I was professionally trained by Mike Pendzimas out of Andover, Mn. Mike only trains three students per year, and I was tutored one on one in Mike’s shop. This special training gave me the unique opportunity to work with a wider variety of animal species than a traditional taxidermy school. Mike is nationally known, and also serves as a judge at the Minnesota State Taxidermy Convention. He is truly an expert.
I finished my training about 12 years ago, and have since been working hard to be the best I can be. For the first 5 years after traing, I completed an average of about 100 animals per year. I started working taxidermy full time about 7 years ago, and now complete over 400 animals each year.
With the experience I have, I have honed my taxidermy skills and my work shows it. Take a look at my photo gallery samples here. I am a perfectionist, and do what it takes to get your animal to that level. My pricing is very competetive. This is not because of quality, it’s because I love what I do, and enjoy having more clients.
My turn-around time is the best in the area. Most of my deer jobs are done in less than four months, but with my increasing numbers and a first-in-first-out policy, the animals coming in later will naturally take longer--about 6-8 months. Some taxidermists always require six months to a year for a deer. I consider that long of a wait unacceptable. If you've experienced this before, I would suggest finding a new taxidermist.