About US
MEET OUR TEAM
Kyle Klopfenstein
Taxidermist
With years of experience and a keen eye for detail, Kyle is dedicated to delivering top-notch taxidermy services. His exceptional craftsmanship and commitment to excellence ensure that each piece is a true work of art.
Devan Klopfenstein
Behind the scenes
Devan primarily works behind the scenes at The Chase. While Kyle works his magic on mounts, she handles the business side of things. From managing the books to keeping everything running smoothly, she helps ensure our success.
How the chase came to be
My passion for the outdoors began early, learning to set traps with my grandpa and archery hunting with my dad. Growing up in a multi-generational hunting and trapping family shaped me into a respectful land and wildlife conservationist. Taxidermy and wildlife artistry was a trade I also grew up around. My grandpa was a part-time taxidermist for several years. The walls and shelves of his house were consumed by personal and customer mounts. As a kid, I admired his mounts and the ability he had to bring a memory to life.
Nearly 22 years ago, I started crafting turkey spur necklaces as a little hobby. A few years later, I began working on skull mounts and antler plaques. My hobby quickly started to grow. What started as a couple of working days in the spring and fall turned into several working months in the spring, winter and fall. My customer base of family and friends continued to come back every year and along with them, came many new faces, leading to the creation of The Chase - European Mounts.
What started as primarily a deer skull operation, quickly expanded to several other species - turkey, pine marten, bobcat, beaver, deer, antelope, ram, bear, boar, elk, and moose just to name a few. However, even with the most loyal and growing customer base, European mounts were not enough to make my dream of this being a full-time operation a reality…I needed to learn more.
In the Summer of 2020, I trained extensively with a full-time taxidermist on deer shoulder mounts and have started mastering full body turkey mounts. Since the start, I’ve completed over 50 high-quality shoulder mounts and literally hundreds of European mounts - many with custom displays. Over the years, the hefty workload has been completed in my free time or using vacation time from my full-time job, which was never a problem as I truly love doing taxidermy. However, with a beautiful wife and two daughters at home, the work-life balance started to fade and I didn’t want to miss any more time with them.
So in 2024, I decided life’s too short. With encouragement and support from my family, we chose to make this dream a reality. I submitted my letter of resignation and am now a full-time taxidermist, committing my full attention to one of the things I absolutely love most in life.
I am so excited for this next chapter in life. I want to sincerely thank all my customers who have trusted me with their trophies throughout the years. I also want to thank my wife for holding down the fort over the years, for supporting and believing in me 1000% and giving me the push to do this.
- Kyle