How to Track My Taxidermy Order: A Customer Guide

By MountChief Editorial Team|Updated Mar 2026

The short answer: If your taxidermist uses modern shop software, you should have received a tracking link via text or email when you dropped off your specimen. That link shows your mount's current stage, intake, at tannery, in production, or ready for pickup, and updates automatically as your mount progresses.

If you don't have a tracking link, call or text the shop directly and ask for a status update.

TL;DR

Most modern taxidermy shops offer a digital customer portal link at intake for order tracking.
Typical production stages are intake, at tannery, back from tannery, in production, and ready for pickup.
Shops without digital tracking require a phone call or text for status updates.
Status silence for months is normal during the tannery period when there is genuinely nothing to report.
If you are significantly past the original estimate with no contact, a direct call is completely appropriate.
MountChief sends customers a portal link at intake so they can check status anytime without calling.

Option 1: Use Your Tracking Link

When your taxidermist uses software like MountChief, every customer gets a unique tracking link at intake, similar to a package tracking number. Check for a text or email from the shop with a link. It might say something like "track your mount" or "check the status of your [species] mount."

Click the link and you'll see:

Current stage (received, at tannery, in production, ready for pickup)
Progress photos the taxidermist has shared
Estimated completion date if provided
Shop contact information

This updates in real time whenever your taxidermist changes the job stage. Most customers at shops using this system never need to call for a status update.

If you lost the link: Text or call the shop and ask them to resend your tracking link. Any taxidermist using MountChief can resend it in under a minute.

Option 2: Call or Text the Shop

If your shop doesn't use tracking software, the direct approach is reliable. When you call:

Have your name ready
Know the approximate drop-off date and species
Ask specifically: "What stage is my mount currently in?"

A professional shop should be able to answer in under 60 seconds with a specific stage, not just "it's coming along."

The stages to ask about:

Received and tagged, just checked in
Skinning and prep, hide being prepared
At the tannery, this is where most mounts spend the longest time (8-12 weeks typically)
Back from tannery / in staging, hide is back, waiting in the production queue
In active production, the taxidermist is working on it right now
Finishing, final details and quality check
Ready for pickup, done, waiting for you

Why Your Mount Takes So Long

The single most confusing thing for first-time taxidermy customers is the timeline. Eight to fourteen months for a deer shoulder mount sounds excessive, but the reason is straightforward: the hide spends 8-12 weeks at a professional tannery that your taxidermist ships it to.

Your taxidermist doesn't tan hides in their shop. Tanning requires specialized chemicals, equipment, and expertise. Raw hides get shipped to professional tanneries in batches. Your taxidermist has to wait for the batch to return before they can start the actual mount work.

Add in queue time (if your shop took in 200 capes during deer season and you're number 180, you're waiting for 179 mounts to go through before yours), and 8-12 months is genuinely reasonable for a mid-volume shop.

When to Be Concerned

A lack of communication alone isn't necessarily a problem, many shops are small operations with limited time for outreach. But certain situations warrant a direct conversation:

Your original timeline has passed with no contact. If the shop said 8-10 months and you're at 11 months with no word, call and ask for an honest status update.

The shop isn't responding to multiple attempts. If you've called twice and left messages, and texted, and gotten no response over a week, that's not normal. Try a different contact method or consider stopping by in person.

You're getting inconsistent information. "Should be done soon" for three straight months isn't an answer. Ask for a specific stage and a specific timeframe.

You've moved or changed your number. Contact the shop proactively to update your information. If they can't reach you when your mount is ready, it could sit there for months.

FAQ

What do I do if my taxidermist says they don't know where my mount is?

Ask them to physically locate the specimen and confirm the stage. If they genuinely can't locate your specimen, which is rare but does happen in shops without good tracking systems, that's a serious issue. Give them 24-48 hours to investigate and get back to you with a concrete answer. If they can't locate your specimen and aren't taking the situation seriously, document everything in writing (follow up your call with an email or text).

Can I pick up my mount before it's finished if I've been waiting too long?

Only the raw cape, before work begins. Once tanning or mounting work has started, there's no practical way to pick up a partially completed mount. If you're genuinely unhappy with the timeline before any significant work has been done, you can discuss getting your deposit back and taking your specimen elsewhere, but this is rare and should be a last resort after direct communication has failed.

My taxidermist says my mount is "ready" but won't be for another 3 months. What does that mean?

"Ready for pickup" should mean the mount is completely finished and waiting for you to collect it. If they're saying "ready but also 3 months away," there may be a miscommunication about what stage the mount is in. Ask clearly: "Is the mount finished and available for pickup right now, or is it still in production?" Get a straight answer.

What information should a good taxidermy tracking portal show me?

At minimum, your current production stage, the date your mount moved to that stage, and an estimated completion date. A good portal also shows the major milestones your mount has passed so far, such as when it was shipped to the tannery and when it returned. Some portals send automatic notifications when your status changes.

What does it mean when my order says 'at tannery'?

It means your cape or hide is currently being processed at an off-site professional tannery. This is a normal part of the process for most large game mounts. Tannery processing takes 8-12 weeks typically. There is nothing the taxidermist or you can do to speed this step; it is the fixed chemical process that preserves the hide. This period accounts for most of the total timeline.

Is it rude to ask my taxidermist for a status update?

No. A reasonable status check every 3-4 months is perfectly appropriate. If your shop has a digital portal, use that first so you do not interrupt production time unnecessarily. If they do not have a portal, a brief text or call asking for a current stage update is completely normal. A professional taxidermist will respond clearly and without irritation.

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Sources

National Taxidermists Association (NTA)
Breakthrough Magazine
Taxidermy Today

Get Started with MountChief

Customers who can track their own mount are less anxious, less likely to call, and more satisfied with the overall experience. MountChief activates a customer tracking portal at every intake automatically, with no extra steps from you. Try MountChief to give every customer the transparency they want.