Most of the mounts we’re asked to restore came from a grandfather’s basement, a lodge that changed hands, or a house fire that mostly missed the trophy room. They’re usually dusty, often faded, sometimes cracked around the eyes and nose, and almost always worth saving.
We restore mounts we didn’t build. We have been mounting animals since 1978, which means we know how they were built in 1965 and what tends to go wrong forty years later.
What we can repair
- Deep cleaning and dust removal
- Hair and feather grooming and resetting
- Repainting faded noses, eyes, lips and gill plates
- Cracked or shrunken nose, lip and eye repair
- Ear repair and reshaping
- Antler and horn repair, reattachment and refinishing
- Fish fin repair and repainting
- Loose or failing panel and base repair
- Habitat and groundwork repair or replacement
- Smoke, soot and water damage cleanup
- Structural stabilization on old mounts
- Reworking an outdated mount onto a new base or pedestal
- Full condition assessment for an inherited collection
Older mounts need looking at first
This matters, so we will say it plainly. Taxidermy from earlier decades was often preserved with chemicals that are no longer used, including arsenic-based compounds. Older mounts may also carry pest infestations that aren’t visible from across a room.
We evaluate every older specimen before we commit to a plan. Sometimes that changes what’s advisable, and occasionally it means a piece isn’t safe to work on. We would rather tell you that up front than discover it halfway through.
If you have an old mount you’re unsure about, send photos before you move it around much.
Is it worth restoring?
Sometimes the honest answer is no. A badly deteriorated mount can cost more to bring back than to replace, if the animal can be replaced at all. But most of what we see is worth doing — and the ones that aren’t replaceable, like a grandfather’s first buck or a species you can no longer legally take, are worth doing almost regardless.
Send photographs and we’ll give you a straight answer.
Collection care
Beyond single-mount repair, we can look at a collection as a whole:
- Condition assessment across every piece
- Cleaning and dusting
- Checking for pest activity
- Minor repairs
- Habitat and base touch-up
- Documenting what’s in the collection and its condition
If you have inherited a room full of mounts, or you manage a lodge or commercial space with wildlife displays, ask us about collection-care options and we’ll talk through what makes sense.
Planning a room around the collection once it’s back in shape? See Trophy Room Design.
Museums, nature centers and institutional collections
Larger exhibit and diorama restoration is handled by our sister company, Epic Journey Designs.
Common questions
Can you restore a mount another taxidermist built?
Yes. Most restoration work we do is on mounts we didn’t build.
How old is too old?
Age itself isn’t the barrier — condition and preservation chemistry are. We have worked on mounts many decades old. Send photos and we’ll assess it.
What does restoration cost?
It depends entirely on the damage and the species, so we quote from photographs rather than publishing a rate. Send several pictures, including close-ups of the damage.
How long does restoration take?
Restoration is scheduled alongside our production work. See the Pricing page for current turnaround expectations, and ask us about your specific project.
My mount smells like smoke.
Send photos and describe the exposure. Smoke and soot damage is often recoverable.
Do I have to bring it in, or can I ship it?
Both work. Old mounts are fragile, so talk to us before packing one. See Shipping to Us.
Bugs are coming out of my mount.
Isolate it from the rest of your collection and contact us. Pest activity spreads, and the sooner it’s addressed the less you lose.
Can you update an old mount to a modern base?
Often yes. Remounting an older piece onto a pedestal or custom habitat is one of the more satisfying things we do. See Custom Taxidermy Habitats.
Request a restoration evaluation
Send photos of the mount, including close-ups of the damage, and tell us what you know about its history. We’ll tell you what’s possible and whether it’s worth doing.