How Much Does Taxidermy Cost?

Updated on August 17, 2026 | Written by Alec Pow
This article was researched using 8 sources. See our methodology and corrections policy.

Professional taxidermy can cost from about $150 to $400 for a simple deer skull or European mount, around $800 to $1,500 for a whitetail shoulder mount, and roughly $3,500 to $7,500 or more for a lifesize deer or black bear. Game birds commonly cost about $300 to $1,900 depending on species and pose, while professional fish work frequently runs around $20 to $40+ per inch.

Large animals can go far beyond those figures. Current specialist price sheets put lifesize elk and moose well into five figures, and elaborate exotic specimens can cost $20,000, $50,000, or even more than $100,000. The useful question is therefore not simply “How much does taxidermy cost?” but what animal, mount style, pose, habitat, and level of finish you are paying for.

The difference between a skull mount, shoulder mount, pedestal, rug, and full-body mount can be thousands of dollars on the same animal. Extras such as an open mouth, detachable antlers, habitat scenery, antler repair, plaques, and rush service can add hundreds or thousands more.

Article Highlights

• Deer skull or European mount: commonly about $150-$400+ (at $30 per hour, earning that amount would take about 0.6 to 1.7 full-time workdays, before taxes).
• Whitetail shoulder mount: roughly $800-$1,500 across current professional examples.
• Whitetail lifesize mount: about $3,500-$7,000+.
• Black bear lifesize: roughly $3,200-$7,500+ in current shop examples.
• Ducks: around $300-$650, while full turkeys commonly run $1,000-$1,900.
• Fish: often about $20-$40+ per inch depending on species and whether it is a skin mount or reproduction.
• Deposit: a 50% upfront payment is common at several current taxidermy studios.

How Much Does Taxidermy Cost?

The table below is a useful 2026 planning guide based on current published taxidermy price sheets. These are not national fixed prices. The same animal can cost considerably more or less depending on the studio, mount style, pose, size, tanning, habitat, and region.

Taxidermy service	Useful current price	Typical pricing method
Deer European/skull mount	$150-$400+ (about 0.6 to 1.7 full-time workdays at $30 per hour)	Fixed price, plaques may cost extra
Whitetail shoulder mount	$800-$1,500	Fixed base price
Black bear shoulder mount	$650-$1,500	Fixed price plus pose upgrades
Elk shoulder mount	$1,200-$3,500	Fixed price
Moose shoulder mount	$2,000-$3,750+	Fixed price, antler options extra
Small mammal lifesize	$675-$2,500+	Species and pose
Whitetail lifesize	$3,500-$7,000+	Species, form, pose, habitat
Black bear lifesize	$3,200-$7,500+	Often affected by bear size
Duck	$300-$650	Species and pose
Turkey full mount	$1,000-$1,900	Standing, flying, strutting
Fish	About $20-$40+/inch	Per inch or species-specific minimum
Large exotic lifesize	$5,000-$50,000+	Species, size, legal specimen, custom quote

Current 2026 examples show the spread clearly. Harvest Moon Taxidermy lists a whitetail shoulder mount at $800, while Hooks & Tines lists $1,025. Peak Taxidermy’s 2026 deer shoulder price is $1,200.

Whitetail Creations currently lists a $850 whitetail shoulder mount, while the latest All-American price sheet lists $1,450. That supports roughly $800-$1,500 as a more useful planning range than one artificial national average.

What You’re Actually Paying For

Taxidermy is not simply “stuffing” an animal. For a conventional mammal mount, the skin is removed and preserved, usually through tanning or another preparation method. The taxidermist selects or alters a manufactured form, fits the skin to it, reconstructs facial features, installs artificial eyes, positions ears and lips, repairs damage, and finishes exposed areas with paint and other materials.

A shoulder mount preserves the head, neck, and part of the upper body. A pedestal extends the composition farther from the wall or places it on a freestanding base. A lifesize mount recreates the complete animal and requires a much larger form, more skin preparation, structural support, fitting, sewing, finishing, and often habitat work.

Birds use their preserved skin and feathers over a recreated body. Fish may use the actual skin or a fiberglass reproduction. Skull mounts remove the skin entirely and focus on cleaning, degreasing, whitening, and displaying the skull and antlers or horns.

