Custom Waterfowl Taxidermy in Wisconsin

Waterfowl Mounts Built for the Story Behind the Shot

From a single drake on driftwood to full habitat scenes with diving ducks and decoys, we hand-craft mounts that capture the bird, the moment, and the marsh it came from.

Start Your Waterfowl Mount →Field Care Guide
Ducks, geese, swans & moreCustom poses & habitatsShip-in welcome
Hand-mounted waterfowl with custom habitat
Browse by species

Every bird in the flyway

Puddle ducks, divers, snow geese, honkers, and the occasional swan — we mount the whole flyway with the detail each species deserves.

Mallard drake flying mount

Puddle Ducks

Mallards, wood ducks, pintails, teal, gadwall — flying, swimming, or standing on a custom base.

Diving duck mount

Divers & Sea Ducks

Bluebills, canvasbacks, ringnecks, eiders, and scoters — clean lines on the water or rigged on a decoy.

Flying goose mount

Geese & Honkers

Canada, snow, blue, specklebelly, Ross, and brant — full-strut landers, sentries, and dead mounts.

Flying Swan Taxidermy Mount

Swans

Trumpeter and tundra swans mounted full-body with the wingspan they earned.

Dead mount waterfowl

Dead Mounts

The classic gallery look — birds presented as if just brought to hand, on driftwood, panel, or hung.

Water sculpture habitat scene

Water Sculptures & Scenes

Splashing landings, cattail blinds, decoy spreads — built around the moment your hunt happened.

Mount styles

Pose options for every bird

Choose the style that fits your bird, your space, and the story you want to tell.

Flying mallard

Flying

Wings locked open in flight — the most dramatic option for high ceilings and stairwells.

Standing duck

Standing

Birds posed alert on a custom-built base — natural attitude, room-friendly footprint.

Swimming waterfowl

Swimming

Birds set into resin water with ripples, reeds, and reflective detail.

Dead mount

Dead Mount

Gallery-style presentation — tradition meets craftsmanship without the action pose.

Standing goose

Goose Sentry

Heads-up alert pose for honkers and snows — commanding presence on a base.

Habitat scene

Habitat Scene

Multiple birds, decoys, water, and cover — a one-of-a-kind diorama of the hunt.

Why Stehling's

Built around accuracy, attitude, and the marsh you hunted

Waterfowl is unforgiving — wing positions, head tucks, the iridescent sheen on a drake mallard, the snowy contrast of a mature snow goose. We hand-finish every bird with reference-based detail and pose it the way the species actually behaves.

Bring us a single bird or a whole strap. Send us your story and we'll design a piece around it.

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Wet-shed Tested

Mounts handle Wisconsin's humidity swings without warping.

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Feather Detail

Hand-grooming and reference photos for every species.

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50 Years

Decades of waterfowl mounts trusted across the flyway.

Waterfowl mount in progress
The craft

What goes into a Stehling's waterfowl mount

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Reference-First Painting

Bills, feet, and bare skin hand-painted from species reference, not generic templates.

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Anatomically True Poses

Wing-loadings and posture matched to how the species actually flies, lands, and rests.

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Custom Bases & Habitat

Driftwood, cattails, ice, water — built around your bird, not pulled off a shelf.

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Built to Last

Proper specimen prep and sealed finishes mean your mount holds up for decades.

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Direct Communication

You talk to the artist working on your bird — pose changes, updates, questions.

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Payment Plans

Spread the cost across the build — no surprises when your mount is ready.

Transparent pricing

Waterfowl mount pricing

Standard mount pricing for the most-requested species. Custom habitats, multi-bird scenes, and specialty poses are quoted individually.

Puddle Ducks & Divers$575
Eiders / Scoters$625
Snow / Blue / Specklebelly / Ross / Brant$675
Canada Goose$800
Swans$2,000

Pricing covers a standard pose on a basic base. Habitat work, water sculptures, multi-bird scenes, and freeze-dried add-ons are quoted on request.

Field care

Care for your bird in the field

The best mounts start with good field care. A few minutes after the retrieve protects feathers, color, and the final result.

Quick checklist:

  • Smooth feathers back into place before they freeze
  • Tuck the head under a wing to protect the bill and eyes
  • Wrap in a panty hose or nylon stocking, then a freezer bag
  • Squeeze out air, label with date/species, freeze flat
  • Avoid blood on feathers — rinse gently with cold water if needed
Properly cared-for waterfowl ready for taxidermy
Out-of-state hunters welcome

Ship your bird to us

We accept frozen waterfowl from across the country. Follow these steps and your bird will arrive in the shape we need to make a great mount.

Ship to:
Stehling's Taxidermy
730 Eastern Ave
Jefferson, WI 53549

After-hours drop-off available — call or text 920-650-7800 to coordinate.

  1. Ship Monday or Tuesday only. Use FedEx or UPS, 2-Day Air or 3-Day Select.
  2. Wrap each bird in plastic (Ziploc or garbage bag) to contain any thaw moisture.
  3. Pack in a sturdy box with crushed newspaper, peanuts, or rolled insulation.
  4. Include a tag for each bird with your name, contact, species, and any pose notes or photos.
  5. Tape securely and ship. We'll confirm receipt and follow up with next steps.
  6. Migratory bird tag required by law — print one from the WI DNR or use the federal form.
Ready when you are

Let's build the mount you'll point to for decades

Tell us about the bird, the hunt, and how you want to remember it. We'll handle the rest.

Begin Your Waterfowl Mount →Call (920) 650-7800