Montana School of Taxidermy and Tanning

Commercial Taxidermy, Tanning, and Advanced Habitat Courses

The oldest commercial taxidermy school in the Northwest

The cornerstones of success start with sound training in three major areas: taxidermy (big game, birds, fish), tanning, and advanced habitat. Mastering all three of these disciplines in today's modern era of taxidermy are the keys to success.

The business of taxidermy has many pitfalls and misconceptions. Most taxidermists think the key to offsetting the increased cost of high priced forms, tanning, and shipping is to simply raise prices. But this philosophy rarely works, except to further separate you from your customers. Becoming a more proficient business is the answer. Learning to tan is a huge step in the right direction. Tanning in-house not only saves you money on shipping and turnaround time, but enables you to do custom tanning on your clients' skins.

We also teach form making because it can save you hundreds of thousands of dollars over the course of your career as a professional taxidermist. Basic form making is easy, and is something you should start in the early stages of your taxidermy career. By the time your business is up and going you will have made several molds and can start pouring in-house, saving thousands of dollars.

With these steps, you will have laid the groundwork to become a lasting taxidermy business, independent of expensive tanneries and form companies.

Overall, the taxidermy industry is healthy and growing, but in the past fifteen years there have been significant changes. The quality and diversity of commercial taxidermy is better than ever and the demand on wildlife has never been greater.

Today's sportman travels further and hunts a diversity of big game throughout North America, Canada, Alaska, and Africa. That same sportsman no longer asks his local taxidermist to do the same old mount with no frills, but instead demands wildlife art, with lifelike dioramas, and a beautiful habitat.

The Montana School of Taxidermy and Tanning teaches the three cornerstones of modern taxidermy better than anyone else. Our taxidermy class is complete; we leave nothing out. Students are encouraged to do as many mounts as possible. One particular student did seven shoulder mounts, ten fish, ten birds, two lifesize mounts, and one rug. Many students in each class mount five shoulder mounts and numerous fish and birds.

Our innovative tanning course, taught during the big game course and in a separate tanning class in March, teaches the most advanced tanning methods ever developed, and provides students with the independence of doing their own in-house tanning.

The new Advanced Habitat class added during our 2003 curriculum is taught by Jeff Welch. Jeff has over 40 years experience doing advanced habitat from North America to African dioramas. This new innovative block of instruction is without doubt the most advanced, complete habitat course ever offered. We added how to make and use the newest method of habitat: rock panel.

If you need any more reasons to decide which taxidermy school to pick from, consider our small class size (5-8) and attending school in the beautiful state of Montana.

Our courses are difficult and challenging, but in the long run, if you aspire to become a competent taxidermist, a cut above the rest, one that offers your clients better, more realistic mounts with custom habitat, then this is the course for you.