Good evening folks, Bradley Johnson here with Friday from the Field. Today I wanted to take a second to address a question we get quite often here at SSI.
Should you have your taxidermy done in the country you took your animals or ship it to a taxidermist here in the USA?
For starters, regardless of what you decide, a local taxidermist will need to dip and pack skulls and capes.
Having your taxidermy done in country
Pros
-Lower cost generally
-Replacement capes are readily on hand if needed(this does happen)
-You deal with a taxidermist that likely has more experience mounting said animal species
Cons
-Higher shipping cost
-Communication can sometimes be difficult(in some cases involve language barrier)
Having taxidermy completed in the USA
Pros
-Faster turn around times for import
-Lower international shipping cost due to reduced volume
-Potentially easier communication with taxidermist
Cons
-Higher cost
-Your USA based taxidermist potentially may not have as much experience on that particular animal
At the end of the day you could be like me and euro mount absolutely everything, sometimes I don’t even put them on plaques so I just have random skulls laying around. Taxidermy is not cheap, with euro mounts you can save money for the next adventure. Buts that’s me, your mileage may vary. I’m perfectly content sipping gin while admiring my skulls.
Have a fantastic weekend.
Bradley Johnson
