MyFishFinder Forum
The Fisherman's Wharf => Off-Topic => Topic started by: 1tigger on Jul 11, 2006, 09:41 AM
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Just curious to see how many of you are taxidermy enthusiasts !
Just took on the hobby this fall and I'm loving it !
I'm not one that's known to have much in the patients department but this is a hobby that I really do enjoy and Don't mind taking the extra time .
It's so cool to see the fish come back to life with each coat of paint and very rewarding to to see the end result !
This should be another thread !!!
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I think it would be a great thing to do and would be alot of fun...I just think I'd be terrible at it!!! :-\ ;D
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I think it would be a great thing to do and would be alot of fun...I just think I'd be terrible at it!!! :-\ ;D
I thought the same thing until I tried it !
It really is no big deal . It's a lot easier than most people think .
If I had known how easy it really was I would have started a long time ago .
The initial investment for the equipment can be costly but once you have the tools of the trade as long as you keep them clean and maintain them they will last a long time before you have to replace anything .
The key is take your time and don't cheat any steps to the process .
There is certainly an art to it though .
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I gave it a crack when I was about 19. It was cool, but I got a little tired of killing the local wildlife just so I would have something to practice on. I did one of those school by mail deals. They did a good job of teaching, I just wasn't into the waste it would have required to get really good. No dis on you however, it really was fun. And a truly gifted taxidermist is worth his weight in backstraps to anyone who can afford to have the work done.
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The nice thing is you don't have to rely on local wildlife any more ! There are companies the you can buy specimens from now . I hooked up with a local D.E.C. officer and he will call once in a while to see if I can use a roadkill or fish that was confiscated .
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A program like that is a great idea....My former father-N-law use to stop if he saw roadkill and it if was not to bange dup he would take it how to have it stuffed, he was a non hunter but loved animals and had a house filled with wildlife, you would have never been able to tell they were roadkill
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There should be enough road kill to supply anyone who wants to learn. any size from a chipmunk on up. I had a cousin learn the art that way. Good Luck
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There should be enough road kill to supply anyone who wants to learn. any size from a chipmunk on up. I had a cousin learn the art that way. Good Luck
Ya'll gotta remember that the yocals in some parts consider them some good vittles and it'd be hard to get someone to give em up. The only stuffing they want them for is stuffing their bellies ;D ;D
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Haha I know a guy that eats roadkill :)
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ive eaten a roadkill deer....i hit it...does that make me a yocal???
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ive eaten a roadkill deer....i hit it...does that make me a yocal???
Nope.
You guys know I was just jokin..& maybe pickin on the PA boys a little after AdkRoy's post a while back ;D ;D
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Haha I know a guy that eats roadkill :)
Now you know two------ and so........ :D
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ive eaten a roadkill deer....i hit it...does that make me a yocal???
If you hit it, you can eat it. If not, ya er ah yocal!
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ok..thanks for clearing that up..i thought maybe that would be the last time i ever admitted that .lol.
my buddy tans all his hides himself...its pretty cool..he'll pick up dead foxes every now and then but for the most part just stuff he shoots..its great for me being a fly tier and all...i get tons and tons of materials from him.
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Here is another good use for roadkill .....Mepps pays 16cents to 26cents for squirrle tails and 25cents for whitetail deer tails, they will double your payment if you take payment in lures instead of cash.
http://www.mepps.com/mepps/information/squirrels/ (http://www.mepps.com/mepps/information/squirrels/)
I found this a few years back, it's good link, they explain how to properly dry and ship the tails/
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I think I'm gonna have to break the old BB gun outta retirement.... ;) Payment in Lures... Heck Yeah...
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I have been starting taxidermy for the last 8 years. Got some tools, videos, books and learned all i could. Found out I don't have much artistic ability. Did make a nice squirrel mount. looked exactly like a squirrel hit by a car. Would have one first place if that was the look i was going for. I even went to the convention in syracuse a last year. Just don't have the time or space to dedicate to it like i want.
