TaxidermyXSmith Wildlife Artistry LLC
Taxidermist in Calhoun, Kentucky
Big Game
Fish
Birds
Small GameAbout Smith Wildlife Artistry LLC
Smith Wildlife Artistry LLC is a taxidermy studio located in Calhoun, Kentucky, operated by certified taxidermist Velma Smith along with Earl Smith.
They position every piece as original wildlife art, individually designed and sculpted to match natural anatomy and realistic habitat using modern, tested materials.
The studio focuses on big game and birds, including artistic, custom-designed compositions and bases.
Animal Mount Types
big game
- • Whitetail deer
- • Velvet deer
- • Velvet caribou
- • Black bear
- • Brown color phase black bear
- • Bison
fish
- • Fish Replicas
- • Fish Skin Mounts
birds
- • Wild turkey
- • Merriam turkey
- • Turkey heads
- • Canada geese
- • Ross geese
- • Snow geese
small game
- • Otter
- • Coyote
- • Bobcat
- • Gray fox
- • Black raccoon
- • Georgia squirrel
reptiles
- • American alligator
exotic
- • Zebra
- • Zebra rug
- • Axis deer
- • Sable
- • Eland
- • Impala
Animal Mount Details
They work on big game, small game, birds, fish, and rugs, including North American and African trophies.
Available mount styles include full-body mounts, shoulder and game-head mounts, bird mounts, rugs, and custom habitat pedestal and wall displays.
Velma Smith is a Certified Taxidermist with a long-running studio operating since at least 2004 and an extensive record of World, National, Regional, and State competition awards.
They emphasize high-end craftsmanship with lifelike anatomy, natural poses, detailed custom woodworking, and creative, competition-level habitat design.
Pricing & Turnaround
They do not publish a price list and ask you to call or email for current pricing, though a whitetail buck mount has been listed for sale at $450 as an example.
Reviews describe wait times as long and sometimes approaching two years, with some customers saying the work is worth the delay and others reporting serious concerns about lack of updates.
The studio also offers freeze-drying services for velvet antlers and floral preservation, along with custom habitat bases, pedestal work, and a limited selection of finished mounts for sale.
What Customers Say
Reviewers who receive work consistently praise the mounts as outstanding, exquisite, highly detailed, and among the best in the area.
Feedback on service and communication is mixed, with loyal long-term clients noting professionalism and many customers, while others report unreturned calls and poor follow-up.
Several reviews highlight long turnaround times as common and sometimes expected due to high demand, but a few describe extreme delays and one serious allegation about a finished turkey being sold without refund.
Find Out More
The studio is based in Calhoun, Kentucky, and serves hunters and clients from across Kentucky and other destination-hunt areas.
To move forward, review their online galleries, then call or email Smith Wildlife Artistry LLC to discuss your trophy, pricing, and current turnaround before you commit.
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