Taxidermy Training

Watch and learn workshop

This workshop is not limited to just whitetail deer but can be customized to any area of mammal taxidermy and will entail all the information that the premium workshop does with the only difference being is it is not hands on. Some students learn better with hands on work and some learn just as good with watching, asking questions and taking notes. In this workshop I will be working on one of my deer and demonstrating my competition techniques. We will cover proper cape preparation, form fitting and altering, pedestal setups, intensive earbutt study, eye setting, mounting, and finish work. If you are one that feels you learn just as well with watching and note taking then this is the class for you. The ideal length for this workshop is 3 days. You are welcome to customize your class for as long or as short as you would like. This class can also be customized to focus on what ever you would like. If you feel you don’t need improvement in cape preparation but want extra time with finish work then that’s what we will do.

Watch and learn workshop cost is $500 per day.
The ideal workshop length is 3 days

Beginners workshop

This workshop is tailored to the beginner taxidermist. In this class we will cover the whole process of gamehead taxidermy from the tanning of the cape to the finishing of the mount and everything in between. In this intense class you will learn everything you need to know to start your taxidermy hobby, or if you choose, your taxidermy career. This is a two week course that can be done in back to back weeks or the weeks can be split up over time. Over the course of two week you will be taking a cape through the entire tanning process, learning how to prep the hide and form to be mounted, mounting your own animal, and ultimately finishing your own mount. Throughout the time of doing all of that you will also be learning everything you need to know about how to run a successful taxidermy business. If you have thought about getting into taxidermy and want to cut many years off of the learning curve than this might be for you. Feel free to give me a call anytime to discuss.

2 week beginners taxidermy course $8000

Advanced Group Workshops

This workshop is just the same as the one on one classes except it will include multiple students. These group workshops can be on location or here at my shop and will include 2-5 students. The price will be dependent on the amount of students. Often group workshops are some of the best as there is so much to learn from everybody also lasting friendships are usually made. If you are interested in hosting a group workshop please feel free to give me a call and we can set something up.

Training with Clint was THE best investment I’ve made in my taxidermy career to date. Not only is Clint’s knowledge top of the line, his ability to teach and his willingness to share his techniques is second to none. He held nothing back during our training, and I really appreciated that. I never felt like he was holding onto some secret recipe for his success. He taught me most of what he knew, and it was up to me to apply that to my work. Before I trained with Clint, I was relatively new to the taxidermy game. I had competed at two state shows and scored a few red ribbons on Whitetails. His teachings opened my eyes to what was required to perform well at competitions and to improve my customer work. At my very next competition, I won best of category in the Professional division at the Wisconsin show. I also won best of category in the Professional Division at the World Taxidermy Championships with the same piece! The following year, I was fortunate to win State Champion in the Masters Division and 2nd runner up for Best in Show at the Wisconsin show in 2020! I can honestly say this would not have been possible without the guidance and teachings from Clint. If you’re ready to take your work to the next level, do it! Not only did he help me achieve success in competitions, he helped me build my business, which may have been my biggest surprise. I expected to improve my quality of work by training with Clint, but i did not expect the impact it made on my business as a whole. He taught me things on the business side that really helped make my business successful and profitable. It was worth every penny, and I would highly recommend it to anyone considering it! He’s been the best mentor I could have asked for!

Kyle A. Learned

My experience with Clint Rickey and the competition white tail class was second to none. The knowledge Clint was able to share has changed my commercial and competition pieces more than I ever thought possible in a 3 day course. Clint boiled down essential taxidermy lessons into valuable techniques and details which translate easily. His knowledge of the animal anatomy and natural positioning was shared hands-on as we took a trip to a local deer farm for an up close and personal study session. The information was invaluable when it comes to bringing a mount back to life, I would recommend Clint’s class to any serious taxidermist looking to take his profession to the next level.

Joe Lemberg – Trophy House Taxidermy

Hi my name is Eric Zuniga from San Angelo Texas, I’m a big fan of Clint Ricky I believe Clint is a outstanding individual with a big heart. I believe he stands for all the right things. I first encounter Clint on Facebook giving a seminar on finish work I fell in love with the quality of work he was able todo and told myself I wanted to be able todo that too. I first purchased one of Clint’s videos and started to watch and practice his techniques I then decided to attend a 3 day one on one with Clint and that was a life changing event not only being able to do it hands on but it also help with picking up on little things that u wouldn’t have on Facebook or the video. I can honestly say I was very happy with the outcome it has helped me tremendously. I entered my first competition afterwards the class and entered in the professional division and scored an 88 witch I was very happy with and I don’t believe I couldn’t of done that without the class. It also helped my commercial work added a few fine details that I was leaving out makes a huge difference. If you have a chance I highly recommend Clint’s class.

Eric Zuniga

As a part-time taxidermist wanting to improve I entered my first competition. Clint was the whitetail judge. After getting my critique I was impressed by his thoroughness and the time he took to share his knowledge. Later that year I attended Clints one on one whitetail training. This is by far the best thing I’ve ever done for my commercial and competition work. Since attending his class I have won multiple blue ribbons, two Best of Category awards for Whitetail, two Best of Category awards for Gamehead, a Judges Choice Best of Professional Division, a Mule Deer Foundation award, and a Live Mounting State Championship. His class also gave me the confidence in my commercial work I needed to go from part-time to full-time and start growing my business. Although this class is geared toward whitetails, the techniques you learn can be applied to many gameheads. Clint started out as a mentor, but since attending his class it has developed into a friendship that I can count on anytime I need advice. If you are wanting to advance your Taxidermy skills I highly recommend his class.

Nathan Cook – Graham Texas