Our taxidermy work incorporates many crafts, including carpentry, woodworking, tanning, molding and casting. But it also requires artistic talent, including the art of sculpture, painting and drawing.

In a modern deer head mount, for example, the only natural parts of the animal used are the antlers and the skin. All of the other organs and tissues are recreated with man-made materials. The eyes are made from glass, the eyelids are sculpted from clay, the soft tissues of the nose and mouth are sculpted from epoxy or wax, and the mannikin or "form" (which incorporates the anatomy of each muscle and vein) is made from polyurethane foam.

Gameheads of North America are among the most frequently mounted specimens in taxidermy. Their popularity is unsurpassed among both taxidermists and sportsmen alike. Deer, elk, and pronghorn antelope make up the vast majority of North American mounts, but bear, cougar, wild boar, caribou, mountain sheep and mountain goats are also popular subjects for gamehead display.

The word "taxidermy" is derived from two ancient Greek words; taxis, meaning movement; and derma, meaning skin. Therefore, loosely translated, taxidermy means the movement of skin. This is a fairly appropriate definition as many taxidermy procedures involve removing the natural skin from the specimen, replacing this skin over an artificial body, and adjusting the skin until it appears lifelike.

Gallery

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