Shoally Branch Taxidermy
YOUR BEST SHOT AT A TROPHY MOUNT
Hello and thanks for visiting my site. My name is David Hooper , owner and operator of Shoally Branch Taxidermy in Leoma , Lawrence County Tennessee , a very small dot on the map . I have been practicing the Art of Taxidermy for 34 years with 20 of the 34 being full time. I have competed in several state competitions , (Professional Level ) finishing second in the state several times and sit in on a lot of (hands on) seminars being conducted by people that have won World Shows ! ( Let me talk a bit about competition mounts ,,, if you are not very, very skilled in the art of Taxidermy you will not be able to notice the things that make up a competition mount ,, hair patterns , shining a light through the nostrils & ears , raised nose pad , hide alignment , drumming and etc. . A competition mount cost quite a bit more,, say $500. My point is : Why would you pay extra for things that 99.9 percent of the people would never notice . I do take some of the strong points of a competition mount and put them in my mounts for the commercial price I charge !!) Look at Price tab on left . I take a lot of pride in my work and business and it shows ! I also do all the Taxidermy work for Triple H Lodge in Giles county Tennessee ( Big sponsor of the Governor's One Shot and also some Primitive Weapon Hunting ). I also do all the taxidermy work for the Royal Flush Shooting Preserve located in Giles County Tennessee , if you would like to Book a bird hunt click on the ( Book a Bird Hunt Tab ) and contact Rick or Randy. Up until now (11-15-09) my only source of advertisement has been by word of mouth , I said that to say this : I have repeat customers from 8 surrounding states that come in my door ! Just because someone says he is a fully licensed taxidermist don't mean squat , in Tennessee you or your wife can be a fully licensed taxidermist if you go to your local Wal-Mart or where you buy your hunting license and tell them you want a App. for a Taxidermist license ,,, fill it out and send it in . ( It Is That Simple !) Here is what bothers me : Some people will spend around $500 to $1000 on a lease (each year) for somewhere to hunt , $500 to $800 on (Best) Bow to hunt with and the same on(Best) muzzleloader and then another $500 to $1000 on the (Best) rifle , $500 to $1000 on boots and clothes ( Sent Blocker , ETC.) , then another $500 to $1000 on food plots , corn , and camera's , plus hours of summer work , $120 on license plus Truck and gas to go Hunting , and get up at 3:00 in the morning with the temp. at 20 degrees to go hunt their Trophy . If they go out of state some of these items double , but when they start looking for a Taxidermist to mount their Trophy they are looking for the cheapest price they can find !! ( WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE ??) , Cheap is not the best , you get what you pay for ! Taxidermy is not something that you want to price shop by phone , whoever mounts your trophy , go look at his work first , another thing you need to check is what kind of forms your taxidermist uses ( Taxidermy work is a lot like building a house , if your foundation is off your finish product will most likely be off ) I use James , Foster & McKenzie forms and products . I could use a cheaper form and put some extra cash in my pocket , but my reputation will not permit me to ! McKenzie has bought up most of their main competition that builds a form that might be a threat to their business , Matt Thompson , Tom Powell , Tom Sexton , etc. to name a few .James Taxidermy Supply makes a great form also and has won many sculpting awards at the NTA Conventions. My main work load is Deer , Turkey , and Freshwater Fish although I do mount other Trophy's upon request.Most of my work is a one man operation so I can only take so much of a work load and still get your mount back to you in a timely manner (But PLEASE do not call me and ask if your Trophy is done ,, I do this full time and I promise you as soon as I get it done I will call you ,,this is my job and how I make a living !!) And I fill my work load pretty quick . Thanks Again and hope to make contact with you and take somebody to church with you Sunday !
All of my hair and fur capes are pickled and tanned and run on shaving machine in house ( very important steps for whoever mounts your trophy) to bring you years of enjoyment with your mount . All Turkey heads are sent to Missouri to be freeze dried by award winning Anthony Eddie Wildlife Studio ( But Painted in House ). Fish are also tanned in house.
I do accept payments (Cash or Good Check) , the computer program I have will keep up with your payments and print you a on going receipt each time a payment is received.
I do accept payments (Cash or Good Check) , the computer program I have will keep up with your payments and print you a on going receipt each time a payment is received.
If you need a WILDLIFE GAME TAG to hunt your Trophy // I need a TAG to mount It
Turn Around Time is 6 to 12 Months // Depending On How Much Work Load Is Ahead Of You
Turn Around Time is 6 to 12 Months // Depending On How Much Work Load Is Ahead Of You
