Best Taxidermy Software with Tannery Tracking in 2026

By MountChief Editorial Team|Updated Mar 2026

Here's a number that should bother you: tannery delays are responsible for 65% of timeline extension conversations with customers.

Not your production schedule. Not your finishing backlog. The tannery. The part of your workflow you ship out and wait on. And if you don't know exactly where each hide is, when it's expected back, and when it actually returns. You can't have that conversation with your customer until they call you demanding answers.

Tannery tracking closes the biggest blind spot in taxidermy shop management. And right now, only one platform includes it.

MountMonitor has no tannery tracking. Where's My Mount has no tannery tracking. Only MountChief does.

TL;DR

Here's a number that should bother you: tannery delays are responsible for 65% of timeline extension conversations with customers.
When you can see that Batch 14 was shipped to Knoblochs on October 15 and was expected back December 1, and today is December 8.
Shops with tannery tracking set 40% more accurate customer timeline estimates because they know actual tannery turnaround patterns, not just what tanneries say on their websites.
After one season of logging real shipment and return data, you know that your primary tannery typically runs one to two weeks beyond their stated turnaround.
Price: $79/month, all features included
MountMonitor users who process 200+ hides per season and use multiple tanneries are running a meaningful portion of their operation off-platform.

Why Tannery Tracking Matters More Than Most Shops Realize

The Tannery Blind Spot

Every hide you ship to a tannery enters a black hole. You know when it left. You might have a rough estimate of when it comes back. What you don't know (without a tracking system) is whether it's on time, running late, or somehow lost in the tannery's own backlog.

Meanwhile, your customer is counting down to the estimated completion date you gave them at intake. A date you calculated based on a tannery return estimate that you haven't verified in six weeks.

When the customer calls asking why their mount isn't done, you call the tannery. You find out it's running three weeks long. You call the customer back. They're angry. Not because the tannery is slow, but because nobody told them.

This entire sequence is preventable with tannery tracking.

What Tracking Actually Gives You

A proper tannery tracking system (like what MountChief's tannery shipment tracking feature provides) gives you:

Shipment log: Every hide logged by shipment date, tannery name, and batch
Expected return dates: Set at shipment time based on tannery estimates
Return confirmation: Log when hides actually come back
Delay visibility: Any shipment past its expected return date is flagged
Customer portal updates: Tannery status visible to customers without a phone call

When you can see that Batch 14 was shipped to Knoblochs on October 15 and was expected back December 1, and today is December 8. You know to call the tannery before your customers call you.

1. MountChief. The Only Option with True Tannery Tracking

MountChief's tannery tracking is built into the core platform, not bolted on as an afterthought. You log shipments directly from the job record, set expected return dates, and track actual return. Each hide's tannery status is visible in the customer portal so clients can see "at tannery: expected return [date]" without calling you.

How it works in practice:

When a job moves to the "tannery" stage in MountChief, you log the shipment batch, the destination tannery, the shipment date, and the expected return date the tannery gives you. That information is attached to the job record. The customer's portal shows "cape at tannery, expected [date]." When the hide returns, you confirm return in the system, the job moves to the next stage, and the customer's portal updates automatically.

If the expected return date passes without confirmation, MountChief flags it so you can proactively contact the tannery and update the customer's timeline, before they call asking.

Why this matters for your timeline estimates:

Shops with tannery tracking set 40% more accurate customer timeline estimates because they know actual tannery turnaround patterns, not just what tanneries say on their websites. After one season of logging real shipment and return data, you know that your primary tannery typically runs one to two weeks beyond their stated turnaround. You build that into your estimates. Customers get accurate timelines. Disputes drop.

Price: $79/month, all features included

2. MountMonitor. No Tannery Tracking

MountMonitor tracks job status stages. You can mark a job as "at tannery." That's a status label, not tracking.

What MountMonitor doesn't do: log which tannery the hide went to, when it shipped, when it's expected back, or alert you when a return date passes. To get that information, MountMonitor users maintain a separate system. A spreadsheet, a whiteboard, a notebook.