I did make some awsome chipmunk rugs. I know that sounds dumb, but they are very nice lookin critters. They are the perrfect size for making drink coasters. ;D
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Here is another good use for roadkill .....Mepps pays 16cents to 26cents for squirrle tails and 25cents for whitetail deer tails, they will double your payment if you take payment in lures instead of cash.
http://www.mepps.com/mepps/information/squirrels/ (http://www.mepps.com/mepps/information/squirrels/)
I found this a few years back, it's good link, they explain how to properly dry and ship the tails/
Thanks for the link i wont throw them away now.
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I have been starting taxidermy for the last 8 years. Got some tools, videos, books and learned all i could. Found out I don't have much artistic ability. Did make a nice squirrel mount. looked exactly like a squirrel hit by a car. Would have one first place if that was the look i was going for. I even went to the convention in syracuse a last year. Just don't have the time or space to dedicate to it like i want.
I did make some awsome chipmunk rugs. I know that sounds dumb, but they are very nice lookin critters. They are the perrfect size for making drink coasters. ;D
LOL how much do you charge for the chipmunk coasters? I have about 20 that i would give you.
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Tucker
Don't give up now !
If you have the equipment keep practicing .
You can repaint & remount .
The hard part is over now all you have to is perfect what you're doing .
If they can sell rabbits with horns you can sell squirrels that look like they were hit by a car .
Not bustin on ya at all they need things like that for movie props and SUPER BOWL COMMERCIALS !
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LOL how much do you charge for the chipmunk coasters? I have about 20 that i would give you.
Don't laugh you might be surprised what they would do if they were marketed rite and put on a wood bottom with a little felt !
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LOL how much do you charge for the chipmunk coasters? I have about 20 that i would give you.
Aren't Chipmunks protected???
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not in michigan...they have no closed season or limit. they can fill a boring day. ::)
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Aren't Chipmunks protected???
Just tried to find an answer for you and all I could find was they are not protected by any federal laws but some states require a permit to dispose of them and only if they are causing damage .
So get to makin those coasters ! :rotflol:
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WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE
Alvin the chipmunk A.K.A. Al
Wanted for the destruction of garden plants, seedlings and general mischief.
Last seen high tailing across the backyard
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WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE
Alvin the chipmunk A.K.A. Al
Wanted for the destruction of garden plants, seedlings and general mischief.
Last seen high tailing across the backyard
LOL How much it the reward I'm a master at killing them. I do cheat though.
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I have not tried taxidermy but would love to. I have 6 fish mounted from the passed 5 years. I'm still looking for a nice musky, walleye and another 40+ king salmon. I have an oldsqua duck a the taxidermist right now. I can't wait to see it when it comes back.
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lucky basstard...oldsquaws are my unicorns...for one i never see them ...second when i do i miss.lol. they are not to common in my neck of the woods. id love to see the pic when you get that back.
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I called the dec about chipmunks last squirrel season. They are not considered a squirrel but a nusuice rodent. They are open to hunt all year and no possession limit, sort of like rats or mice. I wish i had a picture of them but i gave 4 of the "coasters" to my mother in law and she said she "lost" them. :'(
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I called the dec about chipmunks last squirrel season. They are not considered a squirrel but a nusuice rodent. They are open to hunt all year and no possession limit, sort of like rats or mice. I wish i had a picture of them but i gave 4 of the "coasters" to my mother in law and she said she "lost" them. :'(
I think I would put some more together !
You would be surprised how many people get into novelty items like that .
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Ive been doing fish taxidermy for the past four years, as a hobby.
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Ive been doing fish taxidermy for the past four years, as a hobby.
Do you use the filler method or forms ?
I use forms but some say it's easier to fill . I don't know how it would be . It seems to be a lot more work .
I get most of my things from Wasco But I'm looking for a new place to get my borax from so I can get a better quantity and price .
I also use polytranspar paints only ! I have tried some of the other pints but don't care for the end results of the colors .
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Do you use the filler method or forms ?
I use forms but some say it's easier to fill . I don't know how it would be . It seems to be a lot more work .
I get most of my things from Wasco But I'm looking for a new place to get my borax from so I can get a better quantity and price .
I also use polytranspar paints only ! I have tried some of the other pints but don't care for the end results of the colors .
