JHolst, Anybody can learn to do Taxidermy…….But what people don’t realize is, to do it right does take a lot of hard work, and knowledge and Time. When you figure out how much time that you put into doing a mount, you are not really making very much per hour, considering the price that most Taxidermists charge for their work. I said that anybody can learn to do Taxidermy, well basic Taxidermy, and this is true, but Taxidermy is an art form, and not all artists are created equal. Remember that some people can draw or paint beautiful realistic paintings, while other people have a hard time trying to draw stick people. Not only do you need knowledge of Taxidermy, but also knowledge of the anatomy, and good reference material of the animal that you are trying to mount, if you want to depict it in a realistic lifelike manner.
I liked the Breakthrough Wildlife Manual Book series at W.A.S.C.O. (Wildlife Artist Supply Company) They offer a lot of good information on Taxidermy. But please check out your State’s Taxidermy Association. If you are really interested in Taxidermy, join up. You will learn a lot through meetings, training seminars, and when you are ready through Taxidermy Competitions. Good Luck.
Here is their web site
http://www.taxidermy.com/