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Taxidermy Training Suggestions

Bowhunt

Bowhunt

New Member
I am currently looking at going to taxidermy school this summer and the courses cost at times 9000 dollars. I am currently attending ISU and just find it hard to come up with the $ for the taxidermy school right now. I was wondering if anyone at this site has ever heard or knew of a taxidermist that would take on an apprentice to teach their trade to for exchange for work or a small fee. I am open to traveling to do this and would like to hear any suggestions from anyone.
Thanks in advance, Bowhunt
 
i got a buddy that is going to taxidermy school in january...if i remember right i believe it is going to cost around 2500 bucks....i dont think it lasts over like a month and a half....the school is somewhere in spirit lake.....this is a great deal for me.....if i get him some good specimens to practice on i believe i will be getting some good deals in the future
 
That's a lot of money to put down.

Before you do that you might want to check with the Iowa Taxidermy Association. I couldn't find a website but here is a contact for you. President: Robert Geurts, Knoxville, IA. Phone (651) 842-3362.

You can also do a search on Iowa taxidermy on the internet or check the yellow pages and come up with some names. Most are great people and will help steer you in the right direction.

I taught an adult ed class in taxidermy for 15 years but no longer have time. There is always a need for someone who is really good.

Good luck!
Old Buck
 
The Spirit Lake school/studio is a cool place to visit. My wife and I take our kids there every year when we vacation at Okoboji.

I think the name is something like Matuska Taxidermy Studio.

$9000 for taxidermy school?, isn't that like a year at Iowa State? Of course ISU teaches you how to survive as a slave in the corporate world, whereas taxidermy school would allow for self sufficiency based on your desire to succeed and never mind the being your own boss and having everyday in November free to hunt.
 
9000 grand was from somewhere in Pennsylvania, I can not remember the exact name. I have checked out matuska, it runs about 6800 for nine weeks. I am currently going to ISU for agronomy and teaching. I would like to be a taxidermist, to be my own boss, be sumbmerged with other hunters and fishermen everyday, and hunt fish as I pleased. I am going to iowa state to have a back up plan in case things go do work as a taxidermist, I have got something to fall back on. I would like to work with someone to learn the trade. Thanks for the help guys!
 
My buddy went to the Colorado Institute of Taxidermy last winter for a month long course. He finished the course and they asked if he would stay and do some mounts for customers. He stayed and made some money and is going back this winter.
 
I attended Reinhart School of Taxidermy in Janesville Wisconsin. I only took the game head course. It was not expensive. I do Taxidermy only during the winter. I've recooped my school and equipment investment several times over. They moved to a new larger building since I attended and the the Reinhart Taxidermy Supply Company is new part of the McKenzie. The school was retained by Reinhart if I'm not mistaken.
I can look at my early work and how I've improved, but I suppose that would be true reguardless of what school I attended. I have alot of repeat customers. You could attend the school in blocks over a period of time to spread out the expense and fit it into your other classes. Don't count on a world class taxidermist like Joe Meder to teach you as a apprentice for anything close to cheap. I would suspect he has guys lined up willing to work under him for free. I actually phoned there last year and I still have sticker shock on attending his classes. Is he good? He's better than good. I do't know how much you currently know about taxidermy, so its hard to make suggestions. But, there are alot of videos available that are very helpful when you branch into unknown area. Joe Meder even has a finishing deer video I believe. Most of all I hope you understand there are alot of Taxidermist's around. I have not met to many that live lavishly. Can you make a living? If you take peide in your work and are ambitious, yes. Will it make you rich, no. Wealthy is even a long shot.
 
Old Buck, I took a fish mounting course that you taught quite a few years ago. That was a lot of fun, and I remember that I mounted a bluegill. It came out pretty decent, and I experimented with taxidermy, like many people do. A person has to have a passion for this, and really be great with detail if they are going to make it a career. I have toyed with the idea of starting back up with it, but as long as it's just an idea, and not a passion, it won't happen. Hey, maybe I'll take up wildlife painting. Know anyone that's good at that ?
 
I attended the colorado institute of taxidermy training. One of the best things about CITT is that you do not have to take all of the classes at once, therefore you do not have to spend all of your money at once. You can do something like I did and take gameheads one year, and this winter I am going back out there to learn fish and birds. It is just easier for most people to come up with smaller parcels of money every year than to fork out a lot in one year. You can look them up on the internet.
 
Look up McKenzie on the internet and order a catalog. Inside you will find some "how to" videos that are really good. Rack and I ordered two videos from them. A mounting video and a finishing video. We have done over a dozen mounts and as Scout said you get better in time. If you get the videos, buy some supplies, go to your local taxidermist guy and buy a tanned hide, buy your form and supplies, you will have a little over $100 invested. Find a rack some place that you can mount, follow the video and practice on the form especially with the clay part. There are instructions in the catalog to help you buy the right size form to fit the hide. We do it as a hobby but the mounts look good, in fact one that we did was at the Iowa classic a few years back on the sixth biggest rack. It happened to be my father in-laws and the mount itself looked as good or better than 80% of what was there. This is just a cheap idea so you can see if it is what you want to do before you sink all that money into it.
 
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