3. I see that you teach a pretty comprehensive course, but I just want to do taxidermy as a hobby.
Can I still take your course?

Yes, our course will more than qualify you to do taxidermy as a hobby. We just want to be clear on the differences here. We have taught many students who originally did taxidermy as a hobby then tried progressing into commercial taxidermy. Usually, they learned from books, videos, or a friend. In most of these cases, it was clear that their methods included many inefficient, outdated procedures, and/or many quality cutting shortcuts. There is a big difference between shortcuts that improve efficiency and shortcuts that just plain cut corners. Our course does not teach shortcuts or outdated techniques that result in an inferior finished product. After completing our course, you will of course be able to do taxidermy as a hobby. And if you later decide to do taxidermy on a commercial or competition level, you will be more than qualified!

4. You say you teach commercial as well as competition quality taxidermy. What is the difference?

Here is a brief rundown of the differences: Our competition techniques include practices such as using artificial septums in the noses, using a special 'hidden' stitch for short haired animals, using optical membranes & white based eyes, and using official competition score sheets to guide you through the mounting process, to name a few. The techniques we teach for competition mounts are just a little more time consuming and a hair more expensive than those used for commercial mounts, and are geared to please competition judges rather than customers. However, there are some basic procedures that are used across the board, for commercial, as well as competition taxidermy. Furthermore, some of the practices that many taxidermists reserve only for competition mounts are techniques that we routinely use for commercial taxidermy. Therefore, there is not always a clear cut line separating the two. Most customers are not trained to spot the little differences, but they may see that one mount just looks better than another, without knowing why. This fact alone, makes the extra effort worth it! It is good business to point out the little details, and show customers exactly why your mounts look better than your competitors! In our taxidermy business, the combination of commercial & competition techniques we use allow us to guarantee each completed mount for life. You will never see separation of the lips, curling of the ears, or any other sign of aging due to poor workmanship. After completing our course, you will be able to offer the same guarantee.

5. I do not have any experience, and your course sounds pretty tough. Should I take a more basic course first?

Our course is tough, and those with experience may find it easier. However we do start from the beginning, and we actually ask those with experience to try and forget what they have learned so that they will be open to our advanced procedures. In this way you may have an advantage, as you will not have any preconceived notions as far as techniques go. Also, since we limit our class size to six students, you will have plenty of support and supervision. The only prerequisite you need, is a sincere desire to learn and a willingness to work. If you are still not comfortable committing to our course, you may want to consider one of the longer term courses that some of the other taxidermy schools offer. We are familiar with many of these schools, as the owner/ instructors of at least 4 of them are former students of ours. We would be happy to recommend one of them to you upon request.

6. I am concerned about only doing two gameheads. Will this prepare me properly for a business that consists mainly of gamehead taxidermy?

This is no reason for this concern. The most important procedures you will learn in gamehead mounting, are taxidermy techniques used for the eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. You will be practicing these same procedures not only on your gamehead, but on your lifesize and rug mount as well. You will actually be mounting and finishing a total of four heads. The fact that they are not all 'shoulder mounts', will not matter. The fact that one of your mammals has a full body attached and another one is a rug, only serves to provide the additional training, not take it away!
We have carefully perfected our curriculum, and the plain truth is that in six weeks time you simply cannot mount more specimens and expect the same exceptional results. For both gameheads you mount, you will use every advanced technique available. We could follow the more popular trend of pushing through 3 or more gameheads, but that is not how we operate. We have always believed in quality over quantity, and we guarantee that our training program will provide you with knowledge and skills that are superior to many of your competitors!

7. Do you offer any financial aid?

We do not offer government based financial aid, but we do offer low interest rate student loans upon approved credit. In general, you may finance up to 50% of your tuition amount. If you are interested in this program, please contact us at (406)827-5180, and we will be happy to get the paperwork started. If you need funds for more than 50% of your tuition, you may want to contact your local lending institution for assistance. We will be happy to provide them with brochures or any other needed information.

8. I would like to have more training in tanning. Is it possible to work this in?

As explained on our Course Details page, we do not have time to focus extra attention on tanning. Tanning is not so difficult that you need to repeat it over and over in order to get it right. The tanning project we complete will be sufficient training for those times in your business when you want to get something tanned up quick for a rush job. For large scale tanning, it is preferable to purchase equipment that can handle many pieces at once. This is the difference between our tanning instruction, and the instruction provided at tanning schools geared to prepare you for work in a tannery. When doing just one piece here and there, it is easy to tan without the use of expensive equipment. For large scale tanning however, it is preferable to attend a school that can train you in the purchase and use of commercial tanning equipment. Please keep in mind that most of our students changed their mind about doing their own tanning right after their very first tanning project. To put it simply, we prefer to concentrate more on our specialty, which is advanced competition quality taxidermy!

9. If I send in my deposit then have to cancel, can I get my deposit back?

As stated on our tuition page, all deposits are nonrefundable. When you enroll, we reserve a spot for you. This means no one else can take your spot. If deposits were refunded every time a person had to cancel, that would contradict the very reason for the deposit.
We realize emergencies do arise however, so we will, upon the student's request apply the deposit towards another class (within 1 year of the original booking) if the following conditions are met: 1. We are able to fill the original class to our four student capacity, and 2. You send in an additional deposit equal to the original deposit amount. Both deposit amounts are then credited towards the tuition. We cannot simply reapply the original deposit to another class. In the past, we have had students who just kept canceling, then reapplying the same deposit to the next class. We have implemented the "additional deposit" policy to prevent this. It is required each time a student switches classes. In order to reduce class vacancies, there are no exceptions to the above rules.