A shoulder mount is a purchase you will look at every day for the rest of your life, and it is worth a little homework before you hand over the animal. This guide is the checklist we give our own customers at Stehling’s Taxidermy (taxidermyplanet.com), a family studio in Jefferson, Wisconsin since 1978. It applies whether you bring the animal to us or to someone else. If you ask these questions and get straight answers, you will end up with a mount you are proud of.
How Stehling’s answers every question below | Call or text (920) 650-7800
Ten questions to ask any taxidermist
- Can I see finished work in person, not just photos? Photos hide a lot. A showroom with a hundred mounts tells you what the average job looks like, not the best one. Look at the eyes, the nose, the inside of the ears, and the seam under the chin.
- Is the price published, and what is not included? A published price list makes shops easy to compare. Ask specifically about the base, the backboard or plaque, habitat, and whether there is a fee for caping, deposits, or storage.
- How long, really? Turnaround varies widely from shop to shop, and it generally gets longer the deeper into the season you drop off. Ask for the timeline in writing on the receipt so you and the shop have the same expectation.
- Who actually does the work? Ask whether skinning, tanning, mounting, and finishing are done on site and by whom. Some shops send capes out for tanning, some send whole mounts out, and some have a trainee finish what the owner started.
- How is the hide preserved? For deer, bear, and other big game, commercial tanning is the standard and produces a cape that stays supple for decades. Dry preservation is quicker and less expensive and is normal practice on birds, where the skin is thin. Ask which method the shop uses on your species; it is one of the biggest reasons two quotes can look far apart.
- What form and eyes do you use? A species-specific form with the right ear butts and a quality glass eye is the difference between a mount that looks like your buck and a mount that looks like every buck. Ask if they can show you the form catalog.
- Can I pick the pose, and will you help me? A good studio will walk you through upright, semi-sneak, sneak, and turns with photos, and will ask where the mount is going to hang before recommending one. See our shoulder mount pose guide.
- What happens if my cape has a problem? Slipped hair, a cut throat, bullet damage. Ask whether they call you before spending your money, and what a replacement cape costs.
- What do you do if I am not happy at pickup? The answer should be “we fix it.” Ask about repairs later on, too.
- Can I pay over time? Many established studios offer payment plans, and terms vary widely. Ask what is available before you assume you need the full amount up front.
What changes as the price goes up
Taxidermy quotes vary because the work behind a mount varies. Here is what the money actually buys, so you can decide which of these matter for your animal.
| What changes | What it means for your mount |
|---|---|
| Hide preservation | For deer, bear, and other big game, commercial tanning is the standard: it turns the cape into leather that stays supple for decades. Dry preservation is quicker and less expensive, and it is normal, accepted practice on birds, where the skin is thin and the feathers carry the look. Ask which method a shop uses on your species and why. |
| The form | A species-specific form, sized to your animal and then altered to its measurements, fits differently than a stock form off the shelf. On anything other than a whitetail, ask whether the form was made for that species. |
| Eyes | Glass eyes range from standard to species-matched, with the correct pupil shape, iris color, and detail. On a mount you look at from three feet away, this is one of the first things the eye notices. |
| Finish work | Rebuilt eyelids, nostrils, tear ducts, and ear cartilage, and hair or feathers groomed to the individual animal, take hours that a faster finish does not include. |
| Habitat and base | A standard backboard, a turned hardwood base, and a full habitat scene are three very different amounts of work and material. This is usually the largest single variable between two quotes. |
| Time on the bench | More hours per mount generally means fewer mounts per year, which is part of why busier studios quote longer turnarounds. |
A higher price does not automatically mean better work, and a lower one does not automatically mean worse. It means different choices were made. Ask which ones, and pick the shop whose answers fit what you want out of the mount. Whatever you decide, get the price and the timeline in writing on your receipt before you leave the animal; any established shop will do that without being asked.
Field care matters more than the shop
The best taxidermist in the country cannot fix a cape that was cut short, left warm in a truck bed, or dragged by the neck. Before you pick a studio, read the field-care guide for your species: deer, turkey, fish, and our full knowledge base for bear, waterfowl, and western game. If you are within driving distance of our Jefferson studio or our New Franken location near Green Bay, the simplest answer is to call ahead, bring the animal in whole, and let us handle the caping.
How Stehling’s answers these questions
Published flat prices. A standard timeline of 12 to 14 months (some projects take longer), in writing. Work led by Aaron and Austin Stehling in our Jefferson studio. Commercially tanned hides, species-specific forms, premium eyes. Pose guidance with photos of finished work. Four payment options with no credit check. Finished work to see at our Jefferson studio and New Franken showroom, and a repair bench if anything ever needs attention. The full list is on our Service Promise page. If you would rather we handle all of it, start here.
Choosing a Taxidermist FAQ
How much should a deer shoulder mount cost?
Prices vary widely from studio to studio, mostly because of hide preservation, forms and eyes, and finish work (see the table above). At Stehling’s a whitetail shoulder mount is $1,100 in any pose, and a pedestal mount is $1,350. See how much a deer mount costs.
Is a longer turnaround a bad sign?
Not necessarily. Commercial tanning and careful finish work take time, and busy studios quote longer timelines in the fall. What matters is that the timeline is realistic and written on your receipt. Ours is 12 to 14 months standard, with rush options.
Should I choose a specialist or a full-service studio?
For a whitetail, bear, duck, turkey, or western big game animal, a full-service studio with deep experience in that species is the right call. For a competition-only bird or a museum diorama, a specialist may be. Ask the studio what it is known for; a good one will tell you.
How far should I drive for a good taxidermist?
A two-hour drive twice is a small price for a mount you will look at for thirty years, and many studios accept shipped trophies. We do; see Shipping to Us and call before you ship.
