Does anyone know of any taxidermy school or classes in Eastern Washington? Something I have always wanted to do.
There's a school in Missoula, but unless you're ready to quit your day job and go full time, I suggest finding a local taxi that will give you lessons for a fee. It won't be cheap.
I had a life long desire to learn too. Back in the early 80's, I actually got thrown out of several taxidermy shops after inquiring about getting lessons. It was REALLY guarded back then, and there were no DVD's or videos, or internet. Finally, a guy in Yuba City California let me in his shop and actually let me loiter for 30-40 minutes at a time before he would send me on my way. I offered to do odd jobs for him, anything to keep myself in the shop to snoop at what he was doing. Finally, after much nagging, he taught me to do a duck and a pheasant. He subsequently showed me the door after the lessons, saying "ok, now go home and practice". I learned very quickly that I despised doing birds. All I really wanted to do was game heads. Fast forward 20 years... I luckily found a local taxi here in Seattle who was willing to give me the lessons I wanted. I learned game heads, and life size, and paid more than 3k over 2 years (weekends). Tools and stuff to practice on will also set you back many hundreds. I suggest that you check out taxidermy.net, and subscribe to Breakthrough. Snoop around some, and see what may come of it.
One thing to keep in mind, there is a whole lot more to taxidermy than plastering a cape around a form and sewing it up. It takes a lot of dedication and diligence to get it right. I no longer have the time to dedicate myself to the art. Someday, when I retire from my day job, I'll take it back up, but I'll never be more than a hobbyist. Good luck to you.
