Are the taxidermied animals at Cabela’s real or reproductions?

Dan, when they opened the Cabela’s in Ft Worth the company ran ads in the local papers asking for taxidermy pieces for the store. They offered reasonable prices and anyone who sold a piece had to sign documentation that the animals were legally harvested. When I inquired about about a couple of my pieces they were very concerned about the African mounts and I had to produce documents fro the guide service or PH that these were taken under the applicable hunting laws.

They do have some replicas of some animals, birds and most of the fish are replicas. They also get permission in some states to exhibit state owned pieces or seized pieces like polar bears or protected species that died of natural causes or injuries and were taxidermy objects done by state or conservation groups.

they are real

The taxidermy is not fake. At least most of it. Some of it like fish and some birds maybe fake.

A lot of those collections in those stores are from various points in history that were either bought or donated by various individuals or groups. My Cabela’s has taxidermy from the 1950s and 1960s. As well as newer examples.

I prefer the taxidermy in Cabela’s over bass pro.

Yes, they are real. A lot of those are donated to the store by benefactors or estates.

Not all of them are hunted, however. Some are roadkill, or died of natural causes and we’re taken in for taxidermy.

If it messes with you so bad, then don’t shop there. The world doesn’t owe you squat for your emotions.

Yes, those are real animals that have been preserved through taxidermy. Most of them were legally hunted but a few may have died of natural causes or other things such as being hit by cars or something. In the case of animals that were hunted their meat was harvested and used while the taxidermy process preserved mainly their skin & fur for the trophy.

There are a few exceptions – for example the 2 Cabela’s stores near my house have a Bald Eagle and an Orca Whale – both of which are fake because they’re both endangered and cannot be hunted.

If that bothers because you have an irrational objection to people killing their own food instead of paying other people to do it, then don’t shop at cabelas. I’m sure they’ll miss you.

It doesn’t bother me at all…..at least they don’t have a restroom ID problem there. The men go to the men’s and the ladies go to the ladies…

Those “trophies” are nothing but skin over a form, the rest of the animal was eaten by the hunter. The bear cubs were not shot since that’s illegal in every state. They most likely were hit by traffic and the carcasses were saved to display. It never ceases to amaze me at how strong the opinions of the uninformed are. In the USA a “trophy” animal is not just decapitated and left to rot, the entire animal must be used. That elk you saw was eaten, the hide was cured and stretched over a form. Those turkeys you saw were eaten, the skin and feathers were stretched over a form. And yes, in some cases the stuffed animals are fakes manufactured for retail display.