Taxidermy Shop Email Marketing: Simple Campaigns That Work
Pre-season emails generate 35% more pre-season deposits from past customers. That's not a marginal improvement. That's a third more of your season booked and deposited before a single deer walks through your door, which means less financial stress, better production planning, and fewer last-minute rushes.
The customer email list you build through intake forms is the most valuable marketing asset your shop has. More valuable than your social media followers, more valuable than your Google reviews, and more valuable than any paid advertising channel. It's a direct line to people who have already chosen you once.
Most taxidermists don't use it. This guide covers the three emails that will change that.
TL;DR
- most effective pre-season email is a direct, specific message sent 6-8 weeks before your main season opens.
- For most taxidermy shops, 3-4 emails per year is the right frequency.
- The most effective pre-season email is a direct, specific message sent 6-8 weeks before your main season opens.
- - Click rate: 5-10% is solid for a service business
- Deposit conversions: Track how many pre-season deposits you receive in the week following a pre-season email
- Store emails in a simple platform: Mailchimp's free tier handles up to 500 contacts and covers most small taxidermy shops.
- Send it 6-8 weeks before your main deer season opens, before hunters finalize their taxidermy plans.
Building Your Email List
Before you can send campaigns, you need addresses. The intake form is your primary collection point. Make email a required field on every intake, not optional. If a customer is reluctant to share their email, a brief explanation helps: "We send status updates by email so you don't have to call for updates."
Don't retroactively ask past customers for emails in bulk. Instead, collect going forward and build the list season over season. Within 2-3 years, you'll have a substantial list of active hunting customers.
Store emails in a simple platform: Mailchimp's free tier handles up to 500 contacts and covers most small taxidermy shops. Constant Contact and Klaviyo are good options if you want more features. Even a well-maintained Google Sheet can work for smaller lists.
The Three Emails Every Shop Should Send
Email 1: The Pre-Season Outreach (Send August/September)
This is your highest-ROI email of the year. Send it 6-8 weeks before your main deer season opens, before hunters finalize their taxidermy plans.
Subject line options:
- "Getting your deer mounted this season? A few things to know before drop-off"
- "Booking is open for [year] deer season"
- "Reserve your spot before deer season opens"
What to include:
- Your current pricing for the most common mount types (shoulder mount, European, full-body)
- Your estimated turnaround time for this season
- A note about your intake process, especially if you've upgraded (a tracking portal mention is valuable here)
- A simple call to action: book a deposit now and lock in current pricing
The reason this email generates 35% more pre-season deposits is that it catches hunters in the planning phase, before they're in the decision-making mode of active season. A hunter who reads this email in September thinks "I should go ahead and book with them" rather than waiting until November when they're comparing you against five other shops on the fly.
Email 2: The Season Opener (Send 1-2 weeks before season)
This email is a brief reminder for hunters who didn't act on the pre-season outreach.
Subject line options:
- "Deer season is almost here: here's how to prepare your cape"
- "Season opens in [X] days: what you need to know for taxidermy drop-off"
- "Ready for [year] deer season? Here are our drop-off hours"
What to include:
- Drop-off hours and procedure
- A brief reminder on proper cape care (field-to-freezer instructions)
- Current pricing
- Contact information
This email serves a double purpose: it re-engages hunters who missed the pre-season email, and it reduces the number of calls you get asking about drop-off logistics on opening day.
Email 3: The Completion/Pickup Notice (Send per job)
This is a transactional email, not a campaign, but it's the one that does the most for retention and referrals. When a customer's mount is complete, send a notification with pickup instructions and a simple satisfaction question.
Subject line: "Your mount is ready for pickup, [First Name]"
What to include:
- Confirmation the mount is complete
- Pickup hours and any instructions
- Balance due amount
- A brief line asking them to share if they're happy: "If you're pleased with the result, a Google review or a recommendation to a hunting friend means a lot to us."
This email converts the completion moment into a retention and referral touchpoint at almost zero cost.
For additional off-season engagement tactics, see the taxidermy shop off-season marketing guide and the taxidermy shop social media guide.
What Not to Do
Don't email too frequently. For most taxidermy shops, 3-4 emails per year is the right frequency. More than that, and you start seeing unsubscribes from customers who feel like they're on a marketing list.
Don't send generic content. Hunters are a specific audience. Emails about their deer, their upcoming season, and their mount status outperform generic "check out our shop" content significantly.
Don't ignore mobile. Over 70% of emails are opened on phones. Keep your emails short, with large text and a single clear call to action. Long multi-column newsletters are hard to read on mobile.
Don't buy email lists. The only email addresses worth using are ones you collected from actual customers who gave you permission. Purchased lists have terrible deliverability and no conversion value in the taxidermy context.
Measuring Results
For a small taxidermy shop, the metrics that matter are:
- Open rate: Aim for 30-45%. Taxidermy shop pre-season emails perform well above average industry rates because the content is highly relevant to the recipients.
- Click rate: 5-10% is solid for a service business
- Deposit conversions: Track how many pre-season deposits you receive in the week following a pre-season email
Don't obsess over the numbers. Even a basic three-email strategy executed consistently will generate more pre-season bookings than doing nothing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What emails should a taxidermy shop send throughout the year?
The three essential emails are the pre-season outreach (6-8 weeks before deer season, driving pre-season deposits), the season opener reminder (1-2 weeks before season, providing drop-off logistics and cape care reminders), and the completion notice (per job, when a customer's mount is ready for pickup). Beyond these three, a mid-winter off-season newsletter and a spring turkey season announcement are worth adding for shops that take those species. Stick to relevant, specific content and keep frequency to 4-6 emails per year.
How do I collect email addresses from taxidermy customers?
Make email a required field on every intake form, with a brief explanation that you use it to send status updates. This is a natural value exchange: customers provide their email, you provide a more convenient update channel than phone calls. Customers almost universally agree to this when it's framed as a benefit to them. Going forward, collect from every intake. Don't try to retroactively collect addresses from old customers in bulk, it rarely works and can be perceived negatively.
What is the best pre-season email to send to past taxidermy customers?
The most effective pre-season email is a direct, specific message sent 6-8 weeks before your main season opens. It should include your current pricing, your estimated turnaround time, and a clear call to action to book and deposit now to reserve their spot. Mention any improvements you've made, like a customer tracking portal, that differentiate your experience. Keep it short, under 200 words in the email body. The goal is to reach hunters during their planning window before they're actively comparing options. A hunter who books with a deposit in September is your customer for 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 email marketing?
The most common mistake is treating taxidermy shop email 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
- Taxidermy Shop Bookkeeping: Simple Systems for Non-Accountants
- Marketing Taxidermy Services to New Hunters
Try These Free Tools
Put these insights into practice with our free calculators and planners:
Sources
- National Taxidermists Association (NTA)
- US Fish & Wildlife Service
- Taxidermy Today
- Small Business Administration (SBA)
Get Started with MountChief
Professional taxidermists need more than talent at the bench. They need organized intake, clear compliance records, and reliable customer communication. MountChief delivers all three.