Taxidermy Shop Deer Season Marketing: Get More Mounts Before Opening Day
Shops with pre-season marketing campaigns take 25% more mounts than reactive shops. The difference is timing: hunters make their taxidermist choices before they have a deer in the truck, not after. A hunter who sees your work in September and books a deposit is your customer before your competitors even know he's looking.
Past customer email open rates average 45% for pre-season taxidermy campaigns, more than double the industry average for marketing emails. That's because hunters who've worked with you before are a perfectly warm audience, people who already know and trust your work and just need a reminder that season is coming.
This guide covers the three-channel pre-season marketing strategy that consistently outperforms last-minute word-of-mouth dependence.
TL;DR
- Start pre-season marketing 6-8 weeks before your region's primary deer season opener.
- Shops with pre-season marketing campaigns take 25% more mounts than reactive shops.
- Send a pre-season email 6-8 weeks before your region's main season opens.
- A well-executed pre-season email to 100 past customers should generate 15-25 inquiries and 10-15 pre-season deposits.
- Run the campaign for 3-5 weeks in the pre-season window.
- What marketing should a taxidermy shop do before deer season?
Channel 1: Past Customer Email (Highest ROI, Start Here)
Your past customer email list is free to use and converts better than any paid channel. If you've been collecting emails at intake, you already have a pre-season marketing asset ready to deploy.
Send a pre-season email 6-8 weeks before your region's main season opens. Include:
- Current pricing for shoulder mounts, European mounts, and any specialty work
- Your estimated turnaround time
- A prompt to book and deposit now to reserve priority position in your queue
- Anything new this season: upgraded shop, new intake process, online tracking portal
Keep it under 300 words. One clear call to action: contact you to book.
Hunters who've used you before open these emails at high rates because the content is directly relevant to their actual plans. A well-executed pre-season email to 100 past customers should generate 15-25 inquiries and 10-15 pre-season deposits.
For the full email strategy including templates, see the taxidermy shop email marketing guide.
Channel 2: Social Media Posts (Start 4-6 Weeks Before Season)
Social content before season does two things: it keeps you visible to your existing audience, and it gives hunters evidence of your current work quality when they're researching taxidermists.
What to post in the pre-season window:
Before-and-after photos. A side-by-side of a cape condition at intake versus the finished mount is your most compelling content. It shows your skill and your process simultaneously. Post with a brief caption: "This was a great cape to work with: excellent field care from the hunter. Finished up last spring, and ready for one more like it this fall. Booking now for [year] deer season."
Shop preparation posts. "Stocked up on [brand] whitetail forms, ready for deer season. Booking slots open." This signals that you're prepared and taking reservations.
Countdown content. A simple "X days until firearms season opens in [state]" post keeps your name in front of hunters who follow you as they build anticipation for the season.
Educational content. A post about proper cape care, with a brief guide on field-to-freezer technique, positions you as an expert and generates shares in hunting communities.
Channel 3: Google Ads (Start 4-5 Weeks Before Season)
For taxidermy keywords, cost-per-click runs $0.50-2.00 in most markets. That's inexpensive access to hunters who are actively searching for a taxidermist near them.
Target location-specific keywords: "[your city] taxidermist," "[your county] deer mount," "deer taxidermy near me." Set geographic targeting to your service radius.
Run the campaign for 3-5 weeks in the pre-season window. Budget $10-15 per day. When your calendar is full or deer season peaks, pause the campaign.
The most important element of Google Ads is what happens after the click. Make sure your Google Business profile is complete and shows current photos, hours, and reviews. That's where most hunters will land before calling.
What Doesn't Work
Posting only during peak season. By the time firearms season opens, most hunters have already decided on a taxidermist. Posting only during the season is reactive marketing that captures the last-minute undecided, a small and price-sensitive segment.
Generic content. "Get your deer mounted here" is forgettable. Show specific work, name specific techniques you use (open-mouth forms, wall pedestal mounts, specific eye sets), and speak directly to hunters planning for the coming season.
Waiting for referrals to fill the calendar. Referrals are valuable, but they're unpredictable. Pre-season marketing gives you control over your booking curve.
The Pre-Season Marketing Calendar
| Timing | Activity |
|---|---|
| 8 weeks before season | Send pre-season email to past customers |
| 6 weeks before season | Start social media pre-season content series |
| 5 weeks before season | Launch Google Ads campaign |
| 2 weeks before season | Follow-up email with "last call for early booking" |
| Season opens | Shift to in-season content: process, results, updates |
Running all three channels in coordinated sequence produces the best results. Email re-engages past customers. Social builds awareness among new hunters following you. Google Ads captures active searchers you haven't reached through your own channels.
Frequently Asked Questions
What marketing should a taxidermy shop do before deer season?
The most effective pre-season marketing combines three channels: a past customer email campaign 6-8 weeks before season, social media content showing finished work starting 4-6 weeks out, and a Google Ads campaign targeting location-specific taxidermy keywords starting 4-5 weeks before season. Each channel reaches a different audience segment. Email re-engages past customers. Social builds brand awareness among hunting followers. Google Ads captures active searchers comparing taxidermists. Running all three in sequence gives you control over your booking curve rather than waiting for word-of-mouth.
How do I market my taxidermy shop to new customers before season?
For new customer acquisition before deer season, a combination of Google Ads and organic social content is most effective. Google Ads puts you in front of hunters actively searching for a taxidermist in your area, typically during the 4-6 week window before season. Social media content showing your finished work, especially in local hunting groups and community pages, builds organic awareness among hunters who follow those channels. Being visible before season is the key: hunters who find you in September book in October, while hunters who find you in November when the buck is in the truck are harder to convert.
When should I start pre-season taxidermy marketing?
Start pre-season marketing 6-8 weeks before your region's primary deer season opener. For most Southeast and Midwest states with mid-to-late October firearms seasons, that means starting in late August or September. For states with early October archery openers, push pre-season content into August. The goal is reaching hunters during their planning phase, when they're making decisions about where to book their taxidermy work. Hunters who make that decision in September are far more committed than those who make it on the drive home from the field in November.
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 taxidermy shop deer season marketing?
The most common mistake is treating taxidermy shop deer season marketing 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.
Related Articles
- Deer Season Opening Week Checklist for Taxidermy Shops
- Iowa Trophy Deer Season: How a Shop Managed 180 Mounts in 8 Weeks
- Pennsylvania Deer Season: How a Shop Survived 200 Mounts in Two Weeks
Try These Free Tools
Put these insights into practice with our free calculators and planners:
Sources
- National Taxidermists Association (NTA)
- US Fish & Wildlife Service
- Breakthrough Magazine
- State wildlife agencies
- Small Business Administration (SBA)
Get Started with MountChief
Deer season is the most demanding time of year for any taxidermist, and the shops that handle it best are the ones that prepared before opening day. MountChief gives you fast AI intake, automatic customer portal activation, and tannery tracking so your busiest weeks are also your most organized. Try MountChief before your next deer season opener.