Ocker's Taxidermy

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Ocker's Taxidermy

Ocker's Taxidermy Meeting the needs of hunters and anglers in the Shippensburg, southcentral Pennsylvania, Maryland areas and beyond.

25/02/2025

Quality European skulls completed and picked up

Many more in final days/weeks
✅macerated, fully degreased, and whitened

22/02/2025

Thank you to all who participated… Hope to see you again next year

21/02/2025

Really happy with the outcome of the euro skulls this year. Definitely takes a lot of patience but they are going well… pulled 10 more skulls this week.

Pics below show the 3rd step in the process of a completing a european skull mount - the whitening. Peroxide basting for 48 hours, followed by the Rowland Method which is an immediate hot water plunge. This process allows the peroxide to lose its hydrogen atom in water and create oxygen. Those are the visible bubbles in the water.
After the hot water bath the skulls dry under UVA lighting fr 24-48 hours before looking for any additional stubborn grease. Every skull is different.

The final pic is a skull that appears done u til it dries and then you can see grease remains 😡😩

13/02/2025

One week left for sign-ups

Please share.

08/02/2025

Two local Pennsylvania Grays recently left the shop.
Different lighting environments can change the look of a mount, so I wanted to share some indoor and outdoor pictures of these beautiful fox.

Thanks again for the opportunity.

Seth Frey
Todd West

01/02/2025

4th Annual...please share

28/01/2025

Have been working for months on these euro skulls. Degreasing bone is optimal at 115-120 degrees but these frigid temps have been difficult to battle in the stock tanks and they were staying around 97 which makes degreasing a longer process. Yesterday I got a second chest freezer. Hoping that this will move the skulls along and speed up the process and help maintain temps.

I have started to pull a few for whitening. Every skull is different as far as the amount of grease in the bone so I appreciate your patience and understanding. Maceration is a longer slower process but the end result is the best.

** Ping pong balls are used to avoid evaporation.

25/01/2025

Three different Red Fox mounts that recently left the shop.

In my opinion, Red Fox are one of the prettiest animals out there. Love bringing them "back to life" Thank you to my clients ...have enjoyed the opportunity to work on these predators.

10/01/2025

Last of the previous season whitetail to be picked up from the shop. Client requested a wall pedestal mount with his buck rubbing a tree and simple winter habitat, also needed two tine repairs. Great creative and unique mount on an altered form… happy client!

Other status updates…Several more mammals to mount and finish up, then onto fish. Euros are coming along and making progress… these frigid temps have been tough!

23/12/2024

As we enter Christmas week, I wanted to share a really unique and one of a kind project that left the shop. If you know me you know I love these challenges and ideas that become one of a kind treasures.

The backstory is that the client’s father passed away several years ago, a short time after shooting this buck. Not only an outdoorsman but he was best known for his role as Santa. Being a truly authentic Santa for most of his adult life, the client wanted to honor his fathers last buck in a special way. So he asked for a Pack Mount in Santa’s bag to be done in his memory that would incorporate his buck and his Santa legacy. Thought it was a perfect mount to share at Christmas.

Wishing everyone a wonderful Christmas and happy holiday season!

21/12/2024

Looking for 2 items

1) a large chest freezer no less than 18 cuft. It does not have to be working. In fact I’m not using it as a freezer so looking for something that’s old that someone’s trying to get rid of or that is not working… but it does need to have a lid.

2) 15 to 20 square kitty litter buckets - any color - no lids needed.

if you have any of those items that you are looking to dispose of, I would be happy to take them off your hands.

You can reply, DM or text me 717-554-6433

16/12/2024

I receive calls frequently about European skull mounts. During this conversation, some potential clients question why my whitetail skulls take a minimum of 2-4 months to complete while someone else only takes 2-4 days. It’s all about the process. In my opinion, to do a Euro mount correctly, it actually takes patience and time.

