Preserve nature's beauty through the art of lifelike mounting
Professional taxidermists create lifelike, preserved animal mounts by combining anatomy knowledge, sculpting skill, and preservation science. They skin, tan, sculpt forms, and finish mounts for hunters, museums, educators, and collectors — turning a passion for wildlife into a permanent artistic tribute.
You start the morning skinning and fleshing a deer head brought in by a client, carefully measuring and photographing every detail. After lunch you sculpt clay muscle detail onto a foam manikin, set the glass eyes with surgical precision, and airbrush the nose to restore its natural color. You end the day mounting a competition piece, studying reference photos of a running fox to get the pose exactly right.
Start the free Taxidermist (Professional) Career Explorer — short videos, quick quiz questions and a certificate.