Buzz
A comprehensive guide to launching and expanding your taxidermy business
Modern taxidermy has become more artistic than ever, partly due to its growing popularity among hunters, outdoor enthusiasts, and anglers. Aspiring taxidermists must develop a mix of artistic, technical, and even scientific skills. While taxidermists still work with large game and trophy fish, today's clients often bring unique and exotic specimens, requesting artfully crafted mounts and dioramas. To thrive in this industry, it's essential to obtain solid training, refine your craft, market yourself effectively, and adhere to local legal regulations.
Key Steps
Getting Certified
Connect with a local taxidermist and ask questions. The most traditional way to learn the craft is by working with an experienced taxidermist. Find a local professional and observe their techniques. Taxidermy requires a broad set of skills: not only must you know how to preserve and prepare animal specimens, including tanning their skins, but you must also have a deep understanding of anatomy and motion to create lifelike displays.
- Watch, inquire, and absorb knowledge. If they’re open to it, consider apprenticing with them. If they specialize in specific mounts – like fish – ask for recommendations to specialists in other fields, and start networking while learning to craft a variety of mounts.
Explore your chosen field in depth. Taxidermy can be a challenging, grimy, and occasionally unsettling job. Begin by learning as much as you can about the craft and closely watch your mentor. Use this initial phase to assess whether, based on what you’ve learned, you still want to pursue the profession. As a taxidermist, your first task is to measure the animal carcass accurately. This ensures you can create a precise and lifelike mount. The carcass should then be preserved, typically in a freezer, until you’re ready to start working on it.
- The next step is creating the mount. Depending on the animal, you may need to make a plaster cast or purchase a pre-formed body. This mount serves as the “skeleton” for the animal’s skin and must match the correct size.
- Afterward, skin the animal carefully, cutting away the hide. This step is usually done without opening the body cavity or disturbing internal organs. You’ll then need to remove excess flesh and fat from the skin.
- Once the skin is removed, tanning it is necessary. There are several ways to do this. Some use chemicals like salt and alkaline solutions, while others use the animal’s brain—known as “braining” or “brain tanning”—because the oils in the brain naturally preserve the skin. All these methods require hard work.
- After tanning, stuff the mount with the form to fit inside the skin. Take care to smooth out any imperfections before sewing the skin shut. Finish the mount by recreating elements like the animal's natural environment.
Complete a taxidermy training program. While a college degree is not required, becoming a skilled taxidermist demands hours of training and hands-on experience. Some trade schools and colleges offer two-year taxidermy programs as an alternative to a long apprenticeship. These programs teach how to use tools and chemicals to preserve carcasses, make mounts, construct habitats, and restore color, among other essential skills. Some experts suggest taking art classes or anatomy courses to refine both your artistic ability and knowledge of animal physiology.
- Before enrolling, weigh the costs and benefits. Graduates of taxidermy programs can start working professionally while still in school and begin building a portfolio. However, these programs can cost upwards of $20,000 annually. An apprenticeship, though offering similar benefits, costs much less.
Obtain the necessary permits and licenses. Most states and countries require a license to practice taxidermy, especially when working with dead game animals like birds, rodents, fish, and deer. Some jurisdictions require specific permits for different species, and even your clients may need permission to possess animal carcasses. It’s crucial to research local laws.
- For instance, in Michigan, taxidermists need a state permit to possess animal carcasses, buy parts like antlers and skulls, and sell mounted specimens. This permit costs $100 and lasts for three years. A federal taxidermy permit is also required to work with migratory bird specimens.
- Taxidermy laws vary across regions, so navigating them can be complex. Consult a lawyer if you're unsure about your legal obligations to avoid penalties.
Enroll in a tanning course. Tanning is an integral part of taxidermy. It turns animal skins into durable leather, preventing decay and deterioration. While some taxidermists outsource tanning to commercial tanneries, there are strong reasons to learn how to do it yourself. With the rise of taxidermists and limited commercial tanning services, delays can occur. By doing your own tanning, you can reduce costs and deal with emergencies in-house if you run your own business.
- Specialized tanning courses are offered by some institutions. Alternatively, you can find comprehensive taxidermy programs that cover tanning in the curriculum. Keep this in mind when choosing a program.
Building a loyal client base.
Reach out to wildlife experts. Get in touch with wildlife professionals to discover which animals are in high demand in your region. If you’re located in northern Minnesota, for example, you might find a market for larger game such as deer, elk, or bear. In the southwestern United States, animals like pronghorn antelope, cougar, or bighorn sheep may be in demand. You’ll also find opportunities across the country for game fish and waterfowl.
- Once you’ve identified the animals that interest you, make sure to understand their habitat and surrounding vegetation. This will help you create accurate dioramas. You may even want to take a habitat-focused taxidermy course, which covers techniques like making artificial rock molds and constructing large dioramas.
Find a niche in the field. Specializing in a specific area of taxidermy can help you build a loyal client base. You may find that you prefer certain types of mounts. For example, you might be particularly drawn to capturing the movement of stream fish like trout, or the grace of game birds like ducks. There’s also a specialized market for preserving pets, where pet owners who’ve lost their cats, dogs, or birds may want to preserve their beloved companions. As unusual as it sounds, pet taxidermy can be a profitable niche to consider for your business.
Become a member of a professional association. Joining organizations like the National Taxidermists’ Association (NTA) can be a great way to network with fellow taxidermists and hunters, and to learn about the skills that are most in demand in your area. These associations offer various benefits, including scholarships, free access to annual conferences, and the option to earn voluntary certification.
- Though certification is not required, it can enhance your qualifications and open up more business opportunities. Think of it as a bonus to your membership.
- In addition, professional groups often advocate for taxidermy and hunting laws, keeping you updated on local legislative changes that could affect your work.
Explore business opportunities. Taxidermy can be a competitive field, so consider all your options. You may dream of running your own shop, but there are other avenues too. Some institutions and museums, like the Smithsonian or the Natural History Museum in London, employ in-house taxidermists to create and maintain dioramas. These positions are rare but worth exploring. Alternatively, larger taxidermy firms or educational programs that teach taxidermy may offer employment opportunities as well.
Market your services. If you’re venturing out on your own, promoting your business will be essential. Running a small business means you’ll need marketing and financial expertise alongside your taxidermy skills. Consider taking a business management course to learn the basics of bookkeeping, sales, advertising, and business law. Being tech-savvy is also important, especially for communicating with clients, building a website, and handling online promotions.
- Don’t overlook traditional methods of self-promotion either. Try displaying your work at local stores like tackle shops, sporting goods stores, or even big-box retailers like Kmart or Walmart. Make sure your mounts are labeled with your contact information, including your phone number, address, and website. If the store won’t display your work, leave behind business cards and price lists for potential customers.
