Basic Definition

Taxidermists preserve and prepare animal’s skins and parts to make lifelike replicas of wild game. They use many varieties of methods and tools to create mounts. Mount skins, or furs can be prepared for use as a specimen for study, an exhibit in a museum, a private collection, an ornament, or article of apparel. 

Education and Training

Successful taxidermy requires many skills. A taxidermist needs good manual dexterity, an eye for detail, knowledge of animal anatomy, and training in the taxidermy processes. A professional taxidermist does not need a college diploma, but it helps. Art, woodworking and drawing classes all help. Some people are self-taught. There are lots of classes at taxidermy schools. There are many articles on the web and in magazines (like “Outdoor Life”). There are also many books on successful taxidermy.
What They Do

A taxidermist is a person who creates mounts of wild game. A taxidermist works in his own house, a garage, or a warehouse. A hunter or fisherman will bring in an animal that was caught or shot. Then the hunter or fisherman needs to show the taxidermist his/her license. (The animal needs to be legally killed or else the taxidermist can be fined as well as the hunter.)  The taxidermist makes sure the hide is clean and there is no meat left on the hide. Then when the hide is clean, the taxidermist salts it down and sends it to a tannery. (Unless the taxidermist is able to tan his own hides.) When the hide gets back from the tannery, the taxidermist needs to get the hide to on a form before it dries out. Then the taxidermist can make his final touches like making sure there are no air pockets between the hide and the form. The taxidermist adds the artificial eyes, nose, teeth, gums and ear liners to keep the ears in place. After that he can detail the muscles and the characteristics of the animal to make the mount look more realistic. The taxidermist can use props and freeze dried animals (animals preserved by freeze drying are too small to mount. Like mice, crawfish, bugs, etc.) To also make the mount look more real. They can usually just walk outside and get rocks, sticks, moss, and plants to make the mount more realistic. This is called a habitat. It makes the animal look more realistic in it’s surroundings.

Not all taxidermists are professional taxidermists. Some taxidermists don’t do any mounts for customers, they just do it as a hobby, or their own animals so they wont have to pay to get their mounts done by a professional, or maybe they just enjoy doing their own mounts
Earnings and Outlook

Depending on the hunting season (How many animals are harvested), a taxidermist in our area earns about $80-85 thousand a year. The big companies earn about $40-300 thousand a year. Some taxidermists specialize with different types of animals like fish, African animals, deer, and exotics, but some don’t specialize, and they mount whatever is brought in. The size of a mount doesn’t really determine the cost; it’s the time that matters. If the hunter makes a special request, the price of the mount usually goes up. Adding props or a habitat raises the cost as well. The common deer head mount costs about $495. A mount can cost slightly less or slightly more than regular depending on the time it takes. Different mounts take longer than others. A deer head takes about 14-16 hours. A full body mount takes 20-40 hours.    

History and Future

First attempts at taxidermy date back approximately 350 years. Back then it was a hobby for the rich, by stuffing animal skins with straw, grasses, or wood shavings. Early taxidermists made crude mounts or models of animals. Formerly, such mounting of animal skins was called stuffing. In some cases that was actually what was done. The taxidermist simply stuffed the fur with straw, grass, and other materials until it looked “life-like”. The word taxidermy is derived from the Greek words “taxis”, meaning order, arrangement, and preparation, plus “derma”, meaning skin. Modern taxidermy in the U.S. began at Henry Ward’s natural science establishment in Rochester, NY. His business attracted experts who looked for better ways to make lighter and more lifelike models.     

Laws & Customers

To be a lawful taxidermist you need to follow these rules. A taxidermist needs to be licensed through the state, professional or not. You can go to jail for not being licensed, so can the hunter! If a hunter brings an animal, it needs to be legally hunted and have a tag, or else the hunter can be fined as well as the taxidermist. To avoid breaking these laws, the taxidermist should log everything that is brought in.

Customers sometimes make odd requests. A hunter might want to see the wound or special characteristics of his/her trophy. For example, if the hunter misses and puts a bullet hole in the animal’s ear, then kills the animal, he might want to be able to see the hole so the mount can tell a story, but if the hunter doesn’t want people to know that he missed, he might want the taxidermist to sew the hole together.
     
Problems

Different taxidermists have different opinions on what are the more important problems. Sometimes a taxidermist gets the size form. If the form is too big the taxidermist can cut it down to be the right size. If the form is too small the taxidermist needs to buy a new form. The taxidermist can also buy the wrong eyes, ear liners, gums, teeth, or tongue. Environmentalists can be a problem to taxidermists.


Techniques, Methods, and Tools

There are many new techniques in the field of taxidermy very day. Taxidermists are finding new and easier ways to do things every day. The big companies are making it so easy so just about anyone to do taxidermy with the forms and eyes.

Taxidermy doesn’t require a whole lot of tools. If you do your own tanning, you need tanning supplies and tools. Not all taxidermists need the same tools, if you do a lot of sewing, upholstery type tools. It’s not really what you specialize in, it’s more of what you have to do to be a good taxidermist you need to do what you need to do, and you need the tools to do it. Some of the important tools a successful taxidermist needs are: A scalpel, many different types of knives, a carborundum stone, a toothbrush, scissors, sewing needles, a tape measurer, knowledge of the anatomy of the animal and a wood rasp. There are many other tools a taxidermist needs. That was only a small fraction of the tools a taxidermist uses.

