mounting

[elkman]

I was wondering if anyone knew of or know anyone who teaches taxidermy. I have been wanting to learn it. I have heard mixed responses as to how hard it is, but i think i am ready to give it a go. Thanks Josh

[BASS]

There are a few home courses out there that show you the basics of how it's done on small game. Or, you could go to a shop and see if you can help out and try to learn as much as you could. I agree, I also think it would be fun to learn how to tan a hide the right way and stain antlers, then give them that worn look.

[peloncillo]

I've done my own mounts for awhile now but they sure can't compete against a professionals. I think if you harvest a real trophy that you want in your home spend the money and let a good taxidermist do it. If you have some hides and old antlers laying around you can practice. Most of my first mounts are so bad my wife won't let them in the house so I have a garage full of stuff I need to remount. I like messing around with the stuff so its not so bad but it would have been cheaper to just pay a taxidermist. All the supplies add up. I have an airbrush,paints,clays,epoxies,glues,tanning chemicals,mounting stands,compressor, hide flesher, etc.,etc. When I kill old mossyhorn I'm taking him to Marc Plunkett.

 

Keven

[shortpants]

I have a friend who owns his own taxidermy business. I've had conversations with him about why he doesn't get an apprentice because he's always backed up and over worked. He told me he has had a few but they all seem to want to see an animal done, do one themselves, and then run off and try to open their own business. Before opening his business he worked for one of the top taxidermy studios in AZ for 10 years. It takes a long time to learn how to do taxidermy the right way. If you are serious about learning the trade and not wasting his time I can mention your name to him. You have to realize in the beginning its more work for him to teach someone else how to do it then do it himself.

[Kilimanjaro]

shortpants is right.. alot of taxidermists are afraid of "spilling the beans" so to speak and teaching someone how to do it, and that person in turn runs off and opens up a shop thus "stealing" his business..

Luckily, I put in my time when I was young.. I was 15 years old and was dying to learn taxidermy in order to save cash by being able to do my own stuff... I finally presueded a shop to give me a part time job after school.. I got to do all the "fun stuff" ie sweep the floors, and boil heads all afternoon! Yeah, that was was great. But it got my foot in the door.. Then I graduated to getting to learn how to prep the forms and hides.. Then it was on to learning how to finish.. This is actually a VERY important step in the mounting process. A good finish will really bring out the quality in a mount.. I did that for a LONG time before I was finally taught how to mount an animal.. But, in the end they took pity on my sorry butt and showed me how to do it the right way.. The guys I learned from were taught from some of the best in the business.. Animal Artistry in Reno and Woodbury's in Ingram, TX.. So, I guess I just got lucky.. But taxidermy is not a God given talent.. with practice and the right knowledge, anyone can produce great mounts.. It just takes ALOT of practice!!!

[WHT_MTNMAN]

And the way scottyboy does taxi work I think I'm going to start sending him some stuff. :)

[Kilimanjaro]

Thanks WHT MTNMAN... I'd be more than happy to help ya out if need be. Just no elephants.. its a room issue!!

[DesertBull]

Scotty are you doing your own mounts from the Africa hunt?

[Kilimanjaro]

you betcha!! Back when I did it full time, almost all I ever mounted was African animals.. As a mater of fact, I'm getting ready to pony up the cash to get the hides back over here in the next couple of months.. All that dipping and shipping can get expensive for sure.. Its the only part about hunting Africa that I don't like.. But what are ya going to do??

I'll be able to mount all of them here at home in AZ except for the giraffe. I just don't have the room to mount him here. Just too tall.. What I plan on doing with him is take a week off or work, mount him back home at the business where I used to work, harg back and completey finish the mount and haul it back in an enclosed trailer.. I'm gonna be doing a completely custom peice.. He's just too tall did it elsewhere..