RIGHT NOW, I wish it were possible to give Mike negative stars. I have known him for years and have always been pleased with his work; until NOW.
In April 2016, I went to Colorado for a Merriam's Turkey hunt. I brought back a very nice gobbler and a Pronghorn Antelope head. Based on years of previous experience, I took my bird and head to him for mounting. He was to mount the tom in full strut and do a European mount of the antelope. I was promised the Euro mount would be ready in no more than 6 months and the turkey in about a year because of his work load. That didn't even come close to happening!
First, and I've been told this was a mistake, I had Mike paid IN FULL by the first week of September 2016; almost $900 for both pieces!
Second, the Euro mount of the antelope was promised to be ready by October then changed to November "before all of the 2016 mounts started coming in." I was met with excuses and was told that he "never said November because that is peak season." I guess he lied in September! I was then promised that it would be January 2017 before it would be ready. I was also told that all he had left to do on my bird was to mount the cape to the form and he would have both of my mounts ready at the same time. That didn't happen!
Every time Mike has given me excuses as to why my mounts haven't been ready when he said they would and promised a new date. Each time, I gave him additional time on top of the time he had said. Each time, I have been met with more excuses as to why it wasn't ready and told a new date only to have my mounts not ready as promised.
This past May (2018), 25 months LATER, my turkey was finally ready for pickup. To his credit, Mike delivered an awesome mount! One of the reasons why I have continually gone to his defense over the years and kept taking him work. However, my antelope mount still is not ready! I was promised it would be ready in June so I waited until July to check on it. It still wasn't ready but he promised me it would be ready the first week in September; I gave him until this past Monday (08 October 2018). I have been trying to call him multiple times EVERY DAY only to have it ring continuously. Yesterday, Wednesday, the ring did get interrupted by something!
Mike is NOT answering his shop phone and his home phone number is now answered as "Corbit Research & Development." (Mike's full name is Michael L. Whitehead, Jr.) At this point, I don't know what to do.
In the years I've known him, Mike has always had a turn-around/time management issue. But things have never been this bad. He has been one of if not the best taxidermists in the Jacksonville area. Unfortunately, I feel this situation is too far degraded to be able to continue referring clients to him. All I can say now is...
Stay away from Mike's Taxidermy Studio if you value your mounts!
=======UPDATE TO MY ABOVE REVIEW=======
Back in October, after leaving the above review, I finally connected with Mike. He assured me that my Pronghorn European Mount would be ready in 2-weeks; asked me to give him two weeks and it would definitely be ready. I told him that he had made this promise to me many times over the last 2+ years and each time, I was met with an excuse. He assured me that this time would NOT be the case. Well...
It is now mid December. There is just SEVENTEEN DAYS left in this year. In FIVE MONTHS, it will be THREE YEARS since he took in my pieces and I still have yet to receive my Euro-mount. To add to the insult, he is once again NOT answering his phone!
I AM DONE... STAY AWAY FROM MIKE'S TAXIDERMY!
Now; where are those NEGATIVE icons?!? read more
