gobbleblaster

I was thinking about gettin into taxidermy and i was wondering what steps you have to go through and the difficulty of mounting a traditional shoulder deer mount

nctaxi

Taxidermy isn't tough to get into. You have 3 options (1) Find someone to teach you (2) Pay someone to teach you (3) learn on your own. Let's look at these (1) Finding someone to teach you is about like finding chicken teeth. There are alot of taxis that feel that there are too many taxis, so to train one to be their competition is fool hardy. You would have to get to be friends with one for this option to work or spend about the first 2 years skinning and sweeping floors. (2) Paying someone.. Again most area taxis won't do it nor have the time. So let's look at schooling.. To go to a taxidermy school, of which some are great and others aren't, plan on spending $12000 - $25000 to learn the basics good and plan on 2 years. Then there are community colleges... I went to one and learned the basics for about $65 per quarter plus mounting animals and buying supplies. Probably spent $5000 but left with a firm understanding of the basics. So let's look at (3) Learning on your own.. Boy is there a learning curve! YOu only have you to depend on but you'll learn quickly about your mistakes. Now that I've probably ruined you, here's how I'd do it and how I did..... Check community colleges and see if they offer courses, there are 3 in NC within an hours drive of me. Great learning the basics. Then join you state taxidemry association, attend the seminars and meetings. The association will open doors for you with local taxis that will help teach you past the basics. The seminars will also teach you. Once you have a firm grasp, pay someone to help get your quality better and teach you the trick and tips that you never learned. So after it's all said and done you are a taxidermist, granted it's 3 years later and you've spent $10000. But it is a labor of love and I wouldn't trade it. Just a question for you, do you have an artistic eye and can you handle frustration well? If you don't have an artistic eye you'll never quite get to where you want. If you can't handle frustration, don't even think about it. Split ears that you have to fix, stupid skinning techniques, bullet holes where you ask yourself "how in the hell did he shoot it in the nose?" I am not trying to be negative but just honest. If you really want to be a taxi there isn't anything that will stop you or stand in your way. Good luck. I hope someone else answers the part about mounting a deer cause I look like I'm long winded

hoosierhunter_06

first you have to cape the animal out making sure not to make any cuts any where then you flesh the cape after that you salt it for 24-48 hours then rehydrate it washing all the salt out then you mix up a pickle and put the cape in it you drain the cape and wash it again to get the pickle out then you tan while your doing the tanning process get your form ready by setting the eyes ect. ect. if you want to try to mount some thing here is a couple of web site to visit www.vandykes.comand www.taxidermy.com they have kits if you wish to know more go to www.taxidermy.net click the taxidermy forums . Hope this helps you out. Hoosierhunter_06