From Field to Showcase: The Journey of a Trophy Through the Taxidermy Process

Every hunt begins with anticipation — but the story doesn’t end in the field. At Collett’s Wildlife Artistry, we see every trophy as the beginning of a transformation: from nature’s wild beauty to a handcrafted masterpiece. Understanding the taxidermy process helps hunters appreciate how much dedication, artistry, and precision go into every finished mount we create in Zimbabwe and South Africa.

Step 1: From Field to Freezer — The First Crucial Hours

The journey of a trophy starts immediately after the hunt. Once the photographs are taken, proper field care determines how successful the final mount will be. Heat and bacteria are a taxidermist’s worst enemies. The sooner the cape is cooled, cleaned, and stored, the better the results will be.

If you’re hunting across Africa, whether in the plains of Zimbabwe or the savannas of South Africa, always keep your trophy shaded and dry. Avoid plastic bags and improper handling — these can cause irreversible damage to the hide. The care taken during these early moments sets the foundation for a successful mounting process later on.

Step 2: Professional Skinning and Preservation

After recovery, the animal is carefully skinned according to the mount type requested — shoulder mount, full-body, or pedestal. This step requires expert precision to maintain anatomical accuracy. Every incision is made with the final pose in mind, ensuring the skin fits perfectly once it’s mounted.

At Collett’s Wildlife Artistry, we also offer tanning and dipping & packing services for clients who want to ship their trophies internationally. This includes degreasing, salting, and chemical preservation that ensures your trophy remains in perfect condition from Africa to your destination country.

Step 3: Tanning — Turning Hide into Art

Tanning is one of the most vital steps in the taxidermy process. The raw hide undergoes several treatments to prevent decay while maintaining softness, flexibility, and durability. This process, perfected in our Zimbabwean workshop, allows the skin to retain lifelike texture and natural beauty.

Our skilled technicians use specialized tanning solutions and methods refined over decades. Each hide is stretched, shaved, and rehydrated to perfection — ensuring that when it reaches the mounting stage, it behaves just like it would in nature.

Step 4: Sculpting and Mounting — Breathing Life Back Into the Trophy

This is where artistry truly takes center stage. Our craftsmen sculpt every form to capture the animal’s muscle tone, movement, and natural grace. Using reference photos and anatomical study, we recreate every contour — from the curve of a buffalo’s horns to the alert stance of an impala.

The tanned skin is carefully placed over the sculpted form and adjusted for precision. Eyes, ears, lips, and facial expression are refined by hand until the trophy appears alive once more. This meticulous work is what defines Collett’s Wildlife Artistry as a leader in taxidermy in South Africa and beyond.

Step 5: Drying, Finishing, and Detailing

After mounting, the piece undergoes a long drying phase to ensure stability. Once dried, our artists move to detailing — airbrushing, grooming, and fine texturing that brings realism to every hair and hue. The finishing touches often take days, as we make sure the final piece looks exactly as it did in the wild.

Whether you’ve chosen a shoulder mount, pedestal base, or full diorama display, our goal is always the same: to capture the animal’s presence and tell the story behind the hunt with unmatched authenticity.

Step 6: Dipping & Packing — Preparing for International Travel

For our international clients, the process continues with dipping and packing. This ensures all trophies meet export and import health requirements. Our facility handles every step of the documentation, treatment, and secure packaging to make international transport smooth and worry-free.

Each piece is meticulously labeled, inspected, and sealed for shipment. Whether your final destination is in Europe, North America, or anywhere else, our team ensures your trophy arrives in perfect condition — ready for display or final assembly at your preferred studio.

Step 7: The Grand Reveal — From Workshop to Display

Finally, the journey ends where it began — with pride. Once the mount is complete, clients often describe a feeling of reliving their adventure. Every muscle, every glance, every detail rekindles the emotion of that moment in the wild.

When displayed in a home, lodge, or gallery, the finished piece stands as a timeless memory — not just of the hunt, but of Africa itself. That’s what makes our work truly rewarding.

Why Hunters Choose Collett’s Wildlife Artistry

• Over two decades of experience in taxidermy in Zimbabwe and South Africa
• Complete in-house tanning, dipping, and packing facilities
• Global export handling with compliance documentation
• Artistic precision and attention to lifelike detail
• Personalized service for hunters and collectors worldwide

Preserving Memories, Not Just Mounts

Every animal tells a story. Through our work, that story continues — preserved in a way that celebrates nature, craftsmanship, and the passion of the hunt. At Collett’s Wildlife Artistry, each mount we create becomes a bridge between the wild and the walls that display it.

From the plains of Africa to your home — we ensure your memories live forever through true artistry.

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