Ok, to make a short story long, I started dabbling in taxidermy a few years back, I started a "wing and tail" collection (I love birds, and getting a bird stuffed was to expensive). Last year I found a book in the clearance section at walmart on taxidermy, bought it, and mounted my first bird, a pheasant. I found I enjoyed it, and was good at it! (what an odd hobby for a lady no?) Since than I have mounted a Mallard, A hen pheasant, a baby gosling, 3 baby ducklings, and 3 pheasant chicks.
Anyway when I went to buy the baby duckings to mount, the reseptionist told me their taxidermist freeze dried their birds. I thought that was just a good way to store the birds, but than in my catalog I saw freeze dried fish for sale.
so... What is freeze dring, what is the pros and cons? Is it kinda cheating? how much does the smallest unit cost? and lastly how do you get eyes in without cutting?
Also any tips on senery? or good websites?
And Lastly is there anyway to get a job as a taxidermist rather than have to work for yourself?
Thank you!
Return to Beginners Category Menu
First off, there are MANY ladies involved directly with taxidermy. Some of the very best taxidermists are women in fact. Jean Role's baby moose took many of the top honors at last years NTA Show in Huntsville.
Now to freezedrying. It IS sort of cheating as there's very little "taxidermy" by definition to be done. HOWEVER, it serves a very important role in preserving tissues that don't look quite as good using conventional taxidermy. Turkey heads are the staple of the industry. Freeze dried bait fish are also common along with the smaller critters that big handed people like me don't master very well. It involves (usually) injecting water into a specimen, eviscerating it (sometimes), filling it with polyfill, installing eyes, and then freezing it solid. Once frozen, it is placed in a vacuum chamber and the frozen water is sublimated away leaving the tissue intact. The machines are NOT CHEAP and the process is not always exact.
As for scenery and ideas, you need to subscribe to Breakthrough Magazine. (Just click that hyperlink). It'll open a world you probably never knew existed.
Now your last statement evades me. I don't know what you're asking for on that one as all taxidermist ARE working for themselves.
Taxidermists need extra help.
Welcome to the wonderful world of taxidermy.
Like George said, subscribe to Breakthrough, also consider Taxidermy Today. And start collecting every piece of reference you can get your hands on.
Have fun. BP