Taxidermy Shop Policy Template: Deposits, Timelines, and Abandonment

By MountChief Editorial Team|Updated Mar 2026

Shops with formal written policies have 65% fewer customer disputes than shops without. Policy language on intake forms is legally enforceable in most states for deposit disputes. The problem isn't that most taxidermists don't have policies, it's that the policies exist only in their heads, and unwritten policies can't be enforced.

This template gives you the language for every policy a taxidermist shop needs. Customize the bracketed fields for your shop. Print and post this at your intake station and include it in your intake documentation.

TL;DR

Damage claims must be submitted within [14] days of pickup.
Adjustments beyond 10% require your written approval.
Deposits are non-refundable after [14] days from the intake date.
If you cancel within 14 days of intake, your deposit will be refunded in full.
If you cancel after 14 days of intake, the deposit is retained to cover processing costs incurred to date (including but not limited to tannery processing, form ordering, and labor).
You have [30] days from notification to pick up your completed mount.

[SHOP NAME] Client Policies

Please review these policies before completing your intake form. Your signature on the intake form indicates agreement with these terms.

1. Deposit Policy

A [30]% deposit of the quoted price is required at intake for all work. The deposit is applied toward your final balance at pickup.

Deposits are non-refundable after [14] days from the intake date. If you cancel within 14 days of intake, your deposit will be refunded in full.

If you cancel after 14 days of intake, the deposit is retained to cover processing costs incurred to date (including but not limited to tannery processing, form ordering, and labor).

Payment methods accepted for deposits: [Cash / Card / Venmo / CashApp]

2. Timeline Policy

We provide estimated completion timelines at intake based on current workload and tannery turnaround times. These are estimates, not guarantees.

Timelines are affected by factors outside our control, including tannery processing times, form availability, and seasonal volume. We will notify you proactively if your estimated timeline changes.

We do not guarantee completion by a specific date unless a rush fee arrangement has been agreed to in writing at intake. Standard turnaround times for common species:

Deer (whitetail) shoulder mount: [6-12] months
Elk shoulder mount: [12-18] months
Turkey full strut: [6-10] months
Fish (skin or replica): [6-10] months
European skull mount: [4-8] weeks

These ranges reflect typical timelines. Your specific job may be faster or slower depending on current shop volume and tannery schedules.

3. Rush Fee Policy

Rush completion (ahead of standard queue position) is available by arrangement. Rush fee: [25-50]% of the quoted mount price, collected at intake.

Rush fees do not guarantee a specific date. They prioritize your work in the production queue relative to standard jobs. Rush fees are non-refundable once production has begun.

4. Customer Notification and Pickup Policy

We will contact you via [text/email/phone] when your mount is complete and ready for pickup.

You have [30] days from notification to pick up your completed mount. After 30 days, a storage fee of $[X] per month will be assessed.

After [90] days from notification without pickup and without contact from you, your mount may be considered abandoned under our abandonment policy below.

5. Abandoned Mount Policy

A mount is considered abandoned when:

(a) Your mount is complete and you have not made contact within [90] days of our first notification attempt, and
(b) We have made at least [3] contact attempts by your registered contact method(s), and
(c) You have not responded to those attempts

Abandoned mounts become the property of [Shop Name] after the abandonment period. We reserve the right to resell, display, or dispose of abandoned mounts at our discretion.

Deposits paid on abandoned mounts are not refunded.

Outstanding balances on abandoned mounts remain due and may be referred to a collections agency.

We keep records of all notification attempts. In any dispute about abandoned mount status, our records constitute documentation of the notification process.

6. Specimen Condition at Intake

We photograph and document the condition of every specimen at intake. Our documentation is the record of the specimen's condition at the time of drop-off.

Pre-existing damage noted at intake (thin capes, damaged hide areas, hair slippage, freezer burn) is recorded and disclosed to you before we begin work. Some pre-existing conditions may affect the final mount quality. We will inform you of any pre-existing issues that may affect the result.

