Can anyone suggest a good taxidermist?

[Gerv]

Caught a beauty pike yesterday, looking to get it mounted. Would love to get some recommendations for a good shop!

[Willowtrail]

Advantage Taxidermy in Edmonton

Alex is a sponsor on this board too.

He did my Rainbow a few years ago and it's a great looking mount.

Let us see your pike pics

[Kthate]

Gary Schafer Taxidermy Condor near Rocky Mountain House
403 729 2468

[Lefty-Canuck]

Another option...which looks great forever (last longer) and not much different in price is a replica mount.

Take length and girth measurements and take lots of good pictures of the side patterns....then you can even consider letting it go to catch next year when it is bigger.

LC

[kiren]

Originally Posted by Lefty-Canuck

Another option...which looks great forever (last longer) and not much different in price is a replica mount.

Take length and girth measurements and take lots of good pictures of the side patterns....then you can even consider letting it go to catch next year when it is bigger.

LC

X2
Replicas are the way to go these days. I would consider it for sure.
You won't be able to tell the difference, and plus its a very quicker turn around time. Check out Ben at Art of Taxidermy from Lethbridge, he does some great replica mount specially on larger pikes and etc…he is a sponsor on here too.
he did a giant Pike last year for a friend of mine in 3 months or something.

[Advantage Taxidermy]

I have some I mounted 25, years ago still look good if they are done right if the fish is already dead why do a repo big pike aren't the best to eat there's a skin mount at the Southside wholesale sports and a few repos I have done .
Good luck Alex

[Double-Eh]

I'm curious to know the price range for a fish mount. I don't even know where it would start

[Advantage Taxidermy]

Pm me depends what you want
Thanks Alex

[Gerv]

[BeeGuy]

Advanced Taxidermy produces sensational reproductions.

I have visited their business and production floor.

Premium product.

[Advantage Taxidermy]

They sure do some great mounts but like I said if the fish is already dead why waste it

[AppleJax]

Originally Posted by Lefty-Canuck

Another option...which looks great forever (last longer) and not much different in price is a replica mount.



Take length and girth measurements and take lots of good pictures of the side patterns....then you can even consider letting it go to catch next year when it is bigger.



LC

Where can you get those replica big game mounts like they have at cabelas? I was thinking of hunting with tranquilizer this year and letting them go to get bigger next year

[Lefty-Canuck]

Originally Posted by AppleJax

Where can you get those replica big game mounts like they have at cabelas? I was thinking of hunting with tranquilizer this year and letting them go to get bigger next year

Funny you should say that...a lot of the Cabelas mounts are replicas. The best way to get a big animal is to hold into your tag till you find one to shoot .... tranquilizer not required

LC

[Jamie Black R/T]

hate to say it but a well done skin mount is the only way to go.

My old man has a 12lb slave lake walleye on the wall that he caught in 1994. It looks just as good today as the day he caught it.

replicas look like toys. none of the fish replicas ive ever seen have looked like their living counterparts...you would think they could be bothered to match up a spot pattern on a brown trout...or at least get the air brushing to match the colors of a big fall walleye....but I have yet to see it...I hope that changes down the road because I like the idea of replicas.


I don't personally have any fish on the wall. I enjoy releasing the big ones and I have no use for a 1200 dollar plastic fish that looks nothing like the one I caught.

[AppleJax]

Originally Posted by Lefty-Canuck

Funny you should say that...a lot of the Cabelas mounts are replicas. The best way to get a big animal is to hold into your tag till you find one to shoot .... tranquilizer not required



LC

So kind of like releasing all the small fish until you find a big one you like?

[Mike_W]

Originally Posted by Jamie Black R/T

hate to say it but a well done skin mount is the only way to go.

My old man has a 12lb slave lake walleye on the wall that he caught in 1994. It looks just as good today as the day he caught it.

replicas look like toys. none of the fish replicas ive ever seen have looked like their living counterparts...you would think they could be bothered to match up a spot pattern on a brown trout...or at least get the air brushing to match the colors of a big fall walleye....but I have yet to see it...I hope that changes down the road because I like the idea of replicas.


I don't personally have any fish on the wall. I enjoy releasing the big ones and I have no use for a 1200 dollar plastic fish that looks nothing like the one I caught.

They are fiberglass not plastic.
I got a 45lb spring salmon that my grandfather caught replica mounted by Advanced Taxidermy in Ontario and the wall mount done by Northern Impressions Taxidermy. $1,200 shipped + $400.
I wanted to go replica for two reasons ....it was a surprise for him and Salmon is delicious I wasn't going to waste 30 lbs of Spring Salmon fillets!!
It was a great day, great fish and epic fight that I hope neither of us ever forget.
Before



After

[BeeGuy]

Originally Posted by Jamie Black R/T

hate to say it but a well done skin mount is the only way to go.