MountMonitor users who process 200+ hides per season and use multiple tanneries are running a meaningful portion of their operation off-platform. That creates the visibility gap tannery tracking is designed to close.

Bottom line: MountMonitor is a customer portal and job records system. It is not a tannery management tool.

3. Where's My Mount. No Tannery Tracking

Where's My Mount is a portal-only product. There is no tannery tracking. The portal can show whatever status you manually enter (including "at tannery") but it has no mechanism for logging shipments, tracking expected returns, or alerting you to delays.

Bottom line: Where's My Mount solves customer portal access. It doesn't touch tannery management.

4. Trophy Mount System and Final Shot. No Tannery Tracking

These legacy platforms handle basic job records and some customer information. Neither includes tannery shipment tracking as a feature. Both are desktop-only, which limits their practical utility for modern shop management.

5. Spreadsheets and Paper. Manual, Error-Prone, But Common

Most shops without dedicated tannery tracking manage it manually. The typical setup is a shipping log (paper or spreadsheet) that records batch, tannery, date shipped, and expected return. It works until it doesn't. When the log doesn't get updated, entries get missed, or the person who maintains it isn't in the shop.

A manual tannery log is better than nothing. An integrated tannery tracking system that connects to your job records and customer portal is better than a manual log.

Feature Comparison: Tannery Tracking Across Platforms

|---|---|---|---|---|---|

| MountChief | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |

| MountMonitor | Status label only | No | No | No | No |

| Where's My Mount | No | No | No | No | No |

| Trophy Mount | No | No | No | No | No |

FAQ

What taxidermy software has tannery tracking?

MountChief is the only taxidermy software platform with built-in tannery shipment tracking. No other major taxidermy software (including MountMonitor and Where's My Mount) includes dedicated tannery tracking as a feature. MountChief's tannery tracking logs shipment dates, tanneries, expected return dates, and actual returns, with delay flagging and customer portal integration.

Why is tannery tracking important for taxidermy shops?

Tannery delays cause 65% of timeline extension conversations with customers. When you can't see exactly where each hide is, when it's expected back, and whether it's on time, you're always reacting to delays rather than managing them proactively. Tannery tracking gives you visibility that lets you contact tanneries before customers contact you, update customer portals with accurate tannery status, and build more accurate timeline estimates based on actual tannery performance data.

How does MountChief's tannery tracking work?

When a job moves to the tannery stage, you log the shipment batch, destination tannery, shipment date, and expected return date in MountChief. That information attaches to the job record and updates the customer's portal automatically, showing "cape at tannery, expected [date]." When the hide returns, you confirm return in the system and the job advances. If an expected return date passes without confirmation, MountChief flags the overdue shipment so you can follow up with the tannery proactively.

How does this apply to solo taxidermy shops?

The principles in this guide apply to solo shops just as they do to larger operations, though the scale differs. A single-person shop may have lower absolute volume but faces the same documentation, compliance, and customer communication requirements. The practical advice here scales down to any shop size.

What is the most common mistake taxidermists make with best taxidermy software tannery tracking?

The most common mistake is treating best taxidermy software tannery tracking as an afterthought rather than building it into the standard workflow from the start. Shops that encounter problems in this area typically did not establish clear processes before season, which means every situation becomes a one-off decision rather than a standard response.

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Sources

National Taxidermists Association (NTA)
US Fish & Wildlife Service
Taxidermy Today
Small Business Administration (SBA)

Stop Flying Blind on Tannery Status

Your tannery is the longest and least predictable part of your production timeline. It's also the part most likely to generate customer complaints when it runs long. The tannery shipment tracking tool in MountChief puts you back in control. With real visibility into every cape's status, from the day it ships to the day it returns.

Try MountChief free. Your first tannery shipment batch will make the value obvious.

Get Started with MountChief

The right shop management software is the foundation of a well-run taxidermy operation. MountChief combines AI intake, tannery tracking, customer portal communication, and compliance documentation in one platform built specifically for taxidermists. Try MountChief free and see the operational difference in your first week.