Hello all.
I am a teenager living in the UK who's trying to find her feet and her career path in life. I've had a keen interest in taxidermy for several years now, doing little more than skinning roadkill and snakefeed, cleaning skulls and collecting pelts. I've had little education and I have no qualifications, so I'm looking into taxidermy as a full time career.
I've looked at several posts on the internet from adults who have asked about the practicality of leaving full time jobs to take on taxidermy as a career, and none of the responces looked promising. I don't want to have any delusions of grandeur and a fairytale job, I'd honestly like to know wether it would be a wise option for someone my age and experience.
My location might prove to me a positive step - the UK's general view on taxidermy differs from the US. If I got all the correct licences and documents and imported some yotes and mounted them, I could easily sell them for twice the amount they'd fetch in the US as they're an 'exotic' species. The same goes for thier skulls - there's a person here that sells yote skulls for £25 each ($41) and makes a big profit from them.
However looking at everything experienced taxidermists have said about a full time career in the craft, it's a difficult and non-secure way of making money and people should usually have a back up job handy as well. I'm in a part time job at the minute that pays enough for me to put money away for emergencies as well as paying my household and food bills, but not really enough to kick start the forms, materials and equipment needed to gain the skills required in a taxidermist.
I'd really appreciate any advice on the matter.
Thanks,
Rachael
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