Bill Yox Taxidermy

24/07/2024

Many of my customers offer me carte Blanche, granting me artistic license in designing their mounts. But sometimes my customers come to me knowing exactly what they want. Such was the case with Cody Trammell, and his first bow killed buck. Influenced by his Dad to enjoy the outdoors, he wanted this mount to reflect that. He brought me one of his Dad's flannel shirts, instructing me to mount it onto the show side of the wall pedestal shoulder mount. He asked that the pocket be present, as he plans to put his Dad's pack of ci******es in that left pocket, just as he used to. They say "every picture tells a story" and often times the same holds true for taxidermy, too.

I figured I'd add this...to those who don't know, this type of mount is called a "wall pedestal", because it's like a free standing pedestal mount style that has a smallish flat spot to still mount to the wall. So, that leaves a concave "scalloped" opened side that shows. That's what's showing Cory's dad's flannel shirt.

10/06/2024

Every once in awhile, a mature buck will, as hunters say, "daylight" for you. He'll walk right by your stand or camera in the middle of the day, disregarding the hot sun. I chose to photograph my mount in this harsh light, for that effect.

10/06/2024

Big, early season bucks seem to wait 'til very last light before showing themselves. But it's usually worth the wait, and I believe my work is, too.

30/04/2024

Every hunter should read this important article written by Dr.James Kroll. I found it on my friend Gordon Whittington Fan Page. State agencies have gone so far as to fan the flames of cwd using EHD as the accelerant. They also clearly used it to pit the hunting public against deer farmers. I believe 1000% it was done on purpose, by design. This article, so responsibly written, does not fit their agenda, but it sure could've spared us deerfarmers a lot of financial hardship, if not ruin, and from becoming the scourge of the deer world. And, literally the blame for the spread of cwd, not unlike the gnats with EHD.

Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease and Chronic Wasting Disease aren't the same illness, though many hunters confuse the two. In fact, one kills far more whitetails than the other, and (contrary to what you might read online) we'll explain which.

19/02/2024

A big, beautiful whitetail. Portrait and head detail. The form is an altered 6900 series. To my customers that will post kind words saying that they're excited to see their finished mount, I am, too! Thanks!

13/01/2024

There it is, in black and white. And also in color. Eye appeal. It's accuracy, expression, and pleasing to look at. And it's for those who like details.

07/12/2023

In most areas, it's still deer season. At my studio, it's always "exceptional deer mount" season. You may have seen your target buck a few times by now. Maybe even seen where I've posted this buck before. But I believe he's plenty nice enough to see again.

29/11/2023

While out in the deer woods, I don't think any of us can resist the urge to walk over and check out an active buck rub. Deer are the same way. This big bruiser is putting it to it. He might be one of many bucks visiting those marked and beaten up maple branches. If you're ever visiting my studio, come check this one out, too.

28/11/2023

The full moon's up, the breeding season is hot, and this big old bruiser is tearing up some birch and dogwood saplings, letting the world know he is ready. Look at that massive neck! The rut is on.
The base was made of black walnut with birch bark inlay panels, by woodworker Mike Gelina. The original form, the design, and taxidermy was done by me. Custom taxidermy has no limits to supply catalog availability, just your imagination and budget.

26/11/2023

With fine taxidermy, accurate anatomy should carry the expression of the piece. As taxidermists are artists, we often stylize our mounts. I do my best to keep it original. We never really "get there", as our subjects were put together perfectly in life. We just respectfully follow His lead.

24/11/2023

This little skipper was taken by a thankful hunter. The form I mounted it on is from a line sculpted by Matt Thompson, a local artist and friend. On this Thanksgiving day, I'm thankful for those who contribute to our industry just as I am also thankful for those who choose me as their taxidermist.

NOTE... I've had quite a few zombie accounts, karens and antis commenting on this particular post. While I'm impressed that you can put enough letters together to form a word, I have been blocking you all. Surely you understand that when we prepare these animals, the rest of it is still being used for food. Even if you yourself are vegan, etc, you understand that things are made of meat for us to eat. Regardless of what you've been led to believe, these beautiful animals are not taken solely for their heads.

18/11/2023

As a taxidermist, I spend a good deal of my time in becoming an even better taxidermist. Learning, understanding and replicating anatomy is part of it. Capturing the intangibles in expression and design that make a mount exceptional, is another. One important aspect of presentation is photography...and I am not a photographer. But sometimes our best attempts at getting that image are stymied by the mount itself.

Take this brown/grizzly bear, for example. It has found a caribou head and cape on a hunter's pack frame, and is in the process of stealing it. But the shoulder strap is hung up on a weathered snag. By editing with photo room I was able to blur the busy background, yet I lost my detail in the rocks, etc, including some of the antler, and one of the bears claws! So even as dynamic as this presentation is, it's still at the mercy of the camera eye.
I'd say that's a good enough reason to come see my mounts in person. Don't you think?

09/11/2023

Taxidermists vary by the work they do and how they promote that work. Some choose the numbers approach, posting pics on social media of how many they took in, or how many they can "knock out" each day. The idea there seems to be how cheap and how fast. I suppose their numbers likely suggests that there's plenty of hunters that are ok with that. But there's others, like myself that take a different approach. I'd rather post pics of my mounts and let the exceptional work speak for itself, to earn your business that way.

