Things here in IL are slowing to a halt with bow season only having 12 more days. My buddy Sheltoncreeker is on a giant, and I am pulling for him. I am working to make up for my November! I did bail off for 4 days to spend time with my Great Uncle, a wonderful man who as far as role models go, is top shelf! Growing up with no dad around (at least not one that didn't spend a lot of time in jail) I looked up to him. A great hunter and trapper, the first recurve I ever shot was his old Herters. He looked after me, and at times gave me spending money by giving me some capes to work in his taxidermy shop. He is 80 now, not retired, but not knocking out 200 deer a year anymore either.
So, when I killed a great buck with my longbow I knew I wanted to spend a week with him, learning more of his trade to cover the day when he is no longer with me. Call it a family tradition....here is the link for the hunt if you are interested by the way:
http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=141028;p=1 So after taking measurements he got the form ordered and I headed to Tennessee, my growing up spot. We spent some time just catching up. I truly just love the man, and don't go a goodbye without telling him so. I owe him for who I am. Period.
I am no taxidermist. I work in healthcare, but know how to sew and excise soft tissue. I am fairly good at it, but nowhere near as meticulous as him. He took my cape and got to work. He uses no electric equipment to flesh with: a sharp knife, a scalpel and some dry tan. He put me to work like the old days:
*Neophyte
He worked on caping another deer while I worked. I seem to need more breaks than him and took this photo during a soda break. At 80 he works circles around me.
*Relentless
He helped me work my way through the rust, and along with his apprentice Crystal, I had the cape looking pretty clean. At least I thought so: they found a few high spots and had me back on the scalpel several times. After 8 hours I had it right. I was told that I had doubled their normal time
*Clean
After that I had some help with fleshing the eyes, ears and lips: kind of a see one, do one thing. I know I took forever, but I eventually got it right. The mask turned out well, with a smooth inner surface to work with.
*Mask
This ended a long day, so we called it. The next day we worked some on the bow rack I had in mind for my Talltines. I let the master handle this but watched attentively. I took the back legs and he the front...see one do one again. It is still drying and in the works, but it will be awesome to have something else of this beauty of whitetail to remind me of the hunt.
*Bow rack start
We took the rest of the day to finish up a couple of more deer so that I could see more of his technique. Setting the eyes and lips is such skilled work and the difference in great work and so-so work. I don't know if I can ever do as good a job as him. He has been "moving-the-derm" for 62 years.
Finally we put my deer on the form. Although I worked some he really did it all. I just got to be there to enjoy the experience and talk about hunting and fishing. He reminded me of that old Herters in the corner, the hunting license from the 50s that hung over his desk, and the smoothbore in the cabinet: all mine when he no longer was "living in the garage". I tried not to think of that day, and just looked at what he was doing as art. Another trad bowhunter who when he hunted wasn't "trad" at all, but a hunter with a simple weapon who was looking to fill the freezer.
I left my mount there to dry, and I will get to spend a couple more days with him later in the month to finish it up. I may someday kill a bigger whitetail, but I will never look at this deer without thinking of my Great Uncle: Taxidermist, Bowhunter, Mentor.
*Drying
Hope you enjoyed this! I am amazed at the time and work taxidermist have in the finished product. I hope someday to be able to take my deer, killed with my longbow, from the field, to the table and to the wall. Thanks for reading.
Mike
Topic: Taxidermy, Mentors and a Learning Curve (Read 898 times)
