Should you require the services of a taxidermist – and you might be suprised to discover how many people actually do – you need barely step out of our immediate area to find quite a number of them.
There are approximately 8,000 licensed taxidermists nationwide, and while specific numbers aren’t readily available, in the Northeast – which includes states with active hunting and fishing cultures – the demand for taxidermy services tends to be higher.
Combining century-old techniques with state-of-the-art technology, the Brewster firm of Jonas Brothers Studios (which also goes under the trading name of The Pepi Family Studio), has been in business since 1908. The firm runs the gamut of taxidermy services, “from arranging excursions to displaying the finished prize, as well as everything in between.” It is also one of the few United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)- and European Union (EU)-certified taxidermy companies in the country, which means it can import and work on all trophies from European and international hunters. (For the record, it is entirely legal to have your pet or legally-killed animal stuffed after it has died it, although states may have individual regulations regarding animal remains and the use of certain chemicals in the taxidermy process.
Works by Jonas Brothers can be found in the American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan, George Eastman Museum in Rochester and Ripley’s Believe it or Not museums nationwide, as well as the Melbourne Museum in Carlton, Australia.
Another taxidermy business of repute is Fox Studios Taxidermy in Cold Spring.
“Fox is the man. He did a 10-point whitetail for me – came out fabulous,” is just one of several online rave reviews for Kurt Fox, who for nearly 55 years has been producing both head and life-size animal mounts, birds and rugs. Another reviewer recounts how he traveled a long distance to have his 45-year-old parrot preserved, noting how he was “blown away by Kurt’s kindness and compassion.”
With alligator, buffalo and zebra – all, of course, preserved – adorning the studio, Fox Taxidermy also offers a rental service for themed events and film production, which yields another revenue stream.
According to industry sources, full-time taxidermists can make between $30,000 to $100,000 annually, depending on demand and expertise, but many firms, like Jonas Brothers and Fox Studios, have branched out to offer far more than traditional taxidermy services.
Based in West Paterson, New Jersey, Wildlife Preservations (WP) goes far beyond works of taxidermy. Most notably, the company offers natural history exhibit services, creating dramatic models, sculptures and animal recreations for prestigious clients that include the American Museum of Natural History and Harvard University’s Museum of Comparative Zoology.
Headed by founder George Dante, Wildlife Preservations also builds botanicals, ground forms, artificial rockwork and complete simulated environments. And not resting on its considerable laurels, in recent years it expanded the business to embrace interior design – creating dramatic interiors and exteriors for hotels and resorts, restaurants and retail spaces. Wildlife Preservations extends its services to approximately 400 private clients annually.
All proving that, while a stag’s head for the dining room wall or immortalizing Rex or Kitty may be the common perception of taxidermy, the industry – which has been generating around $650 million annually in recent years, with steady growth predicted – is far more substantial than mere stuffing.
