Where to start

saltflat · 02-10-2006, 03:08 PM

I really want to learn how to mount animals. Where do I start? What is the easiest to mount. How do I tan the hides and so on. Thanks

kshunter · 02-10-2006, 04:13 PM

If you're interested in taxidermy, first go to Taxidermy.net, and start browsing the forums. There is an endless amount of information available in the archives and is a great way to start the interest of Taxidermy. When I started out, I spent a lot of hours in front of the computer reading.

Windwalker7 · 02-10-2006, 04:31 PM

The squirrel is probably the easiest to start with. You won't have alot of money involved and they are pretty easy to get. Get a kit from WASCO

http://www.taxidermy.com/

saltflat · 02-10-2006, 08:13 PM

Cool I will order one this week. My squrriel season is alomost over so were can I get a good sized squirrel for this project.

Alex The Hawk · 02-10-2006, 08:34 PM

saltflat, im my days 1962, we started with birds first, any old bird can do, getting into mammals can be very difficult becasue you hacve to get into anatonomy and tanning the skin etc, with birds all you need to preserve one is 20 mule borax and a straw body and some wire.
you can go to the public library and check out a book on mounting birds and animals, or you can buy videos and watch them and learn ,we didn't have any of those in my days, except the books.

Go to http:taxidermy.net/forums and you will see many suppliers that carry videos.

Mastevt · 02-11-2006, 11:18 AM

Saltflat, I agree with A.the Hawk, all you need is borax to cure the skin. I would start on a large bird like a turkey or goose. more area to work with. where as a small bird might be alittle teedious and delicate. turkey skins are fairly strong, so tearing is less an issue than other birds. Aren't you From the Kansas City area? If you are, shoot me an e-mail, I have an extra turkey if your interested.

Windwalker7 · 02-11-2006, 02:07 PM

Dry preservative [ Borax ] will work great for squirrels too. I feel the skin on a squirrel is good and tuff for a first times taxidermist. Fleshing is better because of the tuffness of the skin.

Squirrels are pretty easy specimens to get compared to turkeys, geese and pheasants.You can easily bag several in a fewdays hunting. That way you have a few to practice skinning. You have to skin them when you clean them anyway.

I found skinning a pheasant a little more difficult than a squirrrel. I especially had trouble in the wing area. Ripped a few holes there. The rump area will also give a beginner some trouble because of the thin skin.

I'm in no way a professional taxidermist but I am an amature. I am just trying to give my opinion of which I thought would be easiest to start with based on my experience. I don't want to step on any toes here.

As for carding the ears on a squirrel, Ileave the cartilige in, thenI use "Lee Press On Nails". Just put one on the inside and a slightly larger one on the outside and hold them in place with a paper clip until dry. I almost forgot, remove the sticky stuff inside of the nails first.