Mini Courses are designed for those students who desire to specialize in one area or who are not able to attend the full eight or 10 week courses. Training is just as intense as in the full and extended courses and there are no short cuts taken. There is a difference in the quantity of mounts finished. Procedures required for the shorter courses are the same as those described in the full eight and ten week extended courses. The full eight week and extended 10 week course , if you have the time , is your best value, dollar spent for education. In these classes you receive a paasche airbrush with your tool kit: in the mini courses it would not be possible for us to provide you with this piece of equipment in your tool kit. You may however purchase one for your own use if you so desire.

Two Week Bird Course

     Two Migratory Waterfowl and Two Upland Gamebirds is the minimum to be mounted, one of each flying and standing with simple habitat. Procedures covered will include, grading and checking the bird, choosing a pose, measurements, skinning and fleshing with a wire wheel bird flesher and scissors. All birds are true tanned, students will be learning to use artificial heads, bird anatomy and proper posing using reference photographs, disquising support wires, and pulling off difficult poses, repairing broken bones. Students may incorporate a bird into a habitat scene,

say a chukar with a bobcat. Mounts that you will be proud to display in your showroom. $1,700. If a student is advancedthey may choose to mount more birds ( If they have the time to do so, at their added expense of course) .Recent graduates mounted the following in a two week period:

Diving Canvasback going after a crawdad in a water scene, Strutting Turkey on habitat base, flying Mallard Drake, Blue Goose standing in cornfield,

Scaup running on the water with splash, Preening woody drake , Pheasant rooster on fence post.

The two week fish course consists of mounting 4-5 skin mounts and a fiberglass reproduction fish. Students will learn to use artificial water, make splashes, ripples, ice and snow, also one of the fish will be mounted in a swimming pose, pedestal water scene. Students will learn specimen evaluation, measurements, form selection, seam methods, fin repairs, and alterations.  Proper eye setting, scale duplication, installing mouth cups and artificial heads, use of stencils will be included.  If desired students may incorporate a fish into a habitat scene, say with a mink. Students will true tan all fish and finish with Polytranspar Lacquer Airbrush paints. $1,700 .Lg.Mouth Bass mounted by Lewis McGraw, Fins and Feathers Taxidermy.  We have some students mount as many as 8 skin mounts in two weeks. It depends on you. You can be as creative as you want. If you have an idea of what you would like to recreate, we can show you how to do it.

Terry Baker just finished the fish course, Terry also works with motorcycles,

You might have heard of him. Cycle Works, Urbana, Illinois. 937-652-1755. Terry has not chosen a name for his taxidermy shop as yet, he is still hunting for a name and a moose. He plans on returning for the gamehead course. You betcha!...

Jason Donovan took our 2 week fish course and 2 week bird course, He is now doing business as Donovans Taxidermy, located at 773 Church St. ,Jacksonville, Illinois 62650. 217-479-8763. Check our this work!

The two week gamehead mini-course is specially designed for those students who desire to mount great whitetail shoulder mounts. Procedures covered will include mannikin preparation, and alteration techniques, proper measurements, skinning , fleshing and tanning with Lutan-F and LiquaTan Oil. We only use the best materials and supples on the market today. Students will be fully educated in tanning methods and will tan their specimens.

We teach proper use of earliners, nose septums, jawsets, sculpting and sewing methods, grooming hair patterns, proper use and interpretation of reference photos. Students will also mount a small mammal pedestal mount with an open mouth and a habitat base. Mounts will be finished with Polytranspar Lacquer air brush paints. $1,700 , approximately 100 hours.

Students will also be viewing videos on mounting Antelope, Elk, Moose, Sheep, Wild Boar and Black Bear. We want to students to take in all of the information that they can in the time allowed.

Students have access to the internet and our reference library to make copies of our reference photos and make up their own album of photos for each specimen mounted. We also have copies of the Breakthrough and Taxidermy Today magazine dating from back in 1993.

In the two week lifesize course, students will mount a open mouth rug and a lifesize mammal in a habitat scene. Some students have even had

time to mount a small mammal such as a mink and a coyote shoulder in the same class. We do not hold you back. Mount all you can.

