I’ve always been very curious, and now I’m interested in learning taxidermy. How do I get started?
The first thing to think about is what specimens you can legally work on. In the U.S., you would need permits to handle migratory birds, wild hawks and owls, and most wild medium to large size animals. These protections extend to birds and mammals found dead. Exceptions: legally designated game birds killed legally are OK. Domestic animals bought or otherwise received legally are OK. Some animals considered pests are not protected (starlings, House Sparrows, pigeons, maybe a few other birds, and I’m not sure about the list for mammals – nutria?). Acquiring birds or mammals can also put you at risk of violating cruelty-to-animals laws, unless they’re already dead when you get them. Traps, shooting, etc., are regulated strongly in many areas, especially around towns. Laws in other countries are different and in some cases much looser, but you really need to be sure what they are before you start.
Oh, yes. It’s probably wise to consider possible diseases. When I did the work, I didn’t worry about skinning birds with my bare hands (and tools, of course) because so few bird diseases can infect humans. (I was more careful with mammals.) Now, both West Nile Disease and highly pathogenic forms of Bird Flu are potential problems, though I don’t know how prevalent they actually are.
Probably the best way to learn is to work with somebody who does taxidermy for a while.
For many years, I made study skins (research specimens; they look neatly dead if done right), mostly of birds, for a biology department and for a museum. It’s fascinating to see these creatures close up! I wish you good luck in finding a mentor to help you get started.
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Agree with all of the above, and will note that what specimens are legal to possess varies even within the U.S. at the state level (and potentially you would need to think about transporting specimens over state/national borders as well).
I suggest starting with a deer head, since they’re so popular and can be found all over the world.
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Popular as in you can find good instructions either from a taxidermist, a book, or online.
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An apprenticeship with a taxidermist.
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i was a volunteer at a museum that also had a taxidermy lab that also accepted volunteers. i would look around for other such institutions (or if you’re in Chicago, check out the Nature Museum!)
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I’m pretty sure that the sale of taxidermy specimens in Brazil is illegal and that culturally, taxidermy is used for scientific research and education. Most of their obs are in Brazil.
https://revistapesquisa.fapesp.br/en/nature-at-the-museum/#:~:text=MZ-USP).-,He%20explains%20that%20the%20professionals%20working%20in%20this%20field%20in,learn%20techniques%20for%20preparing%20animals.
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