In 1979, after tiring of the quality and cost of sending out his tanning, taxidermist and sculptor, Roger Smith began to do his own tanning. Soon, word spread in the state of Michigan of the quality tanning that he was doing. Two years later, at the urging of his fellow taxidermists, and driven by the need to provide for his young family, Modern Fur Dressing became a reality in downtown, Leslie, MI.

In 1998, Modern Fur Dressing moved from it's humble home in the downtown Leslie business district to the new Leslie Business Park, and began to grow rapidly. By 2006, the original 8,160 sq.ft. building had been outgrown. Driven by the demand for their high quality handling of African big game skins, an additional 5,000 sq. ft. was added on.

In 2007 Modern Fur Dressing became a company of The Wildlife Gallery Inc. With a top notch staff and state of the art facilities our alum tan is poised to continue it's prominance in the fur dressing industry for many years to come.

We have taken the traditional alum tanning process and added modern techniques to create what we think is an outstanding product. We stand by our tanning process.

We employ the use of state of the art equipment such as our Turner machines to ensure consistent quality and quick turn around times for larger pieces.

We are one of only a few tanneries in the country fully equipped and staffed for African big game, as well as all north American species and fine fur. Modern Fur Dressing will take care of your tanning needs with unmatched consistency.

We’re here to help you. So give us a call if you have any questions regarding our tanning process, need to voice a concern, or just need to know the shipping status of your finished skins.

Our consistent turnaround time is another reason why so many taxidermists choose The Wildlife Gallery to do their tanning.

Generally, you can expect an average turn around time of 45 to 60 actual days. During peak seasons we may go out to 90 to 100 plus days.

We take the utmost care to ensure the highest quality control possible, from the time your skin enters the door until the time it’s finished.

It all begins at our receiving department where every hide is processed and recorded the day it arrives at our door.

After being encoded and sorted by date, it enters our well organized storage facility. If you have a question about the status of your order we can easily locate and track your skin’s progress.

Once your skin enters the tanning process it will be handled by our experienced shavers. What does this mean to the taxidermist? Consistent quality every time.

Once the shavers have done their job, the skins are turned over to our finish department. These people have developed their skill over a number of years and know the importance of oiling, drying, breaking, and grooming each skin in a very precise and consistent manor. When they’re done, the finished leather is smooth, soft, and mounts extremely well. Simply said, it’s the best alum tan in the industry.

For more information about our services, please feel free to contact us at 989-772-4100 or send an e-mail to info@thewildlifegallery.com. We hope you’ve gained some insight as to why we think The Wildlife Gallery should be your tannery of choice. You need to see the difference for yourself!