New Life Taxidermy is owned and operated by James Parrish. James attended North Carolina State University, where he earned a B.S. in Science Education and B.A. in Chemistry. Following his education at North Carolina State, James received education in the taxidermy arts from Johnston Community College, Piedmont Community College, and Surry Community College.
Through his formal education and his independent study of wildlife, James has been able to achieve a level of artistry that few can claim.
James has won multiple blue ribbons and other prestigious awards at state and regional competitions, allowing him to attain the status of master bird taxidermist.
Since starting New Life Taxidermy in 2001 and through his involvement in professional and conservation organizations, such as the North Carolina Taxidermist Association, Delta Waterfowl, and Ducks Unlimited, James has become a respected member of the hunting community and the taxidermy industry.
After 13 years of serving our customers with the highest quality taxidermy services, the decision was made to add gun sales and services to New Life Taxidermy's portfolio. This decision is a fulfillment of one of James' lifelong dreams; combining his love of hunting and sport shooting. In early 2015, all the necessary paperwork was filed and licenses received to give birth to New Life Taxidermy & Guns. Our desire is to serve both the hunting and sport shooting communities by offering the best customer service of any taxidermy studio or gun shop in the world.
Our Product & Services
While we have been known for years for offering the very best quality bird taxidermy in the Triangle, the addition of firearms to our line-up offers us the opportunity to rise to the top in that category, also. We offer the very best brands of guns and firearms accessories at competitive prices. However, it is our customer care that sets us apart from the rest of the gun shops in the area. We are open BY APPOINTMENT ONLY, at times that are convenient to our clients' work/family schedules. When you come for an appointment, you will be the only customer in the shop and will receive our undivided, one-on-one attention. We will answer every question you might have and make sure that all the required paperwork to accompany your purchase is filled out 100% to BATFE specifications. Additionally, we will take the time to show you how all the controls on your new gun work, as well as how to disassemble, clean, and reassemble your new purchase. And after the sale, New Life Taxidermy & Guns is here for you should you have any questions, concerns, or need service on your new firearm. That's customer service you just won't find anywhere else.
We do gun sales a little different than most other gun stores. While we do not maintain a large inventory of firearms, we are supplied by the same distributors as the large gun shops and we pay the same prices they pay. What this does is allow us to keep our overhead low so that we can give you the very best price on your new gun purchase. Because we don't have a large inventory, we can order the gun you want, with the options you want, instead of steering you to purchase something just because it is in stock. When we order a gun for you, it usually arrives within 2-3 days and you'll almost always pay less for it than what other stores in the area charge.
New Life Taxidermy & Guns also offers gunsmithing and firearms transfers. When a gun is purchased online or out-of-state, federal law requires it to be shipped to a federal firearms licensee instead of directly to the buyer. We charge a small fee to receive the gun, process all the necessary paperwork, and transfer the gun to its new owner. We also offer outgoing transfers when a gun needs to be shipped to an out-of-state dealer. Our gunsmithing services include performance upgrades, trigger work, sight/optics installation, deep cleaning, etc. Visit our Gunsmithing page by clicking on the option on the menu to the left to learn more about the services we offer.
Whether you live in the Raleigh, NC area or across the country, New Life Taxidermy & Guns is here to serve you. We have mounted a wide variety of trophies for clients from various states including Texas, Ohio, Florida, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, Virginia, South Carolina, and beyond.
We have never met many of these clients face to face, yet they trust New Life Taxidermy & Guns with their trophies because of our reputation for providing top quality wildlife art with industry-leading customer care. We'd love the opportunity to offer you that same customer service with your firearms needs. Give us a call at 919-701-9DUX (9389) to get started.
We are professionally licensed by the North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (BATFE).