New Life Taxidermy Studio

FAQs

1. How long has New life Taxidermy been in business?
We have been in business since 2002 and we began doing taxidermy as a hobby in 2001.

2. Do you tan your hides or use a dry preservative?
All of our mammal mounts are tanned either in house or by one of several highly reputable tanneries. The tans employed by New Life Taxidermy are true tans where the skin is transformed into leather. For birds, dry preservative is THE method of choice as bird skins don't lend themselves well to tanning. Fish skins are preserved using borax or denatured alcohol and water. We believe that these preservation and tanning methods produce the best looking, longest lasting mounts possible.

3. Why does it take up to a year to get my trophy back?
We have a certain amount of backlog that happens over the course of a year. The fall/winter hunting seasons bring in lots of work at one time. Skins have to be prepped for tanning and supplies have to be ordered. Once all the skins are tanned and the supplies are received, we begin assembling the mounts. Once a mount is put together, it must dry before any finish work can be done. This drying period can take anywhere from a week to a month or longer. Once the mount is completely dry, the finishing touches are added. The mount is then ready for pickup by the customer.

4. Can I really expect my mounts to last a lifetime?
With proper care, your mounts should last a lifetime. In fact, we guarantee it. Hanging a mount over a "working" fireplace or placing a mount in direct sunlight will surely shorten the life expectancy of the mount. Mounts should be placed in climate controlled areas and kept free from smoke, dust, cobwebs, etc. Even with the best preservation techniques, dermestid beetles can still destroy a mount. This is no fault of the taxidermist that mounted the animal. Therefore, we cannot guarantee that your mounts will not be damaged be dermestids.

5. What forms of payment are accepted by New Life Taxidermy Studio?
We currently accept cash, check, money order, Visa, Mastercard, and Discover. A returned check fee of $30 will apply to checks returned to us for any reason.

6. Can you do special poses or habitat scenes?
Yes. If you can imagine it, we can probably do it. If you have a reference photo of a live animal, we can match the pose. We will also match the pose of photos of other taxidermists' work if they are anatomically correct and will produce a lifelike mount. As far as habitat scenes, we can produce glass cases, water scenes, coffee tables, you name it. As with other aspects of custom taxidermy work, special alterations to forms and habitat work can get expensive. We will gladly give you an estimate and try to work within the constraints of any budget to bring your trophy to life.

7. I don't live in the Raleigh area, but I would like New Life Taxidermy Studio to mount my trophy. What are my options?
We have shipped mounts all over the country. In fact, we have customers that we have never seen face to face. You can ship your frozen trophy or salted skin and horns to us via FedEX or UPS. Once your mount is complete, we will crate and box your mount and ship it directly to your door. Crated mounts are very securely and sturdily packaged. We also insure mounts that are shipped just in case there is a problem. Crating, shipping, and insurance charges will be quoted before you ever ship your trophy to us. There are some companies that wait until the mount is done to inform the customer of the crating and shipping charges. If you would like, we can mail or email a prepaid FedEx shipping label to you. All you have to do is tape the label to your package and drop it off at any FedEx pickup location. Call for details.

8. Your website looks good, but I'm still having trouble selectig a taxidermist for my trophy.
Selecting the right taxidermist for your trophy is an important decision. We at New Life Taxidermy Studio want you to be completely comfortable with whomever you choose to mount your trophy. I invite you to set up an appointment to come out to the studio and take a look around. You don't even have to bring your trophy with you. We will not pressure you nor will we give you a "sales pitch". We will show you our studio and our work and let you decide for yourself. We also have many satisfied customers that will attest to the quality and value provided by New Life Taxidermy. If you would like references, just let us know. If you have any questions, you can feel free to contact us through email or give us a call at (919)524-8291.

9. Why should I choose a part-time taxidermist over one who does it full-time?
Being full-time does not make someone a better taxidermist than someone who does it part time. There are some World Champion taxidermists that operate their businesses on a part-rime basis. You should not let part-time versus full-time influence your decision on who will mount your trophy. Evaluate a taxidermist based on his or her reputation and take a look at his or her work. Then, you can make an informed decision as to who will mount your trophy.

10. Can you repair/refurbish my old mount?
We can repair and refurbish mounts, no matter who did them originally. While we are not miracle workers, we can inspect your worn or damaged trophy and give you an idea of what can be done to enhance or restore its beauty. Mounts that have been knocked off the wall can also be repaired by New Life Taxidermy. Upon inspection of the trophy, we will give you a quote based on estimated time and materials. If after beginning the repair or restoration of the mount, we determine that more time or materials are needed to get the job done right, we will call you before proceeding further.

11. I would like to purchase a mount for my home/office/business, etc. Do you sell mounts?
From time to time, we have mounts for sale. However, if there is a particular species you are looking for, we can help you locate a mount that is for sale. If we cannot find a mount for you to purchase, we will attempt to locate a specimen to mount for you. We have connections with other taxidermists and tanners around the country that can supply us with most any mount or specimen to suit your needs. Some species, although legally huntable, are not legal for sale as mounted or frozen specimens.