Onside Media spoke with Greg Intini, a passionate outdoorsman in Grassie, Ontario, about his taxidermy business, Feathers and Fins Taxidermy. As a hunter and angler, he collected taxidermy work himself before learning the art of taxidermy. With a natural artistic ability, Greg practiced and advanced his skills for five years, offering his services to friends and family. Now with ten years of experience, Greg continues to develop his skill set and expand his portfolio.
Can you explain the process of getting an animal preserved?
Taxidermist work in itself is only mounting an animal for someone else. Customers have either found a dead animal or they have harvested one themselves. They then contact a taxidermist like me to preserve the animal for the foreseeable future. I connect more with providing services to hunters and anglers more than people who find their animals. I enjoy it more because I know that I am preserving the memory of the animal. The time it takes to complete a piece can vary, but it usually takes around 15-20 hours.
What makes your services unique compared to other taxidermists?
I don’t know if it is unique, but there are different levels of taxidermy, and it does come down to getting what you pay for. Some taxidermists charge very little and do terrible jobs, while there are taxidermists who are more expensive and put more care into replicating that animal as best as they know-how. Those who are more careful and have practiced in their profession go to the next level and compete against other taxidermists in competitions which is another good way for the market to gauge the quality of services.
What are your business mission and goals?
For myself, providing the highest quality of the product that I can make is an everlearning task so far. It will be interesting to see the product that I am producing five years from now. The services I provide will also continue to expand as I get more willing to take on new animals. I started out specializing in waterfowl, and since then, I’ve expanded to deer, replica fish, and other mammals.
What are some challenges that your business encounters?
“I think the biggest challenge is the idea that it is morbid to have taxidermy inside of your home. Many people don’t understand the effort hunters and anglers put into harvesting the animal and the personal connection, and that aspect gets overseen by the general public creating a niche market. Also, with the Covid-19 Pandemic, my customers can’t come directly to me to drop off animals, and many customers couldn’t get out hunting at all.”
The art of taxidermy thrives on passion and connecting with a community of hunters and anglers alike. With the help of positive word-of-mouth recommendations and industry knowledge, Greg anticipates growth. To see more of Greg’s work and learn more about the industry, visit Feathers and Fins Taxidermy on Instagram and Facebook.
For more information kindly visit:
Instagram: Feathers and Fins Taxidermy
Facebook: Feathers and Fins Taxidermy
Author: Kathryn Intini, Content Writer, St.Catharines, Canada. Kathryn is a fourth-year Business Communications student at Brock University. With an interest in big data analytics and a commitment to lifelong learning, she hopes to work in technical sales. She has been recognized for selling over $1 million in products at her summer sales job and her commitment to Autism Speaks Canada. If you have any stories or comments, kindly email: – kathrynintini.theonside@gmail.
