Taxidermy Merit Badge History

Earned through 195310,343

Best year19351,206 earned

All-time popularity#210official, as of 2020#213by 2025 (estimate)

Earned by Year

First earned in 1912. Peak year 1935 with 1,206. Hover over or tap a year for its numbers.

19110 earned

19121 earned#48 of 51

19137 earned#50 of 56

19142 earned#57 of 58

19157 earned#55 of 58

19168 earned#53 of 56

191710 earned#56 of 58

191818 earned#55 of 58

191948 earned#58 of 59

192030 earned#57 of 59

192168 earned#57 of 61

1922111 earned#57 of 61

1923146 earned#58 of 63

192496 earned#61 of 64

1925137 earned#59 of 64

1926315 earned#57 of 65

1927583 earned#58 of 68

1928656 earned#73 of 88

1929324 earned#81 of 89

1930358 earned#83 of 92

1931354 earned#91 of 96

1932335 earned#88 of 98

1933444 earned#90 of 101

1934351 earned#89 of 101

19351,206 earned#72 of 101

1936270 earned#94 of 101

1937637 earned#85 of 102

1938288 earned#98 of 105

1939385 earned#99 of 106

1940252 earned#100 of 106

1941260 earned#100 of 106

1942162 earned#106 of 110

1943156 earned#106 of 112

1944227 earned#108 of 111

1945247 earned#108 of 111

1946202 earned#107 of 111

1947152 earned#109 of 111

1948204 earned#108 of 111

1949141 earned#110 of 111

1950163 earned#109 of 111

1951289 earned#108 of 111

1952253 earned#117 of 120

1953440 earned#95 of 105

"#95 of 105" means the badge was number 95 of the 105 merit badges earned that year. The 2025 all-time place is an estimate, because the counts for 2021 to 2025 are worked out from each year's official ranking and the total number of merit badges earned that year.

19110none earned

19121#48 of 51

19137#50 of 56

19142#57 of 58

19157#55 of 58

19168#53 of 56

191710#56 of 58

191818#55 of 58

191948#58 of 59

192030#57 of 59

192168#57 of 61

1922111#57 of 61

1923146#58 of 63

192496#61 of 64

1925137#59 of 64

1926315#57 of 65

1927583#58 of 68

1928656#73 of 88

1929324#81 of 89

1930358#83 of 92

1931354#91 of 96

1932335#88 of 98

1933444#90 of 101

1934351#89 of 101

19351,206#72 of 101

1936270#94 of 101

1937637#85 of 102

1938288#98 of 105

1939385#99 of 106

1940252#100 of 106

1941260#100 of 106

1942162#106 of 110

1943156#106 of 112

1944227#108 of 111

1945247#108 of 111

1946202#107 of 111

1947152#109 of 111

1948204#108 of 111

1949141#110 of 111

1950163#109 of 111

1951289#108 of 111

1952253#117 of 120

1953440#95 of 105

Grand total through 1953:

This page keeps growing. More of this badge's history, including its patches and pamphlets, is being checked and will be added once it is confirmed.

Taxidermy: workbook data

Printings (30)

Have	Year	Month	Cover	Back	Run	©	BSA #	HC	Notes
c	1920		1C			1920			hb 20th edition reference
	1921	not made
	1922	not made
c	1923		2			1923
	1924	not made
c	1925		2			1925			20c Radio
x	1925		3A over 2	back-3		1925			1925 printing
x	1925		3A	back-3		1925	3385		version 1 introduction
	1925		3A	back-3		1925	3385		version 2 introduction
	1926	not made
x	1927		3A	back-3		1927	3385
	1928	not made
x	1929	November	3B	back-3		1929	3385
x	1930	August	3B	back-3		1930	3385
c	1931	May	3B	back-3		1930	3385
c	1932	July	3B	back-3	1M	1930	3385		bad inside cover printing
	1933	not made
x	1934	April	3B	back-3	1M	1930	3385
c	1935	February	3B	back-3	1M	1930	3385
x	1936	March	3B	back-3	1M	1930	3385
c	1937	May	3B	back-3	1M	1930	3385
x	1938	July	3C	back-3	1M	1930	3385
x	1939	June	3D	back-3	1M	1930	3385
	1940	not made
x	1941	January	3D	back-3	1M	1930	3385
	1942	April	3B	back-3	0.8M		3385
x	1942	April	3D	back-3	0.8M	1942	3385	HCB
x	1943	June	4	back-4	3M	1943	3385
	1944	not made
c	1945	February	5B	back-5blank	1.5M	1943	3385
x	1945	September	5B	back-5blank	2M	1943	3385
c	1946	December	5B	back-5blank	2M	1943	3385	HCH
	1947	not made
x	1948	July	5B	back-5blank	2M	1943	3385
	1949	not made
x	1950	May	5B	back-5blank	1M	1943	3385
c	1951	April	5B		1M	1943	3385	HCH
x	1951	November	5B	back-6a	1M	1943	3385
x	1952	June	5B	back-6b-1	1M	1943	3385	HCH
x	1952	October	6	back-6b-1	1M	1943	3385	HCI

Earned and rank by year

Year	Earned	Rank	Of
1911	0
1912	1	48	51
1913	7	50	56
1914	2	57	58
1915	7	55	58
1916	8	53	56
1917	10	56	58
1918	18	55	58
1919	48	58	59
1920	30	57	59
1921	68	57	61
1922	111	57	61
1923	146	58	63
1924	96	61	64
1925	137	59	64
1926	315	57	65
1927	583	58	68
1928	656	73	88
1929	324	81	89
1930	358	83	92
1931	354	91	96
1932	335	88	98
1933	444	90	101
1934	351	89	101
1935	1,206	72	101
1936	270	94	101
1937	637	85	102
1938	288	98	105
1939	385	99	106
1940	252	100	106
1941	260	100	106
1942	162	106	110
1943	156	106	112
1944	227	108	111
1945	247	108	111
1946	202	107	111
1947	152	109	111
1948	204	108	111
1949	141	110	111
1950	163	109	111
1951	289	108	111
1952	253	117	120
1953	440	95	105