Requirements: During the six week full course, you will mount two competition level gameheads (2 deer, or 1 deer & 1 antelope), one lifesize mammal (fox, raccoon, bobcat, coyote, fisher, mink, etc.), one open mouth rug (fox, coyote, raccoon, etc.), one rooster pheasant, one drake mallard, one cold water fish, one warm water fish, and one fiberglass reproduction. You will construct one glass case with habitat scene, for either your mallard or your small lifesize project. You will also complete a variety of habitat bases for many of your other class projects. Your completed mounts, as well as your habitat bases, and tools, are all yours to keep when you leave!

Topics Covered:
Business Set-Up and Client Interaction: Over the years we have created various forms that make the record keeping end of our business much simpler. Our forms are very user-friendly, and do not take a lot of training, so don't worry about spending a lot of class time learning paperwork! We simply provide you with copies of all the forms we use, we briefly discuss them, and then cover any questions you have. This part of the course also covers some very simple ways to market your business, and you will learn how to effectively compete with other established taxidermists. You will be amazed at the many different ways you can make your name known with very little expense. And finally, you will learn the importance of effective client relations, including everything from completing the initial customer job ticket, to collecting deposit, payments, and final customer pick-up. In order to reserve as much time as possible for your actual taxidermy training, the time you spend in this part of the course will be short but efficient. You will be amazed at the effectiveness of this small but valuable part of the course.

Taxidermy Techniques: Topics covered here are so numerous, that we will just list a few. We start with skinning, measuring, and prepping procedures, then move on to mannikin preparation. The actual mounting process covers many processes, from setting eyes and ears, to using our own award winning septum procedure. Finish work is covered in detail, and all along the way you will have access to official taxidermy competition score sheets to make sure you stay on top of each and every item as you go. We include all of our advanced techniques (See Overview Page), and cover the differences between commercial and competition procedures. If you would like a pictorial overview of our six week course, please see our Class in Progress pages.

Tanning: Tanning is covered, although students will not tan individual mammals due to time restrictions. For more information on what our tanning project will teach you, and how it compares to instruction offered at schools who specialize in commercial tannery training, please see our FAQ's page. Tanning methods for preserving birds and fish, are different from those used for mammals. These procedures will be implemented with each specimen before the actual mounting process begins.

Habitat: We take great pride in our habitat training. Have you ever seen what was supposed to be a rock, and wondered why it didn't look real? Have you seen rocks, snow, or icicles you thought were real, only to find out they were artificial?
Realistic habitats are easy when learned correctly, so we cover these simple basics and then go a few steps further, by including original techniques we have developed, such as driftwood enhancement, and sculpting freeform bases from our trade secret base modeling material. You will also construct one glass case to enclose a habitat scene for a bird, fish, or small lifesize mount.

For a firsthand look at our classes, please click HERE to see week by week photos of a class in progress.

Six-Day Economy Bird Course: ($1,095.00) In our six day bird course, you will mount one pheasant and one mallard (one flying, one standing). You will complete a custom habitat base for the standing bird, and the flying one will be a driftwood wall mount. All specimens, supplies, and habitat materials are included in your tuition price. If you live in a great bird hunting area, this skill can definitely generate a nice income!

Six-Day Economy Gamehead Course: ($1,195.00) In this six day course, you will mount one gamehead from start to finish, using all of the same in-depth procedures taught in our full course. In most cases it will be a whitetail deer, a mule deer, or an antelope shoulder mount. All specimens and supplies are included in your tuition price. Gameheads are the bread & butter of nearly every taxidermy shop, so having this skill alone can keep most taxidermists busy full time!

Six-Day Economy Fish Course: ($1,095.00) In this class, you will mount one warm water fish, one cold water fish, and one fiberglass reproduction. You will complete a streambed habitat scene for at least one fish, and the other two will be driftwood wall mounts. If time permits, you may do custom habitat scenes for all three fish. All specimens, supplies, and habitat materials are included in your tuition price. Fish taxidermy generally has a higher profit per hour than other forms of taxidermy. If you love fishing, or live in a great fishing area, you will definitely want to consider this course.

The above courses are scheduled in succession, for the benefit of those who wish to take more than one of our Economy Courses. (Please see our Schedule page for dates.) Also, we are offering a discount for those of you who take more than one of our Economy Courses in succession. For each additional six-day course you attend, you will receive $100 off the tuition for the additional week. Please see our Tuition page for more details.

Please contact us with any questions you may have concerning our taxidermy courses!