My old man has a 12lb slave lake walleye on the wall that he caught in 1994. It looks just as good today as the day he caught it.

replicas look like toys. none of the fish replicas ive ever seen have looked like their living counterparts...you would think they could be bothered to match up a spot pattern on a brown trout...or at least get the air brushing to match the colors of a big fall walleye....but I have yet to see it...I hope that changes down the road because I like the idea of replicas.


I don't personally have any fish on the wall. I enjoy releasing the big ones and I have no use for a 1200 dollar plastic fish that looks nothing like the one I caught.

The 60lb+ spring I saw at Advanced Taxidermy had each scale hand painted. Not good enough?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but all skin mounts are painted as well.

I think skin mounts are awesome but Advanced's work is just that. They produce a superior product.

I would have a touch time choosing between the two.

[Jamie Black R/T]

Originally Posted by BeeGuy

The 60lb+ spring I saw at Advanced Taxidermy had each scale hand painted. Not good enough?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but all skin mounts are painted as well.

I think skin mounts are awesome but Advanced's work is just that. They produce a superior product.

I would have a touch time choosing between the two.

Maybe I need to see some more mounts done by advanced then. Like I said I much prefer the idea of a replica. Just havent seen the realism in the mounts that I have from a skin mount done by a talented artist.

[Jamie Black R/T]

I just looked at their gallery....each walleye mount on there looks silly to me....maybe im crazy but the faces on their mounts look very cartoonish and unrealistic...and some of those color patterns are pretty imaginative IMO

If I sent in specs and pics of my fish of a lifetime and got back anything but an exact replica I wouldn't be happy with my 1500 dollars spent.

To each their own...id rather a framed photo than anything advanced turns out. those of you who use them and are happy with the end product....great! im happy for you. you will have a reminder of your memory that should last several lifetimes.

[Lefty-Canuck]

Originally Posted by AppleJax

So kind of like releasing all the small fish until you find a big one you like?

Sort of....but I just take a pic of the big ones and let them go too

LC

[pinelakeperch]

Originally Posted by Jamie Black R/T

hate to say it but a well done skin mount is the only way to go.

My old man has a 12lb slave lake walleye on the wall that he caught in 1994. It looks just as good today as the day he caught it.

replicas look like toys. none of the fish replicas ive ever seen have looked like their living counterparts...you would think they could be bothered to match up a spot pattern on a brown trout...or at least get the air brushing to match the colors of a big fall walleye....but I have yet to see it...I hope that changes down the road because I like the idea of replicas.


I don't personally have any fish on the wall. I enjoy releasing the big ones and I have no use for a 1200 dollar plastic fish that looks nothing like the one I caught.

I have a 12lb Walleye replica on my wall and it looks fantastic, it also didn't cost close to $1,200. It is beyond me as to how/why someone would keep a 12lb 'eye just to put on their wall. Too special of a fish, in my opinion.

[Jamie Black R/T]

Originally Posted by jhutter

I have a 12lb Walleye replica on my wall and it looks fantastic, it also didn't cost close to $1,200. It is beyond me as to how/why someone would keep a 12lb 'eye just to put on their wall. Too special of a fish, in my opinion.

I tend to agree. Couldnt kill a 12lb walleye.

But not gonna judge someone who does and puts it on the wall.

Post some pics of your 12lb walleye replica.

[pinelakeperch]

Originally Posted by Jamie Black R/T

I tend to agree. Couldnt kill a 12lb walleye.

But not gonna judge someone who does and puts it on the wall.

Post some pics of your 12lb walleye replica.

I'm not home right now but I will Saturday afternoon. I have a smallie as well. I'll try to dig up the company name. I think it was out of the midwest.

[Jamie Black R/T]

Originally Posted by jhutter

I'm not home right now but I will Saturday afternoon. I have a smallie as well. I'll try to dig up the company name. I think it was out of the midwest.

looking forward to it

[Jamie Black R/T]

Originally Posted by Mike_W

I have to admit this looks pretty awesome...probably the best replica ive seen yet.

[Lefty-Canuck]

I agree....thats a dandy of a replica!

LC

[Mike_W]

Thanks I am really happy with it. The only "problem" with advanced is they have forms of over 100 spring salmon but I think due to there location many of the "salmon" forms are great lakes fish as well as walleye and unless you have really good pictures and measurements they cannot build up or onto a mount and will select the measurements you have closest to there mount. I measured every fin, middle girth, tail girth, collar girth.
This was easy to do as we kept the fish and it tough to do and have a healthy release, therefore a couple pics and a length and girth measurement leave a lot to be guessed on.

[Art of Taxidermy]

Well, with all respect to every ones opinion, I would vote for replicas. overall a better product, much stronger, hard to beat the details (if you get a quality one) , and quick turn around time,.
These are two 47 inches I did not too long ago for two fellow members on this site.

[Art of Taxidermy]

and here is the most recent walleye.
don't know how heavy but it was a good size.

[AppleJax]

That walleye replica looks great! Pretty good I must say.