Wednesday August 20, 2008

Ah, summer is beginning to wind down and the evenings are starting to become cooler. Fall is just around the corner...and that means HUNTING SEASON is almost here!!! I can hardly wait for it to arrive. South Carolina's deer season is already in and I have seen several nice whitetails in full velvet that have been taken so far. Hopefully, our deer season will produce some nice trophies.

A couple weeks ago, the North Carolina Taxidermist Association (NCTA) held our annual convention in Burlington. I had a great time catching up with my friends from around the state. I learned several new tips and techniques that are certain to improve the quality of my taxidermy. As usual, I entered the competition. I received two second place ribbons in the professional division for a pair of buffleheads. I also won a blue ribbon and Best of Category in the professional division with a flying ringneck duck. This is the second year in a row that I have won the professional division bird category at the state show. I have earned enough points to receive the NCTA Award of Excellence in birds. This means I have reached the Masters level in bird taxidermy, a feat of which I am very proud. These competitions I have entered have taught me so much about taxidermy and have helped my work improve tremendously. I am very thankful for all the judges that have given me critiques on my work and the other competitors that have challenged me to do my best.

The last subject of this entry is about hunting in Africa. Yep, that's right, an African safari is in my future. I am tentatively planning to visit the Dark Continent in May, June, or July of 2010. I would like to have scheduled it for 2009, but I will be attending the World Taxidermy Championships in St. Charles, MO next spring and will not be able to get away from the shop for 3 weeks so close together. I am opening this trip up to my clients and their friends and family. If you have any interest in hunting African plains game, I would love to talk with you about the trip I am planning and see if we can go together. The outfitter/PH I am leaning towards has an outstanding reputation for service and getting great trophies for their hunters. If you are interested, or just want more information, shoot me an email or give me a call. This safari will be comparable in price to a hunt in the western US for mule deer/antelope combo and it includes 5 trophy animals. More hunting days and animals can be added if you desire.

Well, that's it for now. I hope everyone has a great rest of the summer.

Wed. March 19, 2008

Ah, finally an update. This was a very successful hunting season for New Life Taxidermy. As it has in years past, my business grew beyond what I could ever imagine. I took in lots of deer, ducks, and small game trophies to mount. I have basically spent the last few months skinning and preparing hides and I am now starting to chip away at the backlog. Before you know it, turkeys will be coming in.

I would like to take a moment to tell my readers about the Outdoor Bonanza 08 being put on by Lighthouse Baptist Church. This event will feature fishing tournaments, skeet tournaments, a wild game lunch, and a visit from the Duck Commander Phil Robertson. Tickets are $10 and you have to sign up in advance to attend. Please see the website for all the details. I am a sponsor of this event and will have a booth set up. If you attend, please be sure to stop by the booth, say hi, and see some of my work. I hope to see you there.

Monday December 3, 2007
Nascar and Taxidermy

Back in late winter or early spring, I was contacted by a client that works for Nextel Cup racing. In February, some of the Nextel Cup guys had been bass fishing while in Daytona, Florida for the Daytona 500. Apparently, racing legend Darrell Waltrip caught an 8+lb Largemouth while on this fishing expedition. I was contacted to do a fiberglass reproduction mount of Darrell's fish, but the client needed the fish in a hurry to present to Darrell at a banquet that they were having. To make a long story short, I was able to complete the mount and get it shipped in time for the presentation. To show his appreciation, the client gave me pit passes for the Martinsville, VA race in October. This was my first NASCAR race and I had a blast. Being able to walk around in the pits and actually get to stay there during the race was awesome. I can't wait until I can go to another race. Here is a picture of Darrell Waltrip's mount and a few from the track at Martinsville.

Tuesday November 13, 2007

Welcome again to another edition of the New Life Taxidermy blog. I think every time I update this I apologize for taking so long to update...so no more apologies! Seriously though, it is extremely difficult to keep up with the website, let alone this blog, while doing as much taxidermy work as I do.

