Taxidermy, Mentors and a Learning Curve

[Fritz]

Very cool! Thanks for sharing that with us. Lot of wisdom in that old timer, I bet! Soak it up!  

[Tsalt]

Touching story.  Thanks for sharing!!  I found it especially interesting because I'm starting to do some taxidermy work of my own.  I recently fleshed an entire hide and it looks no where close to as clean as your cape!  I've got some learning to do!

[Hoyt]

Great story. Me and Teddy Roosevelt learned taxidermy from a mail order school Northwestern School of Taxidermy. Me back in the 60's and Teddy a little before that. Cost me $13.00 to learn how to mount just about anything. Would get a little booklet on how to mount a small bird, big bird, deer head, whole fox, etc. every few months.

It really comes in handy knowing taxidermy if you hunt a lot. I just do it for myself only one time did I mount anything for others and that was for another taxidermist who didn't know how to mount turkeys and  I mounted 4 or 5 spring gobblers for him.

[Bladepeek]

The story is as good as the trophy and that's going some.

Sounds to me as though you had a "one in a million" mentor.

[elkken]

A very touching story from many directions ... thank you so much for sharing something special.

[Bobaru]

Great story.  Love the pics.  

Good taxidermy is art.  But, then, you're uncle already knows that.

[Izzy]

Super cool. You sure have an appreciation for the good stuff (people). I am fortunate to have a very similar feller in my life and  still have trouble grasping what it takes to do a great mount. It is beyond my level of patience but I do appreciate the art and what he has taught me over the years. He always tried to get me more involved in taxidermy but that craft and ADHD do not go hand in hand.  

[Steve O]

Ahhhh. You make it all look so easy. Nothing like old uncles.

[Whip]

A special student spending special time on a special buck with a special mentor.  Doesn't get any better than that!
Great stuff Mike!

[Bernie B.]

What a great experience!  You're a lucky man!    

Bernie

[SheltonCreeker]

That's great Mike. I have talked with you about your uncle many times. Glad you posted this thread showing and sharing you appreciation publicly. Such a special story and oh yeah your deer looks absolutely amazing. Can't wait to see it in the barn.

[Duckbutt]

Very cool thread, Mike!

Evan has been asking me a lot of about taxidermy lately and I've been trying to explain the basics (based on my limited knowledge).  Can't wait to show him this.

Take care.

[wapiti792]

Tell Evan to start now...I waited too long. I had my mind in a million directions: college, then grad school then married with children. He taught me a little along the way but now I am ready for some graduate level taxi work!

Maybe if we can ever get together I can show him a few things. Julian, methinks we need a home and away game  

[Hopewell Tom]

A bit of a lump in my throat after reading this and remembering a long gone special uncle.
Thanks for sharing and good work.

Now, the bow rack...?

[huntingarcher]

 Great story!

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

Thank you for sharing this Mike.  Too bad that their isn't a mentor like that every time a father fails to be a father.
Congrats to you.

[wapiti792]

Amen to that my friend! Thanks for all the kind words fellas. When the bow rack and final drying is complete I will post pics.

[mwosborn]

Very Nice!    

[Guru]

Good for you buddy, very, very special!