Calibre Taxidermy has built a reputation for excellence that has reached far beyond its home base in Timaru, in the hunting heartland of New Zealand’s South Island. The client list now extends to the North Island, Australia, the USA, Alaska, Hawaii, Europe and Asia, and is proof that masterful work is universally appreciated.

In fact, the story of Calibre Taxidermy begins far from New Zealand – in southern Africa, where Grant Drew first honed his craft alongside some of the finest practitioners in the field, including master taxidermists Terence Coffin-Grey and Ben Haden. But Grant and partner Chantel had ambitions of their own. In 2000 they took the leap and opened up Blaauwkrantz Taxidermy in South Africa’s Eastern Cape. During that first venture Grant mounted over 600 trophies a year from over 300 divergent African game species – and that invaluable experience equipped him with the skills and the secrets that make him a true master of the trade today.

With Calibre Taxidermy, Grant and Chantel incorporate everything they have learnt on that journey into a venture that aspires to be the best in the field. The flawless execution that Grant has always insisted on now finds expression in a huge variety of animal subjects from all around New Zealand, and indeed the world. As the name Calibre suggests, Grant and Chantel have never been content with good enough. And, as many hunters and clients attest, the work bears testimony to that.