I've always have had interest in taxidermy. I've been doing european mounts for 3 years now....but want to go a step farther. But I'll be honest.....I don't know a lot about taxidermy other than european mounts.

I have some knives and a basement.....what other 'taxidermy tools' do I need. I will also point out that this will be a hobby, not for a living. So I don't want to spend a lot of money. What other equiptment will I need to get started?

Where do I start? Some recommend books, other say videos, some even recommend classes. What do you think is the best step. Also, what books, videos, or schools do you recommend?

I see a lot of kits (example: WASCO). Are these kits a good start?

What kind of animal should I start with? Some say deer because they are bigger. Others say squirrels because the are plentiful. What do you think?

I've been spending some time at www.taxidermy.com and reading their forum. It is helpfull, but I still don't understand all the termonology? any advice/tips will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.