Grignon's Taxidermy

Reimond Grignon has been mounting wildlife since he was a kid. He's operated a commercial taxidermy studio in Palmyra, Maine for over 50 years and holds the title of Rated Master Taxidermist. His work has won competitions in both US and World Taxidermy Championships—he competes only in the Master Division.

This isn't "stuffing." Every animal that comes through Grignon's studio gets:

• •Professional hide cleaning and tanning (sent to a specialized tannery out west)
• •Hand-crafted or molded manikins (often custom-made for unusual poses)
• •Meticulous stitching—small enough that no seams show
• •Museum-quality finished mounts that last for generations

He's worked for CEOs of major corporations and has shipped completed mounts to customers across the US and internationally.

The shop at 70 Maine Street in Palmyra sits on top of a hill on the right side of US Route 2, about 7 miles west of Newport (I-95 exit). Look for the big red taxidermy sign. The studio includes over 100 pieces of taxidermy work on display—many of them award winners. There's a museum room with everything from whitetail and mule deer to moose, elk, caribou, bears, bobcats, coyotes, fishers, foxes, turkeys, pheasants, ducks, and fish mounts. Kids can work through a scavenger game to find over 100 mounted specimens.

Call first. Grignon works alone now and isn't in the shop every day, especially during spring, summer, and early winter when he's researching fishing conditions or managing his honey bee hives.

• •Whitetail and mule deer head mounts
• •Caribou, elk, and moose shoulder mounts
• •Bear rugs and full-body bear mounts
• •Buffalo shoulder mounts
• •Small to medium mammal mounts (bobcats, coyotes, fishers, foxes)
• •Upland game mounts (ruffed grouse, woodcock, turkeys, pheasants, quail)
• •Waterfowl mounts (ducks, geese)
• •Fish mounts (trout, salmon, bass, pike, perch)
• •African game mounts (mountain lions, leopards, African lions)
• •Hide tanning services (deer and bear hides)
• •Custom taxidermy for unusual poses and species

Grignon takes precise measurements of every animal to create or modify manikins that match the original specimen. Hides are fleshed, salted, and dried before being sent to his professional tannery. Once tanned hides return, he fits them carefully and hand-stitches everything—a time-consuming process that ensures no visible seams. He focuses on finishing customer work quickly rather than letting mounts sit in the workshop.

He offers taxidermy mounts for sale, including moose heads, fish mounts, and death masks.

Grignon is also a professional scuba diver (Rated Master with Dive Master certification) who recovered bottles from shipwrecks—his collection of ancient bottles is on display in the studio. He's a pilot who owns his own airplane and has extensive aerial photography from towns across Maine and throughout the US.

His motto: "Be your best, do your best, look your best; be all that God wants you to be."