Since my last post, I attended the North Carolina Taxidermy Association convention in Salisbury, NC. The event was held at the Holiday Inn on August 16-18. These conventions are very important to me for several reasons. First, I gain so much knowledge from the seminars, judges, and the trade show. Second, these conventions allow me the opportunity to meet other taxidermists from around the state. We share ideas and stories and this leads to better taxidermy for everyone. Third, I get a chance to enter competitions where some of the best taxidermists in the country compete. At the NCTA, I entered the bluebill that I took to the Surry show and am pleased to announce that I won a First Place and the Best of Category Birds in the Professional Division. This is quite an accomplishment that I am extremely proud of. I would like to thank those that have helped me achieve this level in taxidermy. Specifically, I would like to thank Wayne Stanley for getting me started in taxidermy and Mark Benfield for sharing his knowledge and time. Here is a photo that I found on the NCTA website.


There's alot more I could tell, but those turkeys don't mount themselves, so its back to work. Keep a check of the website for updated pictures and more.

Thursday June 28, 2007

As you can see, it has been a LONG time since I have updated. My business has grown exponentially in the last year. I just won my first blue ribbon in a professional level competition, as well as the Taxidermy Today Magazine Woody Award. I have also been extremely busy just trying to get everyone's mount back to them on time. Since I started New Life Taxidermy in 2001, I have tried to keep turn around times to 6 months or less. I have been very successful with that goal, but the demand for my services has reached a level where I can no longer deliver everyone's mount to them within 6 months. So, beginning this fall, I will begin quoting turn around times of up to 1 year. Many customers will still get their mounts back within 6 months, but as the work comes in return times will stretch to 1 year. The only other options I have are to decrease the quality of my work or significantly increase my prices. For customers that really want their mounts back quickly, I will be offering expedited service for an additional fee. Otherwise, I will keep my prices about the same as they were last fall.

Thanks so much for your patience, understanding, and support as my business grows. My goal is and always has been to give my customers top quality taxidermy that they can be proud to display in their home or office along with exceptional customer service. Thanks also for referring your friends, family, and co-workers to me. That is the greatest compliment that my customers pay me.


Here is a pic of the bluebill I won a blue ribbon and the Woody Award with.

Thursday November 2, 2006

Well, hunting season is in full swing. Eastern gun deer season has been open for several weeks now and Central muzzleloading season opens this Saturday. I have already taken in a number of whitetails and I expect many more before the season's end. I have yet to take a deer this year myself, but it isn't because I haven't been trying. I'm feeling lucky, so hopefully, I can get one on Saturday.

As far as taxidermy work goes, I have recently finished up some fish and a batch of ducks and geese. I have a duck and a turkey left to mount before I get started on this season's mounts.

I mentioned in my last post about losing my dog, Puddin'. My wife and I recently adopted two more shar-pei from a rescue in Louisiana. My father-in-law and I drove down there to get them. Their names are Bubblez and Jenny. The next time you stop by, just ask and I'll let you meet them. Here is a picture of them in their Halloween costumes. Bubblez is in the skunk costume on the left and Jenny is wearing a witch costume.

Wednesday September 13, 2006

I'm sorry I have not updated this site recently. I apologize to those of you who check for updates regularly. I have been busy, though. I finished up a batch of whitetails that came in well after the close of last season. Three of them were from out-of-state and have truly exceptional racks. You can find pics of them on the Big Game section of my website. I also mounted an albino buck. I just finished it up, so I haven't had time to get any pics yet. I have also been busy preparing for the upcoming season. I have been cleaning out the freezers and trying to get the shop ready to take in the large influx of work that will come in between now and the end of January.

Some of you may have noticed that I have made a modest increase in prices. For the past 3 years, I have tried keep from raising prices more than a couple of bucks. With the ever increasing cost of supplies, tanning, shipping, licensing fees, etc., I had to decide to either raise prices or use cheaper materials and methods. I made the decision that is in the best interest of my customers and their trophies. By raising prices, I can maintain the high quality of materials and workmanship that my clients have come to know and expect from New Life Taxidermy Studio. Our prices are still on par with other area taxidermists that are performing high quality taxidermy and I will do my best to control costs without compromising on quality.

For customers that ever met my dog Puddin', it is with much sadness that I have to report that she had to be put to sleep on Monday. This was very sudden and resulted from paralysis caused by a disc injury in her back. Martha and I miss her very much. She was a great dog, a great friend, and the world's best four-legged taxidermy helper.