About Hammer Creek Taxidermy

My name is Josh Marinkov and I am the owner and operator of Hammer Creek Taxidermy, LLC. I was born and raised in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania where I still reside today with my daughter near the small town of Denver.

My career in taxidermy began in 1997, I was just 13 at the time. I was fortunate enough to find a local taxidermist that was willing to take me on as an apprentice. Unbeknownst to me, he was a Master of Masters Taxidermists with decades of experience. Much of that knowledge was imparted to me in the years I worked for him.

In addition to my hands-on education at home I was also able to study under Jan Van Hoesen of Michigan and Clark Schreibeis of Montana. Jan was and is still arguably the best small mammal taxidermist to ever exist. She has hundreds of accolades to her name and many of the forms still in use today were designed by her. 

Clark is a 3-time World Champion fish carver and taxidermist. Many people don't know that fish mounts are painted by hand. Getting these details correct takes hours of practice and skill. Fish are also one of the few animals where skills used in carving translate directly to taxidermy. I am forever grateful to have the opportunity to study under each of them. It is rare to be able to work with someone that is truly a master of their craft.

In 2002, I became a fully licensed taxidermist at the State and Federal level. Since then, I've worked both full and part-time for myself and for other taxidermists in the area. I opened my own shop and have been working full time for myself since 2016. Every piece that comes into my shop is handled exclusively by me.  This is done for consistency purposes.  Taxidermy is an art form and each individual interprets how an animal should look slightly differently.  I feel it is my duty to my customer that each piece has the same look and style.  

I’m aware that I’m somewhat unique in the industry.  What I mean by that is I will turn 40 in 2023 and I have over 25 years experience in taxidermy.  In that time, I’ve been selected to mount animals from all corners of the globe.  Amazing creatures some of which I never imagined existed when I started my taxidermy career.  It has also been possible to mount some exceptional animals including one world record.  These large animals are impressive, but in my opinion my duty remains the same.  A person with a world record animal and a person with their very first buck views the animal the same.  It is the most important trophy they’ve ever taken.  It is my job to preserve that memory and the stories they will tell about it for a lifetime though an excellently crafted piece.