Edge of The Wild, Taxidermy

When most people hear of someone owning their own business they probably think of a grocery store or restaurant. But when people hear about my dad Robert Fossek’s business they think wildlife art. If you don’t already know what taxidermy is let Robert explain himself, “just a brief description would be art. It's a form of art. Different people have different reasons, for some it's a trophy animal and for other people it would be just to remember a special hunt.” Most businesses are located in a town or heavily populated area but Robert’s business is not; he explained that he had a workshop set up close by. Many people don’t know what taxidermy is and don’t have a chance to glimpse at how extremely impressive it really is.

Taxidermy can get fairly complicated at times and you want to know what you’re doing so your customer is happy with the results. Robert explained that college and training are very helpful but not required. It does however require a license. When asked what made him decide he wanted to start a taxidermy business he responded with merely that he liked the outdoors, hunting, and looking at the animals. I asked what you must to do start a business like taxidermy and his response was that you must recognize that there is a need for your abilities and advertise it.

There are many different kinds of mounts that you can make in taxidermy. Three common ones are a European Mount, Shoulder Mount, and Full Body or Life Size Mount. He explained what all three mounts specifically are. A European Mount is a cleaned skull, a Shoulder Mount is one with the hide from the shoulders forward, and a Full Body or Life Size Mount is one with the whole hide and hooves put onto a styrofoam form with glass eyes.

In most lines of work you have a busiest time of year. A time when sales are up and you are making the most profit. For Robert this time of year is around fall during hunting seasons. Some people are consumed in their work and often spend majority of their time doing nothing but work related things. Robert explains how that is not the case for him, “I do have other hobbies. I enjoy working on my cars and motorcycles. I also enjoy hunting and fishing, trips into the mountains and camping. And a benefit from doing taxidermy is that I can do my own work.” Hopefully with this information from someone who has experience in the taxidermy business it will help you if you ever decide to pursue a career in taxidermy. Personally I think taxidermy would be a good side job or hobby.