it to Clarence and it looks fantastic .Couldnt be happier and i got it back the week before xmas . Ron

[Who Da Fisherman]

Dropped a hawk off in 2015 Nov. And haven't heard a word from the guy!!

Have you called him? Stopped by is shop? Sent an email?
Or do you just sit by your phone waiting for him to call you?
Guess if you haven't heard from him it is time for you to take it upon yourself to find out what is going on. When you do let us know.
We will sitting here waiting to here from you lol.
WDF

[Richftmac]

In my opinion Clarences work has gone down hill in the past 5 years, he did and mule deer and musk ox shoulder mount that look great. in the last 3 years a stone sheep and brown phase black bear were terrible. Shop was a mess and smelled as mentioned before.

[kw12]

Have you called him? Stopped by is shop? Sent an email?
Or do you just sit by your phone waiting for him to call you?
Guess if you haven't heard from him it is time for you to take it upon yourself to find out what is going on. When you do let us know.
We will sitting here waiting to here from you lol.
WDF

Ya he seems to answer the phone every time I call him funny how he never answers when you call. I've called him from a few different numbers and he always answers. People love to bash people but usually when it comes right down to it they would rather sit on the computer and bash people rather than running down to his shop or making a phone call.

[Hunter4ever12]

Have you called him? Stopped by is shop? Sent an email?
Or do you just sit by your phone waiting for him to call you?
Guess if you haven't heard from him it is time for you to take it upon yourself to find out what is going on. When you do let us know.
We will sitting here waiting to here from you lol.
WDF

Shouldn't have to call him or check in,your paying the man to do a service. Why is it the consumers job to have to see how process is being? Think if he's backed up or having issues should be up to them to call the consumer and let the know what's going.

[Hunter4ever12]

Ya he seems to answer the phone every time I call him funny how he never answers when you call. I've called him from a few different numbers and he always answers. People love to bash people but usually when it comes right down to it they would rather sit on the computer and bash people rather than running down to his shop or making a phone call.

And that's what the worlds come too,consumer has to check in and babysit the whole process. Your paying money you should be the one who's answering calls from them.

[Who Da Fisherman]

Shouldn't have to call him or check in,your paying the man to do a service. Why is it the consumers job to have to see how process is being? Think if he's backed up or having issues should be up to them to call the consumer and let the know what's going.

Was there an agreement of timelines?
I've had a couple of mounts done fish and deer and always had a set timeline of expectations and when those dates came due I called him up. HARTXXX never said anything, his post was so wide open that anything can be read into it!
Till he responds the rest is ALL speculation.
WDF

[partsman]

So what was the outcome?
Do we tell him to get stuffed or not?:)

[tundraltd]

That's an ugly situation, I actually just called my bird taxidermist and he doesn't remember me dropping off a swanison Hawk :thinking-006: apparently it disappeared.