YADKINVILLE, N.C. – Taxidermists play an important role in preserving memories for hunters, and there’s a push to diversify the traditionally male-dominated field. 

According to the job search website Zippia, just under 20% of taxidermists in the country are women. Surry Community College taxidermy instructor Doug Shores said the North Carolina Taxidermy Association has 16 female members and 76 male members. He said he sees many talented female taxidermists come through his classes, and he encourages anyone interested to join the field. 

“There are quite a few well-known female taxidermists. If people wanted to come out and see their state taxidermy associations, they could see some really talented taxidermists, and it’s more and more females every day,” Shores said. 

One of those women is Heather Tomlin, who owns the Huntin’ & Fishin’ Taxidermy Studio in Yadkinville. Her days are full of prepping deer skulls for skull mounts, building habitats that re-create the environment the animal came from and collecting samples for the state that will be tested for chronic wasting disease. She enjoys the challenge of bringing the animal back to life, in a sense. 

She decided to enroll in taxidermy classes at SCC thanks to a hunting trip, a bear that weighed well over 200 pounds and Bath & Body Works. 

“She came in right before, actually right after I had lotioned up with my Bath & Body Works. Cherry Blossom was the type that I had used,” Tomlin said. “The hunter had told me that nothing would come near me if I smelled all girly.” 

She named the bear “Cherry Blossom” and wanted to taxidermy her trophy herself. She said she learned those skills by working with Shores at SCC, where she was one of three women in her class. Tomlin proudly keeps the bear in her studio and said she hopes more women will join her in the field.

“It’s a happy feeling, you know, to know that that hunter, that little kid… that you’ve done something for them,” Tomlin said. 

More information about SCC’s taxidermy classes is available here.