Scherder's Taxidermy

12/14/2025

I can't thank our friends at Mckruit's enough for the many referrals to our business. Many this year and in previous years. They are a very good friend! We thank them!

Tomorrow is second Saturday! 🦌
We are still taking deer, we just ask that you bring them while we’re open. During rifle season, we feel it’s best to check deer in face to face. 🤗🤗 We’re open 8-5pm Saturday, and will be back Sunday 8-4. We look forward to seeing you. Good luck and stay safe!!!

12/13/2025

Another deer season is almost over, but there's still a little time to bag that trophy buck!
We had another amazing year for our business, and I want to thank every one of you for your trust in my work. I put everything I have into your once in a lifetime, annual or first-time trophy buck.
This was a great season for size and mass. I believe the heavy mast of acorns played a big role in producing such heavy beamed racks. I've seen it before and the record shows that fact.
The cold weather with snow was a blessing! Allowing great hunting conditions in rifle season that put the big older buck on the move in the daytime.
Archers and rifle hunters contributed equally this year, with fi****ms taking most of giants. It was the weather.
I love seeing and talking to all of you! Once again, Thank you!

12/09/2025

The distinct differences between the whitetail and mule deer are obvious in these photos.

Habitat scenes make a great addition if you want something unique or special.

12/04/2025

The Alaskan Sitka Blacktail can be a challenging mount, due to the lack of a form produced especially for that species. The Sitka is a lot different than a west coast or Columbia blacktail of which forms are made by Research Mannikins. The Alaskan deer is surprisingly more robust in the neck and shoulders with an anatomy similar to a whitetail, except with shorter neck and a smaller face.

To produce the Sitka results, I needed somewhat of a cross between three different animals. To achieve this, I purchased a blacktail form from a west coast supplier, then a Joe Meder whitetail, upright. This form's rounder characteristics would fit better than other WT forms.

I removed the heads and shortened the neck of the Meder form by a full four inches, then cut the blacktail heads off the Research Blacktail forms and fused them onto the Whitetail, with several adjustments.

My client was impressed with the authenticities produced by my efforts. Anatomy of the animal, the skin and what's under it, how to place the skin properly is what modern taxidermy is.

There I go giving the secret away! I love this gig!

11/05/2025

The 2025 archery season has been astounding! We had a record month of October with many trophies already in the door! The top PA whitetail here scores a whopping 180 with several just below that level and it's just the beginning. The rut continues to be sporadic as in the last several years, my advice is spending as much time as you can on the hunt. It's not easy.
The whitetail is what we do here, if you care about how your deer mount looks, and if you want it to look like a deer and not a facsimile or caricature out of someone's imagination or mounted by a boy scout, this is the place for you.
My education is vast with quality instructors like the renowned Joe Meder, in artistic oriented states like Minnesota and Iowa.
I am completely independent and do not belong to any association or union.
I am now well over 4,000 WT shoulder mounts for my career. We know the deer inside and out, we are consistent. They all come out well.
Our only association is with our friend, the Pennsylvania Game Commission.
We are listed on their website as an authorized CWD coop, allowing us to accept deer from anywhere in PA, including CWD areas. If you take a deer out of state, you may also bring it directly to us.

Picture is a buck taken by Cameron Salander

Ralph Charles Scherder-Taxidermist. High quality taxidermy service for outdoors men and women.

11/09/2024

Hello everyone with an update.

The current bow season is exceeding all expectations this fall. The rut started early this year, resulting in record numbers for the month of October!! November is now even better with more hunter hours being spent. The racks are larger this year than in the past two years. Large 8s and more 10s showing up.

We are accepting an unlimited number of deer and big game shoulder mounts again. Waiting time varies from 8 to 16 months.

If you cannot reach me on 724-283-1492 call or text 724 504 4324.

Do not leave a message, I don't check them, call back. No FB messages please.

12/15/2023

Checking in to say thank you for another great gun season! The deer taken this year are some of the oldest I've ever seen. The numbers were surprisingly high, and the harvest of trophy animals was amazing. It is another deer season that put us into triple digits in deer shoulder mounts, now for over 15 years in a row.

It was heartwarming to see the families come in, along with a growing constituency of women hunters and a few senior clients I haven't seen in 30 years.

The count was close to even between archery and gun hunters with bow hunters having a slight edge. Overall, I was happy with the parody between the seasons.

I would especially like to thank the hunters who travelled over 100 miles to get their trophy to me. That is a long drive, and we appreciate your effort, we will make sure you are happy with our product.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

11/13/2023

I just want to say thank you archers, both returnees and newcomers, for making this a great bow season! We appreciate your skill, and persistence in achieving success on many beautiful trophies this fall. Referrals were numerous, and thanks for spreading the word. We love it when a name is mentioned when they're brought in.

Here's one from 2E, delivered this morning. This buck is unreal in person.

Don't forget there is five days left to the season. The rut is still strong.

11/13/2023

Here's a kill shot of a nice one delivered last week by Ray Milke from unit 1A

10/29/2023

Happy hunter, Steve Sunday, delivered this beauty this morning. Congratulations on another trophy buck!

10/28/2023

The '23 archery season is going much better than expected! The deer are moving very well this week with many calls and trophies being brought in! It is amazing despite the warm conditions. Keep hunting!

After much thought and speculation, I have decided to be an authorized CWD cooperator for the game commission. This means you can now legally bring your trophy here direct, the whole deer or head un caped, fresh, or frozen from any CWD unit in Pennsylvania, and/or from entire neighboring states.

With the continuous expansion of disease units in Indiana and Armstrong counties I virtually had no choice. This permit now authorizes receptions from crucial areas such as SGL 54 and 44 in Jefferson and Elk counties. Areas that I have historically drawn from are now open again. If you are hunting Illionois, Indiana or Iowa or anywhere that you may cross multiple state lines, it is best to check transportation regs in those states. Caping with clean skull plate may still be your best bet to avoid hassles.

I am satisfied with the regulations put forth by the PGC and find them lenient and favorable. Your privacy is protected and that is my main concern.