Ive only done filler, but wnat to do the forms. Are the forms pretty easy? With the filler, the problem is when you place the filler in, its hard to hold the fishes shape the way you want it.IM still working on perfecting it, as i only do one a year or so. My uncle taught me all of it, and what he does sometime with the filler, is make styrofoam forms himself, put filler around it to fill in the holes, and also filler in any crevice the form might not cover, ex, cheeks, eyesockits, and the tip of the tail. Try vandykes, they have an endless amount of supplies, and will send you a huge magazine of their products, for fish, and animals. I only do the hand painting. Never tried airbrush. Heres vandykes website http://www.vandykestaxidermy.com/, they have all kinds of supplies in all quantities
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Ive only done filler, but wnat to do the forms. Are the forms pretty easy? With the filler, the problem is when you place the filler in, its hard to hold the fishes shape the way you want it.IM still working on perfecting it, as i only do one a year or so. My uncle taught me all of it, and what he does sometime with the filler, is make styrofoam forms himself, put filler around it to fill in the holes, and also filler in any crevice the form might not cover, ex, cheeks, eyesockits, and the tip of the tail. Try vandykes, they have an endless amount of supplies, and will send you a huge magazine of their products, for fish, and animals. I only do the hand painting. Never tried airbrush. Heres vandykes website http://www.vandykestaxidermy.com/, they have all kinds of supplies in all quantities
I have used them and several other suppliers .
If you haven't tried an airbrush you really should . I feel the outcome is a much better result and sooo much faster .
As for the forms yes they are easier and a lot less messy and are a lot faster .
They dry faster and are a lot easier getting the skin to do what you want .
In my opinion forms produce a much better mount too .
I'm sure you will get mixed opinions on this but this is what I have found .
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Just like most of taxidermy, different states have different regs. After that cwd was brought into this state and spread at a taxidermist shop, many taxidermists are a bit confused on the new regs. Don't even consider doing anything with waterfowl unless you get all the permits. Even if you are doing animals for your own mounts, keep any and all records you have on them, dates, pictures, filled out tags. I don't think the dec has the same restictions like the police, they don't need as much probable cause to do searches for game animal violations. This is what I heard when I was learning taxidermy. Don't get me wrong, they are not doing it to be jerks but to protect the natural resources of our state which is a very noble cause. But you also don't want to be fined because of a technicality.
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No birds here !
I havent tried them yet . The only thing I do is fish and fur and thats for myself but I do record everything .
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does anyone have a simple way to do furs. Id like to try some rabbit furs. I want them to be soft like the ones they sell in the stores. I think you have to tan them. Is there an easy way to go about that?
i only do fish to as of right now
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does anyone have a simple way to do furs. Id like to try some rabbit furs. I want them to be soft like the ones they sell in the stores. I think you have to tan them. Is there an easy way to go about that?
i only do fish to as of right now
You can buy kits from Wasco Taxidermy or most any taxidermy supply house .
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you can buy tanning kits..but its been my experience that they dont work so well... its a process the conventional way but thats by far the best.
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I have heard the animals brains are a good way too but I havent tried that and I'm not sure I will .
Sounds like more work than it's worth and the smell is enough to turn me away from that process .
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yea ive been looking at the kits, they do a whole deer skin, or the equivilent in smaller ones. It comes with directions too. I may give it a shot?
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I would not start off with rabbits. there skin is sooooooo thin and it rips very easy. When you get it in the solution for tanning the skin is now very slimy and thin, bad combination to start off with.
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The process of tanning goes something like this. Flesh, degrease if necessary and salt to remove moisture and some proteins in the skin. Then you have to pickle the skin in a low ph solution to remove soluble proteins from to stop the rotting process. Then you have to neutrilize the acid or it will eat up the tissue. Then you have to add a tanning oil to the skin to replace the proteins that you have removed. Then you have to let dry and then work the skin for hours to get it soft. It is a very rewarding process when you get done with it.
There is a whole discussion group run by wasco on their website for those wanting to know more. It is very interesting reading for those not interested.
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alright thanks
im working on a bass this week, ill post some pics