Current Deer, Bear, Bird, and Fish

Deer provide the clearest example of how mount style changes the bill. Hooks & Tines’ 2026 price list charges $150 (about 5 hours of work at $30 per hour) for a whitetail European skull, $1,025 for a shoulder mount, $1,185 for a pedestal, and $4,000 for a lifesize mount.

Crescent Taxidermy’s 2026 pricing shows a similar progression: $200 for a whitetail European mount, $900 for a shoulder mount, $1,800 for a pedestal, $2,800 for a half-lifesize mount, and $3,600 for lifesize.

Black bear pricing also varies sharply with presentation. Current examples put ordinary shoulder mounts around $650-$1,500. Peak prices lifesize black bears according to live weight, beginning at $3,500 for a bear up to 100 pounds and reaching $7,000 at 501 pounds or more.

Bird pricing is much smaller in dollar terms but still varies with pose and size. Harvest Moon’s current menu lists ducks at $450, geese at $680, pheasants at $475, and turkeys at $1,350-$1,400. Its bird prices were updated in August 2026.

Fish are often quoted by length rather than as a flat mount price. Current professional shops commonly land around $20-$40+ per inch, although minimums can make small fish more expensive per inch. Our separate guide to fish mounting costs breaks down current skin-mount, replica, pedestal, and habitat prices.

Pedestals, Open Mouths, Habitat

The advertised shoulder price can be just the beginning. Peak Taxidermy currently charges $1,200 for a standard deer shoulder, $1,350 for a wall pedestal, and another $300 for an open mouth. Choosing both the wall pedestal and open mouth produces an illustrative $1,650 subtotal before a plaque or habitat.

Other studios price upgrades as percentages. Harvest Moon adds 15% for a wall pedestal and 25% for a floor pedestal, plus $300 for an open mouth. All-American’s published upgrade schedule adds 15%-25% for a wall pedestal, $450+ for a large-animal open mouth, and prices habitat at 30% of the mount.

That creates a useful worked example. Start with All-American’s $1,450 deer shoulder mount. A 15%-25% wall-pedestal upgrade adds $217.50-$362.50. Add a $450 open mouth and the working subtotal becomes $2,117.50-$2,262.50 before habitat, tax, repairs, delivery, or rush service.

Rush work can add another large percentage. The same price sheet adds 25% for a six-month rush and 50% for a 90-day rush on eligible work. A $1,450 base mount with a 50% rush surcharge becomes $2,175 before any other extras.

Tanning a Hide

One of the easiest taxidermy price mistakes is comparing a tanning quote with a finished mount. Tanning preserves the hide as leather. It does not create a shoulder mount or lifesize animal.

Peak’s current list illustrates the difference. A lifesize bobcat is $2,350, while a tanned bobcat hide is $380. A lifesize coyote is $2,450, while the tanned hide is also $380.

All-American lists a whitetail flat hide at $375 while its deer shoulder mount is $1,450. Its bison tanning rate is $40 per square foot, while a finished bison shoulder mount is $3,750.

Do not compare a $300-$400 hide-tanning quote with a $900-$1,500 shoulder mount. They are different services with very different labor and material requirements.

Protected Birds and Legal Specimens

Not every animal someone finds or possesses can legally be taken to a taxidermist. This is particularly important with birds.

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service says a taxidermist needs a Federal Migratory Bird Taxidermy Permit to perform taxidermy on migratory birds belonging to another person. Lawfully harvested migratory game birds must be properly tagged when left with another person, including a taxidermist.

Protected nongame birds are different. FWS specifically identifies songbirds, hawks, and owls as specimens that cannot ordinarily become private personal mounts. They can be handled under specific government, scientific, educational, or permit situations, but personal possession of protected nongame birds is prohibited under the federal rules described by FWS.

A person who simply finds a dead hawk, owl, or other protected migratory bird should therefore not assume it can be kept and mounted. Eagles are subject to further federal protections and possession rules.

State law can add another layer. Crescent Taxidermy, for instance, requires hunting-license and game-tag information for applicable specimens and states that it will not accept improperly tagged animals. Verify the lawful possession and transfer requirements before dropping off unusual wildlife.

Deposits, Turnaround

A large share of the bill may be due before work begins. Peak requires a 50% deposit, Crescent requires a non-refundable 50%, and Harvest Moon also requires 50% on its work.

That means a $1,200 deer shoulder mount requires about $600 upfront at a shop using a 50% deposit. A $4,000 lifesize deer requires $2,000 upfront. A $7,000 lifesize bear would tie up $3,500 before completion.

