I have been doing taxidermy for myself and my friends for about seven years. I have mastered deer, mule deer, fish, turkeys, squirrels, foxs, coyotes, bobcats, reptiles, skull mounts, and rack mounts. I am thinking of quitting my job as a jailer for the city and opening a combo taxidermy shop and sports/bait shop. I also make my own ladder stands and some small animal forms. Should I take the risk and go for my own business and leave my job and its retirement and insurance benifits?

I sure wouldn't. Keep doing taxidermy as a side job, and keep your real job. With medical costs these days, a person can't afford to not have insurance. The retirement may not seem like much now, but when you need it you'll be glad it's there.

If your profile is correct you are only 21. Keep taxidermy on the side until you make enough money to not need your regular job. THen re-evaluate and make sure that's what you want to do as a full time job.........

I'm Thinking About Having A Business In The Future Once I Have Lots More Practice. Im 15 Now So I Have Time For Lots Of Practie..
I Myself Would Keep Your Job A While Longer And Try To Run Both See How It Turns Out Then You Can Always Quit.. Like Have Your Wife Run It And You Do The Work. To See How Business Is.
Good Luck

have you been to school yet.

Me? Like Taxidermy School?......[&:]

I would keep my job and do the mounts on the side untill it brings in more $$$$$$$ than the regular job. then figure the vac; ins; sick leave; and all other benifits as well as the retirement.if the side job doesn't match;keep the jailer job.

I was doing the taxidermy work on the side so one day I could quit my regular job;or have it to fall back on.then I got hurt and couldn't do it any more.sure glad I didn't quit and go into it on my own.man I would have lost everything I had.
You never know what the futher holds for us.if it pays all the bills then OK.
that is something you have to make on your own,just weight all the odds.

I think you should do whatever your heart tells you is the right thing to do

I would at least keep the other job until you have an equal pay coming from the taxidermy. Let us see a pic of something you have done and that might help. 'Cause if you are a taxidermy genius, it might be worth it to jump right in.

My fiance (Adam) started this tread with my screen name. I am a full time student, he's the jailer and he hates it. Last night he had to put a old friend of his in jail and the guy cussed him out for it, now Adam's all upset because this guy had been his friend since they were in kindergarden(sp). The job is so stressing for him. He is just such a happier person when he's doing something he enjoys, taxidermy.

I also do and love taxidermy. Here is a picture of Adam with a skull for a friend that came from Canada and a deer I (christina) mounted for a friend from Florida. Adam's mounts look even better than mine. I have been doing it for about three years now and have mounted about everything from around here, from catfish to turkeys. I just came in the house from the shop where I am working on a wall pedistal whitetail that I rebuilt a broken point on.