So if you're simply price shopping, call them. But if you feel you can pay more to get a better end result, call me. My mounts are speaking for me.

02/11/2023

Word of mouth advertising is the best marketing tool I've got.

"They're just going to look at the antlers anyway". That's some taxidermist's reasoning behind not putting forth the extra effort. But I always want to do it correctly so that the mount gets it's recognition as well. I always have. I mounted this buck, New York's state record typical, the Roosevelt Lucky head, about 30 years ago. And now, just like back then, I value word of mouth advertising. I'd sure appreciate it if more of you would take the time to write a review for this page, about what you love about my work.

It's the best marketing tool I've got. Well, besides each mount I do.

02/11/2023

The Aoudad or Barbary sheep, a very unique and attractive trophy. These beautiful animals have some unique features that, if reproduced accurately in a mount, make them a stand out trophy. Their eyeset is different, as is the facial structure. That, along with their beard, neck mane and leg chaps, is why they stand out. Those of you who follow my taxidermy page might remember when I posted an Aoudad remount/recovery pic from July '22. Well this old ram is even better the FIRST time around. I hope you'll agree that I captured those features!

28/09/2023

When you tag your big, mature target buck, you want your mount to look like that big, mature buck. I specialize in custom taxidermy work that shows off that big buck's maturity. You definitely won't hear, "they didn't have that mold in your size" from my studio. Heck, if you expect your processor to give you all your meat, demand your taxidermist to give you all your trophy!

02/09/2023

My taxidermist FB friends won't find this too interesting, but I think my customers will. When I'm at the grooming and adjusting stage of mounting your trophy, I usually take some pictures at various angles of the unfinished mount. While the inside joke about my cell phone camera is that its comparible to using a shoe, or as i like to kid, the cell potato, this really does help. These images show me stray lines or details I might otherwise miss. Additionally, when I have a super customer, they can get a sneak peek!
The details...

26/08/2023

Way back when I got started mounting elk, the solution to the problem of the rear antler point touching the wall was to lengthen the neck. While it helped it clear the wall, this made the longer neck look skinny. But your elk wasn't skinny, it probably had a wedgy looking, heavy neck. I think it still should.

25/08/2023

As deer seasons begin, the brief window of opportunity to tag a velvet buck closes quickly. Velvet bucks and early season bucks, when mounted accurately, can show breathtaking detail. But, you'll need to find a taxidermist that understands how to custom modify the mount to depict this season accurately, instead of just using a small sized form. I'd say, you just found one...

20/07/2023

Here's yet another beautiful smokey phase, black coyote. This is probably the color phase coyote I mount the most. While they usually have pale lemon yellow eyes, they can also have dark eyes, or even the light blue eyes of an adolescent animal, throughout their adult life.

24/06/2023

Kodiak Island red fox, laying on mixed driftwood with volcanic sand, mussel shell, barnacled rock and seaweed.
I use Photoroom to edit my poor photography, but sadly, it's scanning detail leaves a bit to be desired. Actually, I desire it leave a little bit more, most times. Enjoy!

15/06/2023

Mounts benefit from the relationship between the artist and the hunter. This Texas coyote was taken later in the season and had begun to rub his neck and shoulders. Additionally, the cape was cut wrong, leaving it short in spots. The hunter allowed me some artistic license, with the result being, we have an attractive outcome.

12/06/2023

Texans say everything's bigger in Texas. This nice Texas whitetail certainly looks a bit different than bucks from other parts of the country. He's pale colored, with a wide head and lighter colored eyes. Let me know what YOU think of him.

03/05/2023

This Kodiak island red fox, still in the mounting process, is the result of...

Good reference,

A beautiful specimen,

A really crappy cell camera,

and a taxidermist with customers who care about the details.

21/04/2023

Ever hear of "Mulie Thursday"? Well, me neither. But that's when you've meant to post a pic of a decent mule deer mount, but forgot to the last bunch of Mondays. Matuska Taxidermy Supply offers a real nice form, and I took it from there. It was an early season Colorado buck.

15/12/2022

Bobcats are on the prowl, looking for food. Successful bobcat hunters are also on the prowl, looking for an exceptional bobcat taxidermist. If you can stop a bobcat from prowling, I can stop you from having to look any further than me.

24/11/2022

Happy Thanksgiving from me here at Bill Yox Taxidermy and from this beautiful turkey on a limb. Ok, you know and I know that he's not a turkey, that he's a big African leopard.
But he thinks he's a turkey. You can tell him if you want to. I'm not saying a thing.

20/11/2022

World class trophies are nothing short of impossible to procure it seems. World class taxidermy for those trophies is as easy as a phone call, to Bill Yox. Call me at 585-637-2450.

11/11/2022

Many of my customers are veterans. Today I would like to recognize them for their service to our country, and to thank them, today, and everyday, for that sacrifice. What they have done, both in their branch of service, as well as in the field as sportsmen, allows me the freedom to do what I love as a taxidermist artist. Appropriately, here is a fight scarred old veteran, in your honor.

01/11/2022

I charge more for your mount to give you more in your mount. If you can justify the going rates, I believe my mounts can justify the difference. It really is all in the details.