Quebec Is Hella Serious About the Future of Taxidermy

Taxidermin' ain't easy.

The training required to properly embalm bears and foxes to preserve their "natural state" takes about 600 hours, or more than ten times the in-flight hours required to become a private pilot.

"There's a number of different skillsets at play" says Mario Bilodeau, a 52-year-old taxidermist who has been involved with the industry since the tender age of eight. "You have to be a good sculptor, painter, welder, wood-worker. There's a lot involved in becoming a good taxidermist."

Yet despite the rigorous curriculum, the traditional métier is picking up steam, and the Quebec government is taking note.

"Demand for taxidermy is on the rise, namely with hunters and the film industry," reads a December press release announcing a quarter of a million dollar government investment meant to "showcase one of our exceptional natural resources, fur."

"The fur industry is currently undergoing a global resurgence, especially on Asian and Russian markets, and Quebec must seize any business opportunities that arise," the document quotes Jacques Daoust, Minister of the Economy.

Bilodeau, whose enterprise Bilodeau Canada is now the biggest fur and taxidermy shop in Quebec, says he's witnessed this growth first-hand. He attributes the popularity increase to the internet and social networks, which have allowed him to develop an international client base.

"Twenty years ago, it was inconceivable that we'd be working for clients in China, in Europe," he says. "Today, I sold a whole caribou to someone in Thailand. They want a moose, they want a head of this, the head of that."

There's also been a supposed revival of amateur taxidermists which makes sense considering Canada's axe-throwing-is-a-date-night-activity culture.

Bilodeau, who built his enterprise from a one man operation into an 86-employee business, says has also diversified his offerings beyond the typical hunter's trophies.

"We dress furs, we do taxidermy, we build props for movies and for plays, we build robotic creatures," he lists off. "Right now I'm building a whale spine replica for the Montreal airport."

Bilodeau's company will now be shepherding much of the government funds into a training program for new taxidermists. The two-year course will be taught near Bilodeau Canada's headquarters, in the rural town of Normandin, Québec.

The 600-hour requirement and the out-of-the-way location doesn't seem to have affected demand for the course, which is the only professional taxidermy training in the province. Bilodeau says he's been overwhelmed with demand to fill the 12 available spots.

"We're getting calls from everywhere," he says. "Last week we got at least 20 calls, and people even came to observe our taxidermists to see if they liked it."

The veteran taxidermist's do-or-die attitude towards his craft gives the whole process a reality show-type aura. "If we manage to train two or three good taxidermists we'll be very happy," he told a local paper in December. In conversation with VICE, his outlook is slightly more optimistic. "Only time will tell, but we think that maybe five or six people will [become taxidermists], or so we hope."

For Bilodeau, the ideal taxidermist is meticulous and concentrated. It's also someone with a deep love of animals, an understanding of wildlife anatomy, and a respect for ecology.

Bilodeau Canada does not source its products from fur farms, as Bilodeau feels that segment of the fur industry is problematic. Rather, he gets animals from hunters and trappers, and the more exotic creatures are purchased from zoos and sanctuaries after they've died.

"You have to treat the animals in a respectful way," he says. "For a dozen years, our objective has been to use everything we touch. We make bear grease soap, coyote fur wool, from which we make hats, mittens, and scarves, everything."

He says the lobbying of activists like Brigitte Bardot and PETA have wounded the industry, but claims much of the movement against his trade is misinformed.

"Fur is much more ecological than anything else on the planet because it's biodegradable, it's controlled," he claims. "A beaver only lives eight or nine years so if you don't use him, he'll just die and biodegrade. Whereas everything that's made with synthetic materials pollutes the planet, it's quite unreal."

All this, Bilodeau says, leads to a pretty good way to make a living. "Good taxidermists make $25 to $30 an hour," he says. "But you start at the bottom. There is a ladder to climb before becoming a master."

Bilodeau's students are set to start their taxidermy challenge education in mid-January.

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