We are not responsible for finish quality on specimens with significant pre-existing damage that we disclosed to you at intake. If you choose to proceed with a compromised specimen, you accept the potential limitations on the finished result.

7. Damage Policy

We take every precaution to protect your specimens throughout the production process.

We carry bailee's insurance covering $[coverage amount] per specimen. If your specimen is damaged or lost while in our care through our negligence, our insurance provides compensation up to the insured value.

Damage claims must be submitted within [14] days of pickup. We do not accept damage claims for conditions that were documented as pre-existing at intake.

Our liability is limited to the insured value per specimen. We are not responsible for sentimental value, consequential damages, or losses beyond the insured amount.

If you wish to insure your specimen for a higher value, you are responsible for arranging separate coverage.

8. Wildlife Compliance Requirements

We are required by law to maintain accurate records for all regulated species. For your protection and ours, we require:

Migratory birds (waterfowl, doves, turkey): Hunter's current federal hunting license, federal duck stamp (waterfowl), and state hunting license at intake
CITES-listed species: Documentation of legal import or acquisition
Any species with state-specific requirements: Applicable harvest documentation

We reserve the right to decline work on any specimen for which adequate documentation cannot be provided. We cannot knowingly accept specimens taken or imported in violation of federal or state wildlife law.

9. Pricing Policy

Prices are quoted at intake based on current material and tannery costs. Quoted prices are valid for [30] days from the intake date.

If material costs (particularly tannery rates) change between intake and completion, we reserve the right to adjust the price by up to [10]% with notice to you. Adjustments beyond 10% require your written approval.

10. Contact Information and Communications

Your primary contact method for communications from our shop:

[ ] Text message (preferred)
[ ] Email
[ ] Phone call

We will use this method for all status updates, completion notifications, and important communications. It's your responsibility to keep your contact information current with our shop. Notification to your registered contact method constitutes delivery for all policy purposes including abandoned mount notification.

Acknowledgment

By completing the intake form, I acknowledge that I have read and agree to [Shop Name]'s client policies above, including the deposit, timeline, abandonment, and compliance terms.

Customer Signature: _______________________

Date: _______________________

Job #: _______________________

Frequently Asked Questions

What policies should a taxidermy shop have in writing?

At minimum: deposit amount and refund conditions, estimated timeline ranges by species, abandoned mount procedures (how long before abandoned status, what happens to the mount), damage liability and insurance coverage, specimen condition documentation at intake, and wildlife compliance requirements by species. These six categories cover the most common sources of customer disputes. Written policies are enforceable; unwritten policies are not. A policy that exists only in the taxidermist's memory cannot be cited in a dispute resolution conversation or used as the basis for holding a deposit. Printing these policies and collecting a signature at intake creates a documented agreement.

What abandoned mount language should be in my policies?

Effective abandoned mount language should specify: the trigger conditions (how long after completion notification before abandonment status begins), the notification attempts required before declaring abandonment (document each attempt), what happens to the mount after abandonment (disposal, sale, or retention), and the status of any deposit paid (non-refundable). The policy should also state that outstanding balances remain due after abandonment. Most states do not have specific taxidermy abandoned property statutes, your policy terms, signed by the customer at intake, are your primary legal basis for handling abandoned mounts. Make the language specific and the notification process documented.

How do I implement deposit policies without losing customers?

Most customers who balk at a deposit policy are exactly the customers most likely to abandon a mount. The deposit requirement filters out low-commitment customers while retaining every serious hunter. Implement the policy by building it into your intake system (required deposit step before intake is finalized) rather than asking manually. When the deposit collection is a system step rather than a personal request, resistance drops significantly. Communicate the policy before customers arrive, include it on your price sheet and website. Customers who see it before drop-off arrive expecting to pay. The very few customers who decline to pay a deposit and leave are customers who would likely have created problems later.

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 policy template?

The most common mistake is treating taxidermy shop policy template 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
Small Business Administration (SBA)

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