Artist

       Hello, my name is Thomas M. Stepanek, owner and operator of Tom's Wildlife Art & Taxidermy, a full service studio. I am located in Plainfield, IL., in Kendall County. I am a husband to my beautiful wife, Nicole and father to my three children, Gavin, Savannah and Abby, along with our Golden Retriever, Nala. I have been a sportsman all of my life. Hunting, fishing and trapping is my life. I especially enjoy hunting with my recurve bow.

       I sent myself through taxidermy school. I attended and graduated from Dan Reinhart's School of Taxidermy in Edgerton, WI. I learned all the latest and up to date procedures and tricks of the trade to produce fabulous works of art from my taxidermy projects. Friends and family are now telling me that the mounts that i produced from school, my first ever true works of taxidermy, were as good or better than any taxidermy work that they have ever had done. Now, armed with the knowledge and the desire to produce fabulous works of art from natures beauty I began Tom's Wildlife Art & Taxidermy, where "sweating the small stuff for the American Sportsman," is my goal.

      Unlike the majority of full time taxidermists in the area, I operate a full service studio. I have properly equipped myself with the knowledge and the equipment to take your trophy from you to the finished stage of work of art without sending to any other person to do any work. My work is all done in house, most taxidermists send out there hides to be tanned, fleshed or rugged. I believe this creates several problems. First, you give your hard earned trophy to the taxidermist of your choice, a hard decision to begin with but now he sends it out for a complete stranger to work on. Second, this sending your trophy out creates undue lag time in getting your completed trophy back where it belongs, in your home. Third, this raises the cost of your mount because now someone else  needs to make money on your trophy also. 

      I do all the work on your trophy in my shop. I treat your trophy as well as I would treat any trophy of my own, because I know how important it is to you. I strive for nothing short of perfection in all my work and that quality shows in the works of art I will create for you. 

       I am state and federally licensed. My turn around time for your trophy is much shorter than that of the average taxidermist for the reasons stated above. My prices are competitive with the rest of the market in the area. Feel free to give me a call, or stop by and see the work I have completed and what I am currently working on. 

      Good luck in your next hunting or fishing expedition! Hope to see you soon!