FAQ

We am so sorry for your loss and know how much the passing of a dear pet can hurt.

Please see my pet services page here: https://www.preytaxidermy.com/pages/taxidermy-pet-services and fill out the questionnaire if you are interested in commissioning us.

Please note that we only work on mammals and birds, no fish or reptiles.

All specimens at Prey are by-products from aviary deaths, pest control, depredation, natural/unavoidable deaths or hunted & eaten for food. Basically, the parts of these specimens used for taxidermy would generally be discarded otherwise. That is common in the taxidermy industry, actually. These are Prey's own ethics and we welcome everyone to act according to their own beliefs and respect their right to do so. 

We hope this explains where we coming from. Like most everyone (especially taxidermists), we love animals.

Allis attended the Advanced Taxidermy Training Center in Montana and trained worked under Tim Bovard at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles for several years. Paloma is a biologist who has trained under both Allis and Tim for nearly a decade. Prey Taxidermy carries a Federal Migratory Bird Permit and several sub-permits from the institutions we work with. We strictly obey all state and federal laws concerning specimens and their preservation. You can find information on those laws here as well.

We certainly want to be supportive and answer questions. However, we do get a lot of emails and it is very difficult to get through them and keep up with our work flow. We try our best to post helpful content on social media and our newly launched blog. We are trying our best to foster diversity and make taxidermy more accessible to everyone. 

Please check the following resources below and find an answer to your question.

My online courses: Atlas Obscura On-Demand Courses
Facebook Group: Taxidermy Mentorship
The Dead-Stream Live on Instagram & website
TheDeadStream.com
List of Tutorials on Taxidermy.Net
BreakthroughMagazine.com
Taxidermy Manuals by Breakthrough

We recommend seeking out volunteer opportunities at a local museum, university or nature center. These institutions always need volunteers and it's a way to get your foot in the door. Self motivation is key.

You are coming into an actual working taxidermy studio that creates pieces for major museums and nature centers all over the world. Allis Markham has a world title from the World Taxidermy Championships and her staff also have multiple awards. Bottom line: you are learning from museum taxidermists at the top of their field. Our staff is highly-skilled and capable of teaching our curriculum.

We employ at least three skilled assistants for each class who are there to provide you support at all times. You will work with quality specimens, tools and in a space that is dedicated exclusively to the craft of taxidermy. All specimens are collected under my personal ethics and we utilize the same techniques used in museums today. There is no other taxidermy class like this in the world.

We also provide low-cost options for some taxidermy classes in order to promote diversity and inclusion in the field. You can see the individual class postings to sign up for one of these spots. 

We do allow students 16 and over to attend classes un-accompanied by an adult; make sure your child is self-sufficient and confident working in an adult-level class. Children 16 and under may attend beginner level classes with a parent present/helping if need be, sharing a specimen. We do charge for this extra seat. We do not recommend our interactive classes for children under 10 as we use scalpels and other sharp tools. Please send us an email or include a note in your purchase to let us know the age of the child and that you will be joining. We will also ask that all parents sign our parental waiver. 

We try to host a taxidermy class every other month, depending on our schedule (we still have to get our museum work done!) to encourage aspiring and ongoing taxidermists. If a class that you want to take sells out, chances are we will post another similar class in the following months.

Check out available classes here: https://www.preytaxidermy.com/collections/classes

Online courses are available at: Atlas Obscura On-Demand Courses

We recommend taking a class first if you have never done taxidermy before. The day-rate for private lessons can vary depending on the type of lesson you are interested in and which teacher is available for your requested timeframe. A private lesson is a very expensive option which is why we recommend joining our regular classes. If you are interested, please send an email with what you want to learn and we can discuss.

We get this request a lot and would love to take people up on it, however we do not have a mentorship or apprentice program at this time. It takes a lot of work to get someone started in taxidermy and it is a huge time investment that can pull us away from our projects.

When we do need help, we usually pull from our student pool or take on someone who has at least some experience— even if it’s only through the internet or self-taught. The best way to get a foot in any taxidermist’s studio is to start at home with your own projects and show initiative and show them some of your pieces / efforts before you approach them. 

Prey has very limited class space and most classes sell out, therefore we have a very strict cancellation policy. Otherwise, we would have had a paying student in that empty spot. You can review our policies here. We are a small studio with a high overhead so we ask that you only sign up for a class if you can 100% make it.

We do not purchase already-made taxidermy. Our focus at Prey is the creation of new pieces for museums, nature centers, and private clients. We recommend reaching out to an art dealer if the piece is relatively new or in good condition, or reaching out to museums to see if they are accepting donations if the piece the piece is historical or illegal to sell in the states.

Sorry, but hours are for clients and by appointment only. Taxidermy work can be very delicate and can disruptions can have a detrimental effect on the specimens. If you would like to schedule a paid tour of the space or a demonstration, email info@preytaxidermy.com to book an event. We do hold Taxidermy Lab events, where we invite the public to see the studio, ask questions, see our ongoing work, and see live demonstrations. Check our class page for our regular Lab events.

Nope. We believe in following our environmental protection laws. If you found a hawk, owl, hummingbird, native bird or other protected specimen we cannot legally mount it for you. Prey has the privilege of working on protected and endangered specimens for museums, institutions and indigenous peoples with permits. Furthermore, California has strict roadkill laws and you are not legally allowed to pick up anything you find on the side of the road for taxidermy.

Additionally, it's a federal offense for you to even have possession of it. Put it back where you found it and back away slowly.

No. Go away. 

We have collaborated with artists, filmmakers, photographers and other artists. Please send your request, timeline and budget for the project to info@preytaxidermy.com. Give us some time to email back. We do not have taxidermy available for rent, nor are we able to accommodate requests for commissioned mounts you "need done by this weekend".