Students will learn mannikin preparation and alteration, proper measurements, ordering forms, earliner installation, jawset installation, proper eye setting, skinning and fleshing methods. All specimens are true tanned with Lutan-F and LiquaTan Oil. Students are taught sewing methods, grooming hair patterns, use of reference photos, building bases and realistic habitat scenes, finishing with Polytranspar Lacquer Airbrush Paints. $1,700approximately 100 hours.

Bobcat and pheasants mounted by Carl Bernhart, Altoona, Illinois

  Justin Cutler recently finished his Mammal

and Gamehead training. He came to us from Bennington, Vermont. Cutler's Creations, you can reach

him at 802-733-2138.

Andy Pedigo, of Lafayette,In

really enjoyed his gamehead course. He will be opening up his gamehead business

soon and plans to return for our Bird course later on this year. You can talk with

Andy about his training experience at 265-742-8986

Sometimes , we set up a booth at the deer classics to advertise the school and show off the students work.

We have actually had experienced taxidermists come up to the booth and challenge us on the fact that the mounts on display are actually students first mounts produced in the classroom. Of course the mounts on display are backed up by each student right there with his own showing off of his or her work, and business card . We offer them elaborately embroidered school shirts and a place on the booth wall or table to expose an advertise themselves and their quality of work they have accomplished. The pieces on display are not the teachers. They are actual first mounts done in the classroom. Mitch Montgomery's first turkey mount completed at the school. Call of the Wild Taxidermy, Newton, Ia. 641-792-2628. Right out of high school, Mitch knew what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. This talented young man already has a successful business after 2 years.

.

 Todd Fawcett, Galesburg, Illinois, 309-342-9636.

Todd completed the two week gamehead course, mounting two

whitetails and this awesome coyote shoulder mount.

Marty Sommers

Marty came to us for the gamehead course from

Williamsburg, Missouri and mounted two deer and a fox

shoulder mount in just two weeks.

.

Annie Ashworth from Eaton, Ohio just emailed me and has chosen a name for her new shop. Sporting Life Taxidermy , you can contact her at 937-533-6656 In just two weeks with no prior experience she mounted a Ross Goose, landing in a corn field. A Snow Goose standing in the snow. A Flying Pheasant, A Drake Black Duck, A hanging dead mount very large Canada Goose on an old barn door. and a Bluefill running on the water. Photos to follow soon.

Jesse Nation, from Bloomfield, Kentucky, just finished his Gamehead and Fish classes. He is going to be opening up a shop with a good friend Robert Fischer who is presently taking the Turkey and Bird classes. They will be working together as

Bragging Rights Taxidermy, you can reach them at 502-252-1223 or 660-665-8109 Robert mounted a strutt turkey and a gobbling turkey on the roost, and then he mounted two flying pheasants and a diving bluebill duck , all in just two weeks.

Jesse mounted Large mount bass jumping, chasing and swimming in three of the neatest mounts ever, a crappie , and bluegill

yellow perch and walleye reproduction mount , all in just two weeks. Photos to follow soon.

Tom Lukes just finished his two week fish class and is going to go into business with his brother Curt who has previously taken the bird and gamehead courses. Tom mounted a few yellow perch, crappie, large mouth bass in a splach scene, ice fishing scene on the crappie . You can reach them at Wild Impressions Taxidermy , North Liberty, Ia. and Waterloo, Ia.

319-290-6595 or 319-415-6599. photos to follow soon.

Matt Dittbenner is presently taking the 10 week course. He started out in the fish class with Tom and Jesse and then took the bird class with Chuck Hopper and Annie Ashworth, now his latest accomplishments are so awesome, he mounted two turkeys with Robert Fischer, one strutting and one gobbling on the roost, he also mounted flying mallards and pheasants.

Matt has not chosen a name for his business as yet but he is just now starting the gamehead and mammal classes. He is from Bloomington, Illinois and you can bet that his wildlife artist is going to go far from what he has already done so far.