Taxidermist Reviews & Comparisons
"You carried it out
of the woods. We make sure
it never leaves the room."
Honest, side-by-side reviews from hunters who trusted different taxidermists with their most prized harvests — so your next choice is an informed one.
Scroll
247+
Verified Reviews
89
Taxidermists Rated
4
Species Categories
6
Avg. Wait Months
Whitetail Shoulder MountsFull-Body WaterfowlEuropean Skull PlatesTurkey Fan MountsFish ReplicasBear Full-BodyElk Shoulder MountsPheasant Full-BodyPedestal MountsCoyote Life-SizeWhitetail Shoulder MountsFull-Body WaterfowlEuropean Skull PlatesTurkey Fan MountsFish ReplicasBear Full-BodyElk Shoulder MountsPheasant Full-BodyPedestal MountsCoyote Life-Size
Case Studies
Three harvests. Three decisions.
Three verdicts you can trust.
Each case study follows the same three beats: the harvest, the mount decision, and the verdict. No shop paid for placement. No star was inflated.
Whitetail Buck—157⅜" B&C typical
Exceptional01
The Harvest
Hunter
Travis Kowalski
Location
Calhoun County, Iowa
Date
November 3, 2025
Weapon
Compound bow, 31-yard shot
02
The DecisionTaxidermist
Ridgeline Wildlife Studio, Des Moines, IA
Mount Style
Semi-sneak shoulder mount
Form Used
McKenzie Supreme Series, altered nose profile
Pose
Head angled 15° left, ears half-alert
Reference Photos
Yes — 14 field photos, 3 cape detail shots provided
Pricing Paid
$685 (shoulder mount, competition finish)
03
The Verdictquality
communication
turnaround
pricing
"The glass eyes he sourced were custom-painted to match the reference photos exactly. You forget, for a second, that it isn't looking back at you."
Custom eye painting matched field photos
Form alteration added $85 but worth it
42-week wait — communicated proactively
42 weeks turnaround
Mallard Drake—Fully-plumed greenhead, December coloration
Outstanding01
The Harvest
Hunter
Darnell Okafor
Location
Stuttgart, Arkansas
Date
December 18, 2025
Weapon
Benelli SBE3, 28-yard crossing shot
02
The DecisionTaxidermist
Delta Waterfowl Artistry, Stuttgart, AR
Mount Style
Full-body flying mount, left bank
Form Used
WASCO Flying Drake, no alteration
Pose
Wings cupped, feet down — landing approach
Reference Photos
Yes — 7 photos, video of live bird footage shared
Pricing Paid
$480 (full-body flying)
03
The Verdictquality
communication
turnaround
pricing
"Six months. He texted me a progress photo at the feather-setting stage. When I unwrapped it, my wife — who barely tolerates the mounts — stopped and said it was beautiful."
24-week turnaround on full-body waterfowl
Mid-process photo at feather-setting stage
Bill coloration matched December drake precisely
24 weeks turnaround
Mule Deer Buck—168" B&C non-typical
Best Value01
The Harvest
Hunter
Cassidy Renner
Location
Meade County, South Dakota
Date
October 12, 2025
Weapon
Rifle, .30-06, 210-yard shot
02
The DecisionTaxidermist
High Plains Bone Works, Rapid City, SD
Mount Style
European skull plate, antlers natural
Form Used
N/A — skull cleaned via maceration
Pose
Wall-hanging, antler spread forward
Reference Photos
Field photo provided for reference only
Pricing Paid
$145 (European skull plate, maceration method)
03
The Verdictquality
communication
turnaround
pricing
"Eight weeks, $145, and the skull is museum-quality white. Not bleached white — natural white. The antler bases still show the September velvet staining."
8-week turnaround — fastest reviewed
Maceration preserved natural bone color
Velvet staining at antler bases retained
8 weeks turnaround
+19 more case studies in the full comparison guide — including exotics, fish replicas, and competition-grade mounts.
Download the complete guideSide-by-Side Comparison
Six taxidermists. One table.
Sort by what matters to you.
Click any column header to sort. Turnaround in weeks — lower is faster.
| Taxidermist | Specialty | Quality | Comms | Wait ↕ | Pricing | Overall | Price Range | Eyes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
High Plains Bone WorksBest Value Rapid City, SD 44 reviews | European mounts | 8w | 5.0 | $95–$185 | N/A | |||
Delta Waterfowl ArtistryEditor's Pick Stuttgart, AR 61 reviews | Ducks, Geese | 24w | 4.8 | $380–$650 | Hand-painted glass | |||
Ridgeline Wildlife StudioTop Quality Des Moines, IA 38 reviews | Whitetail, Elk | 42w | 4.5 | $550–$900 | Custom-painted | |||
Cascade Game Art Medford, OR 29 reviews | Fish, Waterfowl | 30w | 4.2 | $420–$900 | Acrylic replica eyes | |||
Lone Star Wildlife Mounts Boerne, TX 55 reviews | Whitetail, Exotics | 36w | 3.9 | $480–$850 | Semi-custom glass | |||
Northwoods Trophy Arts Rhinelander, WI 22 reviews | Bear, Turkey, Whitetail | 52w | 3.2 | $700–$1,400 | Stock glass |
Ratings aggregated from verified hunter submissions. Turnaround based on reported drop-off to pickup dates. Click any row to highlight. Full guide includes 89 taxidermists.
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The Complete
Taxidermist Comparison Guide
22 pages. 89 taxidermists rated across quality, communication, turnaround, and pricing. Organized by species. Written for hunters, not marketing departments.
📋22 full case studies with real harvest details
📊Species-specific turnaround time benchmarks
💬Communication red flags to ask about before drop-off
🔍Form brand comparison: McKenzie vs WASCO vs custom
💰Regional pricing averages by mount type
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Community Reviews
Your harvest deserves
to be on record.
Submit your own taxidermist review. We verify submissions and publish within 7–10 days. The more specific your details, the more useful it is for the next hunter.
What makes a useful review
01Name the taxidermist and their location — exact shop name if possible.
02Give the turnaround in weeks, not "a while" or "forever."
03Note the form brand if you know it — McKenzie, WASCO, or custom.
04Be specific about what impressed or disappointed you.
05Your email is for verification only — never published.
Recent Submissions
Whitetail Shoulder — Ohio
Mallard Full-body — Arkansas
Elk European — Colorado