Linkous Taxidermy

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ***, and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me. I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved
Regards,
*** ***

Although the business did not respond the consumer stated they were contacted by the business directly and the issue has been resolved.

Review: My father is a hunter a harvested and sizable deer on Thanksgiving 2015. The next day he and I took the deer head to be mounted. My father did ask if there would be an issue due to the skull being broken between the antlers and was assured that it wouldn't. My father also put down a $200 deposit which was more than requested. After 7 months and not hear back about the progress of the deer he drove to Mr. Linkous' shop only to find a chain across the drive preventing access. He has attempted to call on several occasions with no answer of answering machine. He went back a week later to find the chain up again. My sister and I have attempted to call the business more than a dozen times at various hours with no contact made either.

Mr. Linkous is known for doing great work however in any of the prior animals that were taken to the business my father has never had an issue making contact until now.Desired Settlement: I would like for the business to make contact with the customers or provide an answering service where messages can be left.

Business

Response:

Although the business did not respond the consumer stated they were contacted by the business directly and the issue has been resolved.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me. I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved.

Regards,

Review: I am a hunter, and in October 2012, I killed a very rare, solid white squirrel. I am an avid outdoorsman, and have been for all of my life. I have never seen this type of animal in my life. I shot and killed the squirrel, and took it to Linkous Taxidermy to be mounted. Over the course of the year, I revisited the taxidermy shop to check on the status of my squirrel. I was continually given excuses regarding the status of my squirrel mount. Either the squirrel was at another shop being worked on, or it just wasn't ready yet. Last week, I was finally told that the squirrel would be ready to be picked up on Sunday and that I wasn't going to be charged for the work. I was very suspicious about why I wasn't going to be charged, but went to pick up the squirrel on Sunday, 12/1, as I was told. When I arrived at the shop, the taxidermist, Dewayne Linkous, showed me what he claimed to be my squirrel. The squirrel that he showed me was clearly not the one that I had hunted and killed. I have a picture of the squirrel that I killed and it looked nothing like the one that Mr. Linkous was trying to give to me as mine. The squirrel that he mounted was not even mounted in the way that was indicated when we spoke about how I wanted the mount to be. When he showed me the squirrel, I simply said to him "Dewayne, you know this isn't my squirrel". He argued with me that it was, and I continued to state that it was not, and asked for his honesty. Mr. Linkous then became angry and told me to "take it or leave it, and to get off his property". I continued to question him about he whereabouts of the animal I brought to him for processing, and he continued to get angry, threatening me with bodily harm with a weapon and using racial slurs. He indicated that he called the police to have me removed from the property, and I called them also. Mr. Linkous called his elderly mother to become involved in the disagreement. At first his mother stated that her son would not lie about his work, but then after talking to him behind closed doors, she tried to find a way to "pacify me". When the police arrived, I explained the situation, and was informed that the matter would have to be taken out in civil court, if any outcome was desired. During this time, Mr. Linkous had called family/friends, and they showed up at the shop as well. I was alone, except for my fiance who is pregnant. I agreed to leave after I got the piece of driftwood that I had also taken to him to have the squirrel mounted on. At that point, I indicated that the matter would be settled in court, and his mother asked that I settle the matter then and there. She offered me money for my loss, and I took a check from her for $300. As I explained to her, the squirrel is not replaceable. Her money was not going to solve the problem because this hunt was a once in a lifetime hunt and harvest. I believe that Mr. Linkous has sold this rare animal that I harvested for a large sum of money.Desired Settlement: I would like for this business to be shut down. I have heard more than one similar complaint about this taxidermist and I would hate for fellow hunters to be disappointed by taking their once in a lifetime trophies to this shop, only to be disappointed in the same way I was.

Business

Response:

I am responding to [redacted]'s allegation against our shop. I have been in business for 35 years and we have mounted game and fish for some of the largest sporting good stores in the United States. Also, we have won many ribbons state, regional, world taxidermy shows. On the work order form we are sending is a copy where you will see that the squirrel in question was frozen and in bad shape. As stated, we told Mr. [redacted] that we did not think we could mount his squirrel - because it was shot with a high power rifle. He stated me to try and mount it - I also told Mr. [redacted] that we were at least one year backlogged. Hd also asked us for a job. We told him he had to have a license to work in the shop. I did some research on Mr [redacted] from varioud employers that he had worked for - he was not given very good reviews. We did not pursue this anymore.

Mr. [redacted] came back tp pick up his squirrel and did not even look at it. He was very abusive about the situation - I called Montgomery County Sheriffs office. A sheriff came over and we asked him to have Mr. [redacted] removed from our property. We did not use any racial slurs against him. The sheriff will state that we did not use slurs. I have customers who are American Indian and African American - they are very good customers.

Mr. [redacted] refused to take his squirrel - so there was a customer there at the time and we let him have the squirrel for a good price. We have mounted several Albino Squirrels throughout the years and they are not that rare in our area.

I am very sorry this situation occurred and are very sorry this situation occurred and I decided to give Mr. [redacted] $300 - this was my way to calm down the situation. I felt abused by Mr. [redacted]'s attitude.

Sincerely

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me. I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved.

Regards,