New Life Taxidermy & Guns Raleigh NC Taxidermist James Parrish Raleigh NC Gun Shop

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How long has New Life Taxidermy been in business?
We have been in business since 2002. We have been able to experience a huge amount of success thanks to our many loyal clients.

2. Do you tan your hides or use a dry preservative?
All of our mammal mounts are tanned either in house or by one of several highly reputable tanneries. The tans employed by New Life Taxidermy are true tans where the skin is transformed into leather. For birds, dry preservative is THE method of choice as bird skins don't lend themselves well to tanning. Fish skins are preserved using borax or denatured alcohol and water. We believe that these preservation and tanning methods produce the best looking, longest lasting mounts possible.

3. What is New Life Taxidermy's return time?
We have a certain amount of backlog that happens over the course of a year. The fall/winter hunting seasons bring in lots of work at one time. Our regular return times vary between 6 months and one year.

4. Can I really expect my mounts to last a lifetime?
With proper care, your mounts should last a lifetime. Hanging a mount over a "working" fireplace or placing a mount in direct sunlight will surely shorten the life expectancy of the mount. Mounts should be placed in climate controlled areas and kept free from smoke, dust, cobwebs, etc. Even with the best preservation techniques, dermestid beetles can still destroy a mount. This is no fault of the taxidermist that mounted the animal. Therefore, we cannot guarantee that your mounts will not be damaged be dermestids. We highly recommend the services of a professional trophy room preservation specialist to prevent dermestid damage.

5. What forms of payment are accepted by New Life Taxidermy?
We currently accept cash, check, money order, Visa, and Mastercard. A returned check fee of $30 will apply to checks returned to us for any reason.

6. Can you do special poses or habitat scenes?
Yes. If you can imagine it, we can probably do it. If you have a reference photo of a live animal, we can match the pose. We will also match the pose of photos of other taxidermists' work if they are anatomically correct and will produce a lifelike mount. As far as habitat scenes, we can produce glass cases, water scenes, coffee tables, large dioramas, pedestals, you name it. As with other aspects of custom wildlife artistry, special alterations to forms and habitat work can get expensive. We will help you plan your personalized piece of wildlife art and gladly give you an estimate, working within the constraints of any budget, to bring your trophy to life.

7. I don't live in the Raleigh area, but I would like New Life Taxidermy to mount my trophy. What are my options?
We have shipped mounts all over the country. In fact, we have customers that we have never seen face to face. You can ship your frozen trophy or salted skin and horns to us via FedEX or UPS. Once your mount is complete, we will crate and box your mount and ship it directly to your door. Crated mounts are very securely and sturdily packaged. We also insure mounts that are shipped just in case there is a problem. Crating, shipping, and insurance charges will be quoted before you ever ship your trophy to us. There are some companies that wait until the mount is done to inform the customer of the crating and shipping charges. If you would like, we can mail or email a prepaid FedEx shipping label to you. All you have to do is tape the label to your package and drop it off at any FedEx pickup location. Call for details.

8. Your website looks good, but I'm still having trouble selecting a taxidermist for my trophy.
Selecting the right taxidermist for your trophy is an important decision. We at New Life Taxidermy Studio want you to be completely comfortable with whomever you choose to mount your trophy. We would love to sit down with you and discuss how our studio can meet your taxidermy needs and answer any questions you may have. We will not pressure you nor will we give you a "sales pitch". We also have many satisfied customers that will attest to the quality and value provided by New Life Taxidermy. If you would like references, just let us know. If you have any questions, you can feel free to contact us through email or give us a call at (919)524-8291.

9. Can you repair/refurbish my old mount?
We can repair and refurbish mounts, no matter who did them originally. While we are not miracle workers, we can inspect your worn or damaged trophy and give you an idea of what can be done to enhance or restore its beauty. Mounts that have been knocked off the wall can also be repaired by New Life Taxidermy. Upon inspection of the trophy, we will give you a quote based on estimated time and materials. If after beginning the repair or restoration of the mount, we determine that more time or materials are needed to get the job done right, we will call you before proceeding further.

10. I would like to purchase a piece of wildlife art for my home/office/business, etc. Do you sell mounts?
From time to time, we have mounts for sale. However, if there is a particular species you are looking for, we can help you locate a mount that is for sale. If we cannot find a mount for you to purchase, we will attempt to locate a specimen to mount for you. We have connections with other taxidermists and tanners around the country that can supply us with most any mount or specimen to suit your needs. Some species, although legally huntable, are not legal for sale as mounted or frozen specimens.