I've been reading from this sight for about 1 year and getting up the nerve to try my hand at a pheasant. My question is " how did most of you start"?. Jump in with both feet, training under someone, schooling, etc.? Just a little curious of about how you arrived in at this juncture of your career?
Please serious answer's only. (like that will happen) lol
Return to Beginners Category Menu
if you can. If not get a tape and watch it till you see it in your sleep lol. Then give it a try, you should be able to see every thing you need on the tape. Jeff
Bought a kit to do my sons deer, ran into a plethora of problems. I did not do any of the homework before hand, as the kit said that it came " COMPLETE" with instructions and materials. That was a laugh. I had to do some fast learning. I made it through with out the help of this site, I did not know about taxinet until two years later.
of videos to start with. Started out with an old taxidermy book then found more about taxidermy on line. Bought a video, then a kit. Thats how lerened to do fish. Im 14 years old. didnt know about this site tell about a month ago. Stared when i was 13. messed up alot but when i found this site it answed alot of my qustions and now i can do some small fish and squirrels preaty good.
To afford a taxidermist, so I had to do it myself !
17 or eighteen when i shot my first deer
skinned it out
rubbed some borax and thought this aint so hard
later that year i got a buck and thought well ill give it a try
oh my what did i get myself into
my wifes aunt got a mule deer done by Sallie Dahmes
i studied it and saw what a deer should look like
tried to bother the hell out of a couple local taxidermist
got told off even yelled at one time
so started searching and trying on my on
after a few attemps got a little better and so on and so forth
im in my forties and my heart still beats faster when i know ill
be fleshing or mounting a deer
i got the bug and the bug got me
Newbie i didnt have this site back then just hard work and trial and error mostly error
id feel blessed if i were you
i know i feel blessed now and still learn alot from this site
i thank God every day for WASCO and Ken having this site
man oh man if i could have had access to the archives and George
and a lot of others back then
well i hope you get the bug newbie
if you do youll see it makes you feel more alive when you have a wet
deer hide in your hands
im crazy i guess
im more happy lately the bigger pile of scrap foam on the ground the
better
but im not alone
paul e
Paul, i love your post! I'm am working on my second deer right now. I've been gathering info for about a year and then just jumped in. I tried to find someone here (in NC) to work with, but no luck. I just found this site a few months ago and love it. I am lucky to have access to so much information. I, no doubt, have the bug. My friends say "you are the only girl I know that gets excited to find a dead animal in your frige" they just dont understand. I hope I still have your excitement after 20 years. Thank you to everyone for all the great info!
Sharon
It was 1958 and I had killed my first buck. The nearest taxidermist was more expensive than a poor farm kid could afford. with the aid of a taxidermy manual printed in 1936 I decided to try mounting my deer. I still have that deer. And although it is good for a laugh. It also represents my humble beginnings to me. I well recall the fact that getting information from a taxidermist in those days was like trying to pry a pork chop bone from as pit bull. In my time I have seen techniques come and go. I have even developed a few myself. Those of you starting out today. Have no Idea the real value of this site. Or the actual contribution guys like George, Dave T, Bill Yox, and the countless others who pass the wealth of information on to you. My hats off to their efforts.
where in NC are you located? Go to nctaonline.com, that is our state association. Join today, you will find someone local who would have cussed you out, but after joining they welcome you. I live in Lexington and have had alot of taxidermists in our area who would n't talk to me but now I can call most of them and be welcomed. This August is our state meeting and in March (I think?) the former Piedmont show is in Dobson. Well worth the price of admission and you will get to meet alot of taxidermist. They should call the former Piedmont something like the "Southern Regional" Email me I will find someone you can talk to.
...only 10 years later...probably the same 1936 era correspondence course. I think the course cost $10.00.
To afford a taxidermist, so I had to do it myself !
I LIKED THAT!, THAT WAS MY REASON FOR DOING IT BUT I ALSO HAD SOME HELP FROM THE LOCAL TAXIDERMIST WHEN I TOOK IN MY TWO HOG HEADS TO HAVE THEM MOUNTED I STARTED TO TALK WITH HIM , AND HE HAD SOME DEER HEADS SITTING OUT TO BE SKINED AND I ASKED IF HE NEEDED A HAND TO SKIN THEM OUT AND HE SAID YOU KNOW HOW AND I TOLD HIM I HAD SKINED A FEW HOGS TO THE NOSE, COULDNT BE TO MUCH HARDER THAN THAT SO HE SHOWED ME ON ONE AND ITS BEEN ALL DOWN HILL FROM THERE I HAVE MOUNTED A BUNCH OF HOGS AND A FEW DEER HERE AND THERE ALONG THE WAY AND MOUNTED MY OWN TEN POINT THAT I KILLED IN GEORGIA THIS YEAR AND HAVE SOME WAITING ON ME TO MOUNT WHEN I GET SOME TIME OFF FROM WORK TO GET THEM DONE ,MY BUDDY HAS SINCE MOVED TO GEORGIA AND I DO SOME FOR SOME FREINDS NOW..BUT COULD HAVE ALOT MORE WORK IF I HAD THE TIME TO. I TURN DOWN ALOT OF WORK BECAUSE OF MY WORK SCHEDULE BUT IT SURE IS NICE TO SAVE ON THE BILL TO BE ABLE TO MOUNT YOUR OWN STUFF.............
My journey started when my son caught a nice bass, 7yrs old caught a 7.5# bass. Called every taxidermist in the book, by the time I was done I was so mad that I had to learn. Started looking into classes at the local community colleges and joined the NC State Association. Haven't been doing it all that long, but getting busier every year.
I got tired of seeing all the critters on the road to work get flatter and flatter, and the museum at school was pitiful. Figured I couldn't do them any more harm so I bought a book. Finding this site has saved me a lot of headaches!