Dayton’s Taxidermy Shop Hits 10 Years In 2012

DAYTON - The New Year will mark 10 years in business for Jeff Monyak, the owner of Trailsend Taxidermy in Dayton and in 2012, Monyak will be showing his local customers some appreciation for keeping him in business during a tough economic time.

In 2012, Monyak will be rolling back his prices to the rates set back in 2002 when he was new to Dayton and just starting out.

"It's just to show the folks I appreciate their business and keeping me going," Monyak said.

Taxidermy was never the plan for Monyak until he got out of the Coast Guard after 22 years. He had been stationed on the West Coast in Coos Bay, Ore., Florence, Ore., Reedsport, Ore. and Ilwaco. He often went to Baker City, Ore., to hunt mule deer.

On his last tour of duty in Maine, he decided he wanted to nab a white tail deer and mount it. He checked into having it mounted and learned it would be very expensive to use taxidermy services in Maine.

Monyak said he had a commanding officer who dabbled in taxidermy and was inspired. Next, Monyak bought a video on the process and was soon mounting that deer himself.

"It's been great ever since," he said. "I got the bug and just kept going with it."

Monyak opened a taxidermy shop in Maine for a brief period of time, and decided to settle down in Dayton in 2001. He said he had never been to Dayton before, but thought the location would be great for his business. A few locals had dabbled in taxidermy over the years in Dayton, but the nearest businesses were in Tri Cities and Walla Walla.

Monyak also credits his nearly 10 years in business with smart planning and the right choices. His business, at 504 E. Dayton Avenue, is run out of a shop next to his home. He said he resisted paying rent for a shop on Main Street and that decision paid off. He said his business was "very lean" in its early stages and he likely would have had to close a shop he was renting because of the extra expense.

"I see lots of vacant businesses and it's just a sign of the times," Monyak said.

All taxidermists have specialties, and he said bear rugs and shoulder mounts are what he's best at. About 90 percent of his business is deer and elk, but he also does birds including pheasants, chucker, quail and grouse.

And when his business was starting to struggle in the poor economy, he decided to focus on providing what other taxidermists don't and widened his customer base to Tri Cities, Prosser and even Yakima.

"I've got to market this business outside the local area," he said.

Above all else, Monyak said he really tried to go the extra mile with customers. He'll do site visits and really personalize service. It costs him more, but he maintains a stronger customer base, Monyak said. He focuses on "relationship-selling," which he defines as doing business with a friend rather than a businessman.

Monyak said he keeps his prices low and said he can do that because he's retired. An elk will cost $850 and a deer will cost $450.

The industry works mostly by word of mouth, but he has marketed his business through the phone book and has sponsored outdoor sporting events.

A lot of his marketing is now done through posting photos of his work on sportsman's websites.

"You've got to start thinking outside the box," Monyak said .

Having a booth at trade shows is very expensive and he limits the number of shows he attends. He also books safari hunting trips, but that business has really taken a hit since the economy plummeted, he said.

With the African safari trip business suffering, he really focuses on the mounts. He completes about 100 to 150 mounts a year, including tanning and life-size bears. He still loves to hunt and is enjoying seeing the quality elk coming out of the Blue Mountains right now.

"Rarely do I get an opportunity to work on 380- 390 class elk," Monyak said. "These are the mounts of a lifetime."

The amount of time it takes for Monyak to complete a mount depends on the number of projects he has, he said. Some projects have a faster turnaround than others, but he tells his customers each project will take him about one year. If the animal needs to go to a tannery, which adds to the time it will take him to finish it. He sends the animals to a tannery in Michigan, which costs him more, but the quality is the best, he said. He takes the extra cost out of his profit, so customers can have the best product.

Now that he's nearly 10 years into his Dayton business, Monyak said he's at a place where he probably could live solely off his taxidermy business. His retirement money from his years in the Coast Guard helped him through years when his business was lean and allows him to take two or three hunting trips each year.

And when he's back in his shop, he's always looking for ways to make his mounts better. Two years ago, he exchanged a few of his mounts for lessons from a well-reputed taxidermist on the west side of the mountains. Monyak talked with the taxidermist and learned how to make the eyes look more real. Continuing to perfect the practice will put him ahead of competitors he said.

Monyak, now 50 years old, is looking forward to continuing his business with the support of his friends. He's enjoying perfecting his trade and giving his customers mementos of their time spent in the outdoors.

"I've got to take my time and do it right," he said. "We preserve memories more than anything else."