any taxidermists?

jrpark22000

jrpark22000

Premium member
Seeing if there are any pro or semi pro taxidermists in the crowd.

Long story short, for the last 8+ years we have had a new generation each year of a red fox family denning in our back yard. It's quite nice to watch them grow up, catching squirrels, and watching them interact. Prob 3 years ago I watched 3 coyotes kill one of the previous year’s kits. I couldn't put myself to let the beautiful fur go to waste so I tanned it. I know how much work it is doing it and how hard fox furs are to do well and not sure I want to put in the 20 hours to do it right.
Onto today, I found one of this year’s kits killed in the back yard. It's small and whatever killed it was able to bite across both sides of the back. Without a tag, it's likely illegal to take it to a shop to have tanned, but I'm not familiar with IN hunting laws as I hunt in MI.

Anyone have any idea what a shop would charge to just tan the pelt? Or if there is a clause in the law that would even allow it?
 
I know in Il if you find a dead deer you can contact the DNR and they will in most cases come out or issue a tag for you to legally posses the rack. If you are found with a green fur or hide in your possession out of season with out proper liecences / tags your pretty much screwed.
 
Top Water said:
I know in Il if you find a dead deer you can contact the DNR and they will in most cases come out or issue a tag for you to legally posses the rack. If you are found with a green fur or hide in your possession out of season with out proper liecences / tags your pretty much screwed.
Click to expand...

Yep, that's exactly how it was in MI. Usually happened if you hit a deer with a car, they'd issue you a tag to keep the animal but depending on the area, they'd take the rack. I imagine fur bearer would be different, not even sure if there's a way to keep it legally.

IN DNR office is only open M-F 8-4, so I can't reach out to them today.
 
Thanks John. I did an hour of searching through the regs too. I just couldn't find anything covering salvage of animals other than deer.
I'm even allowed to euthanize the animals without a permit as they are burrowing in the yard, but that's not my intent. At most my license and stamp would be $34. I’m for supporting the DNR, but don’t really want to waste the $, I already support enough DNRs.

http://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/3363.htm
"Resident landowners and tenants can live-trap a red fox that is causing damage on their own property without a permit from the DNR. The fox must be euthanized or released within the county of capture on property in which you have permission. In order to prevent the spread of disease, the DNR encourages homeowners to safely and humanely euthanize the foxes, if possible."
 
I had a taxidermist do a full adult mount for me for $350, it's mounted sitting up with its tail wrapped around the front of him. About the same situation as u, u just gotta find a taxidermist up by u that dose all animals. A lot of them only do deer and turkeys. Good luck with it all.
 
Aabjones888 said:
I had a taxidermist do a full adult mount for me for $350, it's mounted sitting up with its tail wrapped around the front of him. About the same situation as u, u just gotta find a taxidermist up by u that dose all animals. A lot of them only do deer and turkeys. Good luck with it all.
Click to expand...

Thanks Brandon. I'm justt looking to get it tanned into a pelt. Hopefully $150, but I have no idea local pricing and try to find someone who'd take on such a job.
 
madjoe said:
Poor red fox
Click to expand...

Yeah, the wife and I joke they are our Red Dogs. They're always in the back yard farting around, eating bird seed or just trying to play with our smaller dog. The fox are scared (for good reason) of our male husky. We finished eating breakfast this morning and looked out the window to see a small red clump in the back... it stinks but it's the way it happens in nature.

I'm just not fond of coyotes. It had to be a large carnivour to kill the little guy lke this, so either a big dog (unlikely as fox run too damm fast) or a coyote pack.
 
Agreed, foxes are awesome to watch, especially after a snow and u c a few foxes out playing in it. One of the ones that we used to watch out the kitchen window also got killed by something. That's how I ended up getting mine. Way to pretty to just let go to waste.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top