Who I Interviewed And What I Learned     I interviewed Todd Peyser on December 9, 2004 at his house. He has been involved in taxidermy for about 15-16 years. He became interested by always liking the outdoors, the animals, and to hunt. He was self-taught; he ordered some lessons through “Outdoor Life”. He went to a bunch of national taxidermy competitions and learned some techniques there too. Some of the things Todd enjoys about taxidermy are being around the animals, and seeing the different types of animals. I asked him if most taxidermists were hunters and he said that most of them are, and some do photography of the animals. I asked Todd what has changed most in the field of taxidermy and he said,” A lot of the forms they make these days are all Styrofoam. This makes it easier to cut and adjust them.  They used to use the old skulls, and bones.” He said that, “There are a lot of new techniques.  People find easier ways to do things all the time.  The big companies are making it easier for just about anyone to do taxidermy these days with the forms and eyes.” “Environmentalists can be a problem, but everybody has different tastes.”                          I asked, ”What do you think will change in the field of taxidermy?” “There might be a point when you might not be able to do it any more because of the concerns of the environmentalists.” Todd said. ” What laws are there for taxidermy?” I asked.” You have to be licensed through the state.  You have to make sure you log everything that people bring in.  It must be legally hunted and have a tag.  Both the taxidermist and hunter can be fined for illegal animals.” Was his answer. ”They do have taxidermy schools but they aren’t required. I have taken sculpture, art and woodworking classes that have helped me.  All those types of classes help.” Said Todd. Some taxidermists specialize in just some types of animals.  Todd likes to do big game size animals. Todd specializes, in life-size mounts. Mostly life size deer and elk. He does fish, but not a lot. He does a lot of mountain lions.   “I do taxidermy on my own animals.” explains Todd, ” How much do taxidermists earn?” I asked Todd, “Depends on hunting season how people do.  The big ones earn between $40,000 and $300,000 a year.   In our area, probably $80,000 to $85,000 a year.” In some parts of the country they do a lot more African animals. Different parts of the country do different styles, animals, etc. Mainly here you get a lot of deer and elk and stuff. What is “tanning”? Turns the back of the hide into leather so it’s nice and pliable. Tools? Taxidermy doesn’t require a whole lot of tools.  If you do your own tanning you need tanning supplies. You have to have a lot of sewing and upholstery type tools. You have to have a lot of patience. Different mounts take different times.  The lion Todd is working on took 48 hours plus. Deer head 14 to 16 hours.21 to 30 hours mountain lion. “When you’re working on a mount can you stop?” I asked. “Once you have the hide on, you‘ve got to stay on it so you can get the hide on before it dries out.” Says Todd. When an animal first comes in you need to skin it off of the head.  Turn the ears and eyes inside out.  Take all the meat off the hide. You need to salt it down so it completely dries out.  Once they are dry, almost hard, but pliable, I ship them to the tannery.  A number of different companies sell the tools Todd needs.  McKenzie Taxidermy is a big supplier.  Taxidermy.net has a lot of resources.  They also show a lot of techniques on that website. “Occasionally I’ll get forms that don’t work.  I usually have to cut the forms to fit the animals. If you have experience, forms are easy to cut. You need to know which parts are big and which spots are small to make the mount look right.  You have to have a lot of experience to know what you’re doing though.  A lot of it you learn the hard way, other ways you just kind of figure out.” Todd said. “What are you doing with the grooves on the lion?” I asked. “There is glue under the hide and I’m pinning the skin down so it looks like the muscles on the lion.  They have to be pinned down so it looks right and you can’t see the air pockets under the hide.  A taxidermist really needs to know what the animal looks like. I use anatomy books and picture books to make sure the lion and other animals look life like.  You want to make them as realistic as you can. You need to look at hair patterns in the books, little details, etc. If you’re going to do a special pose you have to know the anatomy so you cut and turn a leg at the right spot, where there actually is a joint. You don’t want to put a joint in the wrong spot.” Todd answered. “If someone brings in a ripped hide (like a bullet hole, if birds were eating on it, etc.) I can usually sew the hide together. ” Said Todd. Sometimes people make odd requests like wanting to see distinguishing marks and wounds on the animal. Even when the hide gets back from the tannery, you still need to trim it and clean it up. The mount looks much more realistic when dry. Eyes, (Sometimes nose), tongue, and teeth (they used to use original teeth but they would crack.) are all artificial (sometimes other parts may be fake as well.) Most customers come in having an idea of what they want to have done with their animal, some ask for suggestions and some just say, “I don’t care, do what looks best.” Todd gave me lots of good information, so I felt it was a very successful interview.

Bibliography “Carl Akeley”  Encarta.  2005   “What is taxidermy”? http://www.taxidermy.net. Moyer, John.  Practical Taxidermy. New York: The Ronald Press Company, 1953 Peyser, Todd. Personal Interview, December 9th 2004 Taxidermists. Moravia, NY: Chronicle Guidance Publications Inc., 1993  “Taxidermists.” Careers Discovery Encyclopedia. 2003 P.46-47

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