Banded Taxidermy

Banded Taxidermy works on birds, big game, and small game, offering European skull mounts, bird and turkey mounts, javelina shoulder and half life-size mounts, flat-skin hides, and select bear rugs.

You can choose from standard bird and full-body turkey mounts, European mounts with custom plaques or brackets, javelina shoulder and half life-size mounts, and habitat or decorative bases tailored to your display ideas.

Owner Jacob Draper brings over 25 years of Arizona hunting experience and a background in natural resource management, and he has taught himself taxidermy through extensive practice and consultation with a local professional on unusual projects.

The studio emphasizes bright white skulls with natural antler and horn colors, carefully posed birds that highlight each animal’s character, and detailed bases designed around your preferences.

Pricing is clearly structured by species and mount type with published price lists, a 50% deposit for work over $300, youth discounts and waived skinning fees for youth-harvested skulls, and example rates such as about $250–$350 for many bird mounts, $175 for a deer European mount, $275 for an elk bull European mount, $350–$600 for many flat-skin tans, and $1,800 plus size fees for a black bear rug.

European mounts are typically finished in under two months, and most bird work takes about two to three months depending on supplies and species needs.

Additional options include feather art, custom wood plaques, habitat bases and decorative scenes, metal wall brackets, antler rebuilds, velvet preservation, and a 15% discount program supporting youth hunters.