Can anyone shed some light on how to get started into doing taxidermy. I've always been interested in it since I was a teenager. But lacked the motivation to try it. What are some things I should do or try before I get into deep in it. I know I should watch some videos and or dvds, but which ones. Is there anything classes or places i can go to see if I would enjoy doing something like this. Any responses would be nice or email me any info. Thanks Joshua
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Sounds like you are willing.
Have you searched the "orange button" yet, up above, that says "SEARCH". Type in a question or topic and read and study what you find.
Then there is the chamber of comomerce of your town, and librarys, and seminars, and state associations, and tax id license, etc.
A suggestion is to `try Van Dykes or similar supplier as WASCO or other and try a "kit" such as pheasnat. Get a home taxidermy manual written 10 to 20 years ago and learn the basics of how projects are done and the material and tools used. Then decide how deep you want to go...
I started with upland game bird taxidermy, and like RW says thats a perfect way to get your feet wet with this. Get the videos and books and try it. Good luck
I had the same thoughts about a year ago and here is what I have done. I do this simply for my own game as a hobby. I have been asked and refused to do my buddies game. I certainly do not want to take business away from the professionals. I have bought several videos starting with Pheasant and small game. Which one is the best...well that's like the Ford vs. Chevy vs. Dodge debate. Bottomline is this...like me, you are just getting started. Any video or training will get you started. The more you learn the better you should get and better you can decipher which method works best for you. You will get lots of advice and opinions from everyone on here. Just because something works for one individual, may not work for another. Or more specifically, it may work but the individual is just not comfortable with it.
Go the local library, you can sometimes rent books and videos from there. Subscribe to Breakthrough. Go to Ebay and buy old issues from others ( I have bought probably 20 old issues there) Read through this forum. Read every topic. USE the SEARCH button over and over and over.
Most importantly PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE. My first pheasant actually turned out really well and my subsequent birds have gotten even better. In fact, I know the owner of local preserve that gives me free hunts in exchange for me giving him my finish birds. Can I do the birds as fast and with the quality as the professionals...absolutely not. I work very delicately and deliberately mainly because I am not doing this to turn a profit, I do it for fun
I just started my self so I think I can help, first you need the drive and the support of your family, but most importantly the drive and determination. Find out what you would like to do first,(Me it was Whitetails), so what I did was stumble upon this great FORUM site we're on and started reading and researching from here. I then found the WASCO site and started finding out how much I need to spend to get started and what I need and made a list. Then I ordered all of the free catalogs and started ordering supplies. But the main thing is to research this forum as much as possible. I ordered the Sallie Dahmes WT/Mule Deer book and the Sallie Dahmes 2 part video and read and watch over and over again until I felt at ease. Then I found someone on the forum that was getting rid of some capes at a reasonable price which were doe capes and struck a good friendship right along with the deal and he helps with all the questions I can ask and then some. Also ask all the questions you can on the forum but watch out for one named GEORGE he'll give it to you but don't take it the wrong way, and ask the orange button on your left some questions. I hope this helps a little, and one thing to always remember is have that DRIVE and HAVE NO FEAR! GOOD LUCK
from the guys in the above posts. If taxidermy is something you really want to do, like THE WILD, I suggest starting with the specie you are really into. I am a whitetail freak and that's all I do. I love to hunt them, watch them, study them, photograph them, You get the idea. I find that really likeing the species helps me when I'm tired and working on the less glamourous aspects of taxidermy, such as fleshing. The mounting, primping, and poseing are the fun parts of the job. I really enjoy taxidermy work, it can be very rewarding. There is nothing like the feeling doing a sweet mount and watching the face of the client when he/she picks it up. I find this better than the money. One warning though, If you start doing taxidermy so you can hunt and fish when you want to, there will come a day when your workload will simply not allow it. If you are good, they(clients) will come, and taxidermy will become a real job. Like everyone has stated, subscribe to the taxidermy magazines, buy books/dvd, attend a school that you can afford, and work at it. Never think you know it all, and always strive to make your next mount better than your last. No mount is perfect, if it was it would be breathing! Good luck in the best career in the world! Shannon.
Click on the suppliers section at the top of this page and order all the supply catalogs you can. Everything you need to get a good start is in there. Shannon