I have done a few european mounts, & some snakeskin & really enjoyed it. What's a good source for a beginner to learn the trade?

Have a look at this site. I'm going to try my hand at a pig mount this year.

Link

Lief - dont know where you are but if your in oz - internet is, unfortunately,the only way to go. Bakes's link is the best one of all. After a few yrs you will get invited to a few private forums that are around, sat in by some of the worlds best taxos and they hold internet seminars and stuff.



Honestly, if your "extremly" lucky you might get a taxo here to help out but make sure thier methods arnt ancient, deadly and most importantly, that thier work is 'worth' learning from! But dont hold your breath - some even give straight out BS advice!



I got lucky after 7 yrs of self learning ,(though i has also trained as an artist, had worked at the museum and with animals at the zoo), and was invited to work with a taxo in NZ where he woke me up to the fact i was just as good - if not better than some reputable taxos here and offered me permanant work. I turned that down and began working for clients here instead about 12 - 15 months ago.

What i can reccomend is lots of practice, patience, refrence photos, (you can never have enough), trips to parks and zoos for anatomy study (forms - no matter the sales pitch - arnt exact and each animal has its individuality - something some taxos forget and just slap them together), Breakthru make fantastic manuals - although its expensive to get them here, videoes (get the best you can afford - some cheaper ones are pathetic) and begin with a closed mouth pig, a goat or fox even. Begining on an open mouth mount will frustrate you, let you down or turn you off completely. Get a license from nwps to pick up native road kill and just practice.

Course you can go to the states for a 8 week course but youll pay between $10,000 - $20,000AU (not inc airfares) for the privlidge.



If your in the us - the worlds at your feet!



Once taxidermy is in your blood - you cant get it out and you look at critters differently (well, i do). Where i used to just shoot animals randomly, i now think about what i can do with it before i shoot - if nothing - i dont shoot.

Well, except for rabbits and foxes though!!!



Hope this helps.

thanks, guys. I am in Colorado.

lucky bugger - i believe you have a few good schools in your area.

Lief, I would suggest you get some of the taxidermy supply company catalogs. All the big suppliers have instructional video tapes/CD's for any type of critter you might want to mount.
Look at taxidermy.net web page and they have a supplier section. Catalogs from WASCO, McKenzie, Van Dyke's and Jonas would all be a good start.
You may also want to contact your state taxidermy association for more info. Taxidermy.net also has a section for contact information on state associations. The yearly conventions a great place to learn. They have siminars, suppliers and so on. What better place to learn then a place to rub elbows with hundreds of taxidermist?
The forumn on taxidermy.net contains a whealth of information.
There is nothing better then hands on experience. If you can get in with a local taxidermist it would be a huge help. Some may offer one or two day trainning also.
Just like anything else, gather as much information as you can and "Get-her-done"!
Have ya some fun!

Are you guys amatuer Taxidermists? How many are out there?
I knew guys who mounted birds & fish when I was in school, but haven't seen or heard of it since.

I am a part time Taxidermist. I closed in half my garage for my shop.
I started 25 years ago mounting ducks for myself, shying away from deer and anything that had to be tanned. I thought it would be way to much for a part timmer, but I was wrong. Its easier then ducks!!
After doing mounts for friends and friends of friends I figures it was time to take advantage of a real busness. Its a great way to pay for my habits like new bows and trips to Africa. I take a few "clients" and its a write off. I then mount their trophies and so on.
I plan on doing this after retirement from the engineering world.
Click on my name. bo-n-aro, and check out my web page and let me know what you think.