Taxidermy Shop Off-Season Marketing: Stay Top of Mind Year-Round

By MountChief Editorial Team|Updated Mar 2026

Most taxidermy shops market reactively. Deer season opens, the phone rings, and that's the whole plan. Then January hits, the phone stops, and the slow months feel brutal.

Shops that flip that script (the ones with pre-season marketing in place) fill 30% or more of their capacity before deer season even starts. That's not a coincidence. It's the result of staying in front of past customers all year, not just when animals are hitting the ground.

Here's how to build an off-season marketing system that keeps you top of mind, earns repeat business, and gets you into the fall with a partial booking list already built.

TL;DR

Shops that flip that script (the ones with pre-season marketing in place) fill 30% or more of their capacity before deer season even starts.
The message: "Come back to us, book before September 1, and you move to the front of the intake queue." That has genuine value for a hunter who wants their mount done before next season.
A list of 200 past customers, marketed to thoughtfully across the year, will generate meaningful fall business.
"This buck came out of Jefferson County: 22 inches wide and 8 years old.
You don't need a sophisticated email marketing platform to start.
If you're not showing up during those months, another taxidermist is.

Why Off-Season Marketing Matters

Your best customers are hunters. Hunters plan in advance. They're thinking about the fall season in April, June, and August. If you're not showing up during those months, another taxidermist is.

Past customers who receive some form of contact in the spring are three times more likely to return that fall. Three times. That alone justifies the time investment of putting a simple off-season marketing plan together.

This doesn't have to be expensive or complicated. Email, social media, and a few targeted touchpoints across the year do the job. The key is consistency.

Build Your Email List First

If you don't have an email list of past customers, start there. It's the foundation of everything else.

When you do intake, collect email addresses. If you're using a customer portal, emails are already in your system. If you're on paper, start asking.

Your list doesn't need to be huge to work. A list of 200 past customers, marketed to thoughtfully across the year, will generate meaningful fall business.

The Off-Season Marketing Calendar

January and February: Wrap-Up and Reconnect

You're finishing up season jobs. Customers are picking up mounts. This is a natural touchpoint.

Send a "thank you" email to every customer who picked up a mount this season. Keep it simple. Something like: "Thanks for trusting us with your trophy. We're already gearing up for next year: reach out early to secure your spot."

That email isn't pushy. It's professional. And it plants the seed for the fall booking.

March and April: Spring Turkey Season Activation

If you do turkey work, this is your moment. Post your turkey mount portfolio on Facebook, Instagram, and Google Business Profile. Before-and-after photos of fan mounts and full-body turkeys work extremely well.

Send an email specifically about turkey season. Something like: "Spring season is almost here: drop off your turkey and we'll have it done before summer." Short. Action-oriented.

May and June: Off-Season Content

This is when hunters are scouting, doing shed hunts, and dreaming about the fall. You should be showing up with content that speaks to that.

Post mount photos with captions about the hunt story. Share preparation tips for hunters. Behind-the-scenes content from your shop works well, people like seeing the craft.

This isn't hard-sell marketing. It's presence. Stay visible, stay relevant, and be the taxidermist people think of first when a deer hits the ground in November.

July and August: Pre-Season Push

This is when you get more direct. Send an email in late July or early August with a clear message: fall is coming, spots are filling up, book early.

Include your timeline information. Something like: "Deer shoulder mounts taken this fall will be completed by next spring. First-come, first-served intake means earlier customers get earlier completion dates."

That last point is important. It's true, and it creates genuine urgency. You're not manufacturing pressure. You're educating customers on how your queue works. Pair this with a repeat customer strategy that gives past customers a small early-booking incentive.

September and October: Season-Opening Content

Post as deer season opens in your state. "Opening weekend is here: intake appointments available now." Share photos from early-season intakes with customer permission. Keep social channels active.

Keep your Google Business Profile updated with your current season hours. If you extend hours for peak intake, post it.

November and December: Peak Season Communication

You're in it now. Marketing shifts from acquisition to management. Make sure your existing customers are getting status updates through whatever system you use. Happy customers during season are next season's repeat business.

Social Media for Taxidermists: What Actually Works

Not all social content performs equally for taxidermy shops. Here's what to focus on.

Mount photos with hunt context. "This buck came out of Jefferson County: 22 inches wide and 8 years old. One of the best deer of the year." Story + visual = engagement.

Behind-the-scenes process content. People are genuinely curious about taxidermy. Short videos of form preparation, eye setting, or finishing work get views.

Customer pickup moments. With permission, capture photos or video of customers seeing their finished mount for the first time. These are genuine, shareable moments.

Educational content for hunters. Cape care tips. How to photograph a fish at the water. What to do with a turkey before bringing it in. This kind of content positions you as an expert and gets shared.

Facebook still works for reaching older hunting demographics. Instagram reaches younger hunters. If you're only going to focus on one, go with Facebook for reach in most markets, then add Instagram as capacity allows.

Email Marketing: Keep It Simple

You don't need a sophisticated email marketing platform to start. A basic tool like Mailchimp works fine.

Your off-season email schedule might look like:

Late January: Thank-you and see-you-next-season message
March: Turkey season announcement
July: Pre-season "book early" message
Mid-September: Season-opening reminder

Four emails a year is enough to maintain presence without being annoying. Write them conversationally. You're a taxidermist talking to hunters, not a corporation writing marketing copy.

Your Google Business Profile

If you haven't claimed and optimized your Google Business Profile, do it this week. It's free and it directly affects whether hunters in your area find you when they search "taxidermist near me."

Update your hours. Add mount photos. Respond to every review, including negative ones. Post season updates directly to the profile.

This is your most important single marketing asset, especially if you don't have a website. Learn more about building your social media presence to supplement your Google profile with a consistent visual brand.

Repeat Customer Offers

Past customers are your easiest marketing. They already know your work. They already trust you.

Consider a simple early-booking incentive for returning customers. This doesn't have to be a discount on your mount price. That erodes margins. Instead, think about something like priority intake scheduling, a small gift (like a hat or cooler bag with your shop name), or guaranteed early-queue placement.

The message: "Come back to us, book before September 1, and you move to the front of the intake queue." That has genuine value for a hunter who wants their mount done before next season.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I market my taxidermy shop during the off-season?

Focus on three channels: email to past customers, social media content for hunters thinking about the fall, and your Google Business Profile. A four-email annual schedule plus consistent social posting is enough to stay top of mind without taking much time away from production work.

When should I start marketing for the next deer season?

Start in late July or early August with a direct pre-season message about booking availability. Follow up in early September as deer seasons open in the South. Don't wait until hunters are standing in the field. By then, they've already picked a taxidermist.

What off-season marketing channels work best for taxidermy shops?

Email to past customers delivers the highest return because you're reaching people who already know and trust your work. Facebook works well for reaching hunting demographics in most markets. Google Business Profile is critical for local search visibility. Together, these three channels cover the majority of your off-season marketing needs without requiring a big budget.

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 off season marketing?

The most common mistake is treating taxidermy shop off 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.

Try These Free Tools

Put these insights into practice with our free calculators and planners:

Sources

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

Get Started with MountChief

Pre-season preparation is what separates shops that handle peak volume smoothly from those that fall behind on day one. MountChief's intake, tracking, and communication tools are designed to handle the pace of your busiest weeks. Try MountChief before your next season opener.