Bayou Life Taxidermy Services
Services at Bayou Life Taxidermy
We offer both commercial taxidermy services as well as wholesale taxidermy services to other taxidermists. Whether you are a hunter in need of finding a quality, reliable taxidermist to preserve your trophy, or a commercial taxidermist in need of processing capes, we can do the work.
I mount a variety of common and not so common mammals, reptiles, and fish. I consider taxidermy to be part science, part art, and part magic. Preserving animals is honoring their memories and existence in this world, and it gives you the ability to relive your hunt or fishing trip over and over. Only the best and most special animals are the ones who have the honor of being mounted. Call me today and let me do the work for you in a professional, controlled facility with decades of knowledge and experience to put to work for you.
A little about our history
Seth Vidrine and his family has lived in the Monroe and West Monroe area for over 30 years. Seth's dad, Ken Vidrine, founded Vidrine's Taxidermy in the Fall of 1981. Seth learned the trade from his father through over a decade of understudy and has finally opened his own full time taxidermy studio in the Spring of 2021.
Bayou Life Taxidermy is a full time quality commercial taxidermy studio who offers competitive prices and prompt service. Call 318-355-8565 today and bring your trophy to have it mounted by the professionals at Bayou Life Taxidermy.
Caring for your mount
As the years progress, your trophy may start looking like it may need a little help. Here's some simple steps that you can take to refresh many mounts:
1. Dust your mount! A sheen of dust can make a mount look dull. Dusting your mount may be the easiest and quickest way to make it look full of life again.
2. Use an air compressor at 40psi to blow off your mount. This will blow off dust that is deeper in the hair and fibers that have accumulated.
3. Keep your mount away from direct sunlight. UV exposure can change the color and the consistency of the hair and hide.
4. Use a spritz of scots liquid gold furniture oil over the hair and plaque and lightly rub it off. A great, better and slightly more expensive option is Cowboy Magic, available on Amazon. It shines hair and fur and repels dust.
5. Duck mounts benefit from a yearly dusting as well as taking a piece of white bread being lightly rubbed over the feathers at least once a year. The oil from the bread is enough to make a birds feathers hold together again and create luster.
6. Fish that are properly glossed can be wiped off once a year with a lightly damp microfiber cloth to remove any dust and debris.
Any of my work can be brought back to my shop and be cleaned and repainted, free of charge.
Repairs that are my fault are fixed free of charge. Damages that occur are often more repairable than you think!
Shipping an animal
How to properly pack and ship a small bodied animal to ship via UPS or FedEx:
1. Put your trophy in a plastic bag or zip lock and get as much air out of it as possible then freeze the animal overnight.
2. Pack your trophy into a cardboard box stuffed as thick as possible with crumpled up newspaper or cellulose insulation as evenly as possible on all sides. At a minimum of one inch thick.
Side note: you absolutely can ship it in a styrofoam cooler with additional insulation packed around it if you feel more comfortable.
3. Leave the package in the freezer until a few hours before UPS or FedEx closes, to be sure that it doesn't sit around at the warehouse all day. They ship at the end of the day.
4. CITES animals such as bobcats, otters, lynx, and wolves must have their tags attached when shipped. Federal migratory birds must have a Federal Migratory tag attached. Please see our website for the downloadable .pdf file.
5. Ship the package via FedEx or UPS. Avoid USPS as many packages arrive too late or not at all, unless they are overnighted. The package can be shipped two day shipping.
6. Call me to let me know that it is on its way. I will fill out a work order with your information which will include a hunting license number, position to mount the animal and any additional information required.
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Once the trophy has been mounted, it is shipped back to you in the smallest package possible, since shipping is based on dimensions and not weight. Generally, this will be a small wooden framed box with cardboard stapled into it. Shipping charges are then charged once shipping is calculated.
Fleshing Service Customers Guidelines
I have created this set of guidelines to help with timely and orderly services for everyone's benefit:
I have created this set of guidelines to help with timely and orderly services for everyone's benefit: I have created this set of guidelines to help with timely and orderly services for everyone's benefit:
1. Maximum of 40 capes per customer at a time. Minimum of 1.
2. Hides are never cut to length as part of the service. If a customer brings half a deer for a shoulder service ($50) the customer will be charged for half a deer ($75) at pickup.
3. My shop will no longer measure capes because there is no industry standard way to do it.
4. Capes must be identified with tags. If there is no tag, there is a $5 per cape processing fee. Note: pig ear tags work great!
5. Once notified the order is ready for pickup, customers have five (5) business days to pick up capes. There is a $2 per cape per day fee thereafter. This is due to limited freezer space.
6. My shop takes in rough fleshed (raw) capes. This allows capes to thaw faster and take up less freezer room.
7. I do not sew ears or cuts I didn't make.
8. If there are any special preferences at all for capes ("I expect mine sewed" "no pressure washing" "I want these done ahead of everyone else" "no borax") then those terms have to be agreed upon before the work is completed.
9. Hides/capes that have been left for 30 days or longer are considered abandoned and become my property to be sold as extra processed hides/capes.
These guidelines will be in place because it makes business flow smoother for everyone.
Notices
By using my services, you agree to the following:
1. Deposits are required at the time of drop off. All deposits are non-refundable.
2. After first notice, customers have 30 days to pick up their mount or it becomes my property.
3. I am not responsible for damages due to fire or theft.
4. I reserve the right to refuse service to any customer for any reason.