Page 30 - Kansas Sportsman

TAXIDERMY

LEARN ONE-ON-ONE
TAXIDERMY

Captured Expressions Teaches
Hands-On Techniques

By Bill Tucker

Twenty plus years ago I wanted to learn how to mount a pheasant I had
harvested in western Kansas, so I researched and purchased an instruc-
tional video on how to mount a pheasant.
The video helped me mount my bird, but it was missing several key points
of each process (measuring, material ordering, skinning, fleshing, wash-
ing, repairing, mounting, posing, paint prepping, and painting), causing
the bird to look hideous.
A few years later, I harvested a whitetail buck in eastern Kansas and
purchased another instructional video on deer mounting processes. After
mounting my deer, I was not pleased with the outcome so I called a local
taxidermist that had mounted a deer for me the previous year (he did an
amazing job), and asked him how much he would charge me to view and
video him processing a deer mount.
After discussing pricing, location, and timing, he agreed that he would
mount a deer while I take notes and video the processes. I then remounted
my deer by finding and purchasing an extra deer cape from a tannery. This maintain it. She also documents and tracks all the required records for tax-
“Master Taxidermist” explained each process, in detail of how and why. es. I am the focal point for customer contact and accept or reject projects.
I mounted my deer and was so relieved that it looked very professionally
mounted! Prior to 2020, I taught a few friends how to mount birds and deer, but
worked at taxidermy, with only my wife, most of the time. Then in June of
2020, a Kansas University college student contacted me after viewing our
taxidermist website, wanting to learn more about taxidermy. She had been
working part time, with animal preservation, in a Kansas museum.
After meeting and discussing taxidermy learning with her, we hired her as
a taxidermist apprentice or contract employee with low wages to begin.
Instead of charging a fee to a student to learn taxidermy, we believe they
will better obtain learning by repeating taxidermy processes many times by
working for the company.

This learning method has been very effective as this college student
worked and learned in our studio for two years and seven months. She
is currently working for a taxidermist in Germany while completing her
master’s degree.

We have had the pleasure of teaching several students the past few years.
One student moved to southeastern Kansas and started his own taxidermy
First Deer Mount Before First Deer Mount During business. Currently, we have two students learning and working in our
One-on-One Learning One-on-One Learning studio and are a great asset.

If you want to learn taxidermy, see if a one-on-one method is available by a
I then learned how to mount fish, birds, and mammals in the same one-
local taxidermist. You will be amazed of the knowledge you will obtain.
on-one learning method. I started a taxidermist business with my wife as a
second income for our family. She developed our website and continues to To learn more, please visit me at: www.capturedexpressions.info

30 THE KANSAS SPORTSMAN | SPRING 2024