Ask for the expected completion window before paying. Taxidermy can take months and sometimes longer depending on tanning schedules, backlog, form availability, species, repairs, and custom work. A faster turnaround may carry a separate rush charge.

Price should not be the only comparison point. Look closely at photographs of finished work, especially eyes, ears, noses, facial symmetry, feather alignment, seams, and paint. Ask what happens if a cape or hide is damaged during tanning, whether repairs cost extra, when the balance becomes due, and how long completed work can remain at the studio before storage charges or other contract terms apply.

Membership in the National Taxidermists Association can be one useful signal because members agree to the organization’s Code of Ethics. It is not a government license or a guarantee that one artist’s work will match your taste, so still review the individual taxidermist’s portfolio and written terms.

When Professional Taxidermy Is Worth Paying For

Makes sense if:

• The specimen represents a hunt, catch, or event you specifically want preserved.
• You have reviewed the taxidermist’s finished work rather than choosing only by price.
• The quote explains mount style, pose, habitat, repairs, deposit, and expected completion.
• The specimen is lawfully possessed and properly documented where tags or permits apply.
• You understand the space required for a shoulder, pedestal, rug, or lifesize display.

Does not make sense if:

• You are comparing a tanning price with a finished mount price.
• You chose a low advertised price without checking upgrade charges or studio minimums.
• You do not have the documentation required for the specimen.
• A pedestal, open mouth, habitat, or rush fee pushes the job far above what you wanted to spend.

What We Verified

• Checked: current 2026 studio prices put standard whitetail shoulder mounts around $800-$1,200 in several published examples, with higher specialist prices extending above that range.
• Confirmed: lifesize mounts are a separate price tier, with current whitetail examples around $3,500-$7,000+ and black bears reaching $7,500 on one specialist list.
• Cross-referenced: current bird prices put ducks around $300-$650 and full turkeys around $1,000-$1,900.
• Verified: pedestal styles, open mouths, habitat work, detachable antlers, repairs, and rush service can all be billed separately.
• Checked: federal rules restrict possession of many migratory and nongame bird specimens and require appropriate tagging or permits in applicable taxidermy situations.

Related Taxidermy Costs

For deer specifically, see our current guide to deer mount prices, which separates shoulder mounts, antler displays, skulls, and lifesize work. Hunters who want to preserve only the skull and antlers can compare the lower cost of a European mount instead.

Fish use a different pricing system because taxidermists commonly charge by length and may offer either skin mounts or reproductions. A 30-inch trophy at $30 per inch, for example, produces a $900 base price before a custom habitat or pedestal.

Answers to Common Questions

How much does basic taxidermy cost?

A simple deer skull or European mount is often about $150-$400. A conventional shoulder mount usually starts much higher, with current whitetail examples around $800-$1,500.

How much does a deer shoulder mount cost?

Plan on roughly $800-$1,500 for a professional whitetail shoulder mount. Current published examples include $800, $850, $900, $1,025, $1,200, and $1,450.

How much does a full-body deer mount cost?

Current examples put lifesize whitetail work around $3,500-$7,000+. Pose, habitat, repairs, and studio quality can move the final total.

How much does bird taxidermy cost?

Many ducks currently cost around $300-$650, pheasants around $350-$600, geese roughly $600-$1,250, and full turkeys around $1,000-$1,900. Legal possession and tagging rules must also be satisfied for protected migratory species.

Can I have a hawk or owl taxidermied if I find one dead?

Do not assume so. Federal law protects many migratory nongame birds, including hawks and owls. FWS states that personal possession of protected nongame bird specimens is prohibited except under specific lawful authorities. Contact the appropriate wildlife agency rather than keeping the specimen.

How much does a taxidermist require upfront?

A 50% deposit is common in several current shop policies. A $1,000 project would therefore require about $500 upfront, with the remaining balance handled under the studio’s contract.

Does tanning include mounting the animal?

No. Tanning turns the hide into preserved leather. A finished mount requires a form, fitting, sewing, anatomical reconstruction, eyes, finishing, and other work. A tanned deer hide may cost a few hundred dollars while a finished shoulder mount costs around $1,000 or more.

How much can custom options add?

Hundreds or even thousands. Current studios charge around $300-$450+ for some open-mouth options, 15%-25% for some pedestal styles, and 25%-50% for certain rush schedules. Habitat work can also be priced as a percentage of the base mount.