I use the process of maceration. Maceration uses low heat and lots of time. The first step allows all the “meat” etc to come off the bone. This step usually takes about 7-10 days.
Step two is crucial, it is the degreasing and the most time consuming. Using low heat and ammonia, grease is released from the bone. Bones are very greasy, especially cows and bear. Degreasing can take anywhere from 5-8 weeks for even a whitetail skull. A cow can take up to 7 months to degrease completely. If this process is not done correctly, you might have a beautiful skull now but over time your skull will begin to yellow. The yellowing is grease still embedded in the bone and it begins to bleed through. The third step is whitening. The whitening is done with a peroxide mixture that takes 3-4 days. No paint is ever used and your skull will come out beautifully and naturally white.

No doubt there are other methods for skulls .

Some people, boil/simmer a skull while others use beetles. The boiling method is fast (high heat for several hours) but this method compromises the bone structure and causes the bone to become brittle. While, beetles do an amazing job cleaning the skull cavity, just make sure that they also include a long degreasing portion in their process, some do not do this step.

No matter who you choose to take care of your trophy harvest, take the time and ask about their methods and how long it will be. Euro mounts are entitled to the same high quality procedures as the investment that is put into an any other more expensive mount. I can not always say that I used maceration in the beginning of my business, but I can honestly say now, thatI do all skulls in this way, they are by far the best quality, cleanest skulls and most beautiful way to preserve your trophy.

02/12/2024

Life in the shop has been busy with new incoming 2024 trophies, so I haven’t posted as frequently as normal, but here is another 2023 buck picked up a few weeks ago.

Love the double white patch...

30/11/2024

While managing several calls for business and attempting to stay warm … I still found some time to hunt…

Blessed to harvest this nice buck this morning. 🦌

28/11/2024

So much to be thankful for… wishing families, clients and those I have yet to meet a wonderful Thanksgiving 🦃

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+17175546423

Website

https://kjocker.wixsite.com/ockerstaxidermy

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Life in the shop has been busy with new incoming 2024 trophies, so I haven’t posted as frequently as normal, but here is another 2023 buck picked up a few weeks ago. Love the double white patch... #pataxidermist #taxidermist #pawhitetail #pahunting #whitetail #whitetailhunting #whitetaildeer #whitetailbuck

Another beautiful pedestal wall mount sent home! If you or someone you know is looking for a taxidermist, send me a text or call. I have many WT in process. I welcome you to schedule a time to visit and see my shop and my work in person! #pataxidermy #pawhitetail #whitetaildeer #attentiontodetail #whitetailmount #whitetailpedestal Tony Bernardo

Video of the buck shared in previoious post Isaac Rine

Red Fox with WHITE FEET …sure is! I just finished putting this one together @ockerstaxidermy ....needs several more days to dry, complete finish work and then it will be headed to its forever home. #pataxidermist #pataxidermy #redfox #predatorhunting #huntinglife

First project out the door of 2024! A nice 20” Brown Trout caught locally last spring..thanks for the business! #fish #browntrout #fishinglife #fishing #pataxidermist #pataxidermy #fishtaxidermy #fishing🎣

New for 2024... Any guesses?

Merry Christmas 🎄

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About Me

My name is Caleb Ocker. I am a 2017 graduate of Middletown Area High School. In the spring of 2018, I attended school in White Haven, PA at Bill Allen's Pocono Institute of Taxidermy.

I consider myself a wildlife artist and it is my desire to produce the most realistic and artistic taxidermy in the central Pennsylvania area. I strive to give attention to details in my customer's piece as if it were my own. I take pride in the quality of my work. When you trust Ocker's Taxidermy with your taxidermy needs, in return, you will receive an eye-catching piece of wildlife art that you will be proud to display for years to come. I believe in excellence, using quality products and satisfying my customers. I want your trophy to be the talking piece of your home.

As a young boy, my brother and I were introduced to the outdoors by my father and have loved it ever since. I remember taking my first buck as a 10-year-old and how excited I was to put my first mount on our cabin wall. Since that time, I have become an experienced and avid hunter, fisherman, trapper, and outdoorsman. I also enjoy spending much of my free time working on food plots at our family cabin.

I look forward to working with you and I guarantee that I can offer you quality, friendly service. I strive to build a working relationship with each customer to understand and produce exactly what you want.