New Life Taxidermy Studio

2008-08-20T15:45:00.004-04:00

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.

2008-03-19T13:46:00.002-04:00

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.

2007-12-03T09:49:00.000-05:00

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.

2007-11-13T14:38:00.000-05:00

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.

2007-06-28T07:46:00.002-04:00

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.

2006-11-02T11:13:00.000-05:00

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.

2006-09-13T11:10:00.000-04:00

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.

2006-08-07T07:30:00.000-04:00

Monday August 7, 2006

As promised here are some new pics. Many of these mounts are not finished, but at least you can see what I've been working on. Once they are finished, I will take some nicer pics for the website.

2006-08-02T11:24:00.000-04:00

Wednesday August 2, 2006

My wife made it back from NY. It was a productive 2 weeks for me, but it was great to get her back home. While she was gone, I mounted 5 ducks and a goose (the goose is for me). I also got lots more prep work done. I cleaned antler plates, fleshed ducks, injected feet, painted bills and feet, etc. I still haven't had a chance to take any pics, but maybe I can get some posted by the weekend.

On another note, I have lots of people tell me that they read this blog. For the longest time, I thought nobody was reading it and I almost discontinued posting. If you read this blog, please leave me a comment to let me know that you are reading the blog and what you like/dislike, etc. To leave a comment, click on comments in the little white box at the bottom of the post. You can leave your name or leave your comments anonymously.

Again, I'll try to post again by the weekend with some pics. Y'all have a good day.

2006-07-21T10:58:00.000-04:00

Friday July 21, 2006

Well, here it is...another update of your favorite taxidermist's weblog. It has been a busy couple of weeks since my last update. I have managed to get a few mounts done, get prep work done for some others and even take a little mini-vacation to Myrtle Beach. I had a customer come pick up a pair of mallards yesterday. He was quite pleased with the birds. I didn't get a pic of them before he picked them up because my wife has the digital camera with her in NY. She is there on business until next Friday. So, that gives me plenty of time to get some mounts done between now and then.

Other mounts that have been completed recently include a full strut turkey, a turkey tail/beard/feet plaque, and a wood duck. I have 3 whitetails that are ready to be mounted as soon as I get the skins back from the tannery. I also have a bunch of ducks to get done. I'd like to put a big dent in the duck work load this weekend, but we'll see how it goes. If it doesn't rain, I need to take my boat to the lake to test some repairs I made. If it rains, I will stay in the shop all weekend. That's pretty much it for now. As always, I'll be sure to post pics as soon as they become available.

2006-07-08T21:00:00.000-04:00

Saturday July 8, 2006

Here are some pics of the birds I delivered a couple of weeks ago.

The customers were very pleased with the mounts...in fact, they sent 4 more ducks and two more geese. One of their co-workers is supposed to bring a deer head in the next week as well. Repeat business really makes me feel good about the job I do for my customers. Since then, I have only done 2 mounts (another pair of mallards). I was busy last week getting ready for and hosting a pig pickin' for my wife's birthday. This coming week, I plan to get a couple more mounts done and do some prep work for other mounts. Well, that's all the time I have for now.

2006-06-28T08:33:00.000-04:00

Wednesday June 28, 2006

I'm sorry that it has been a couple of weeks since I've updated, but I have been going full blast. I'm starting to get caught up to a point where I can I slow down and enjoy life a little bit. I had so much work come in during December and January, that it makes it tough to get it all done within six months. I have completed everything that came in during December and am in the process of finishing up the work I took in during January. In the next few months, I will be working on fish, turkeys, waterfowl, and deer that came in after the fall/winter season ended. By the time I get all that finished up, it will be hunting season again and it will start all over. Luckily, this year, I won't have to spend time working ON the shop, rather I can spend my time working IN the shop. I still have lots of personal stuff that I'd like to get around to mounting. Hopefully, I can get some of those specimens done during the next couple of months as well. I have a whitetail fawn (hit by a tractor) that I want to mount. I also have a huge Canada Goose that I shot in the swamp in Creedmoor. I actually stumbled and fell to my knees while trying to get into cover when I heard him coming. I couldn't get up before he got there, so I shot him while on my knees in about 18" of water. I have tentatively talked my wife into letting me put him up over the fireplace (we don't use it). I think I'm going to do a cupped pose, but I still haven't decided.

Today, I'm going to deliver some birds I mounted to some customers in Fuquay. I mounted 16 ducks and a Canada Goose for these guys. 13 of the ducks are mallards and 3 are ringnecks. Tonight, I'll be doing some work on a turkey that is for a wholesale customer (another taxidermist). I have it all mounted and all the feather groups are pretty much in place. Tonight, I'll spend a good amount of time grooming and preening the bird. Turkeys are not hard to mount, but it takes time and patience to groom all the feather patterns properly. If I have time, I'll inject and paint some duck feet for some birds that I'm going to mount later this week or weekend.

Well, that's pretty much it for now. I am going to take some pictures of the ducks and goose before they are delivered. I will try to post them up as soon as possible.

2006-06-12T20:29:00.001-04:00

Monday June 12, 2006

Well, here we are at Monday again. The weekend flew right past. I did get some work done though. I mounted three mallards and a huge Canada goose. This week, I hope to finish up a couple of deer and mount a couple more ducks. I have 4 more ducks to mount and I will have completed a large order (16 ducks and a goose). I took a few pics of all the stuff that's hanging up in the shop right now. Enjoy!

2006-06-09T17:53:00.000-04:00

Friday June 9, 2006

I haven't had the chance to post in a couple of weeks.. I have been extremely busy. In the last 2 weeks, I have mounted 2 deer, 6 or 7 ducks, finished (painted, epoxied, etc) a couple of deer and fleshed a goose and a bunch of ducks. That's all in addition to doing my normal "chores" and working on my boat. So, I have been busy to say the least. I did have a customer bring 2 deer heads and a set of antlers for a Trophymate last week. Its nice to still get in work even after the season has been out for 6 months.

This weekend, my wife is going out of town, so I am going to get alot of work done while she's gone. Hopefully, I can update next week with some pics of all the stuff I've been working on. Here is one of the deer I finished this week. Its the biggest one I've ever mounted.

2006-05-26T07:52:00.000-04:00

Friday May 26, 2006

I have been pretty busy this week. I mounted a customer's deer and finished up a boar for another customer. The customer came and picked up his boar head last night. He was very pleased with the mount....something I like to hear. I am attaching a pic of it for y'all to see.

I am going camping this weekend. When I get back Monday, I'll have alot of work to do. Next week, I plan to mount 2 deer heads and 4 ducks. The good part is that most of the prep work is already done. I really enjoy the mounting and finishing phases of taxidermy. Its that whole skinning, fleshing, and form prep thing that I don't like. I don't really dislike those things; they're just not my favorites. Anyway, as promised, here are some pics from the Surry Minicourse. The first pic is my cinnamon teal. The others are mounts that won big awards or mounts that I just like. I wish I could put up more, but space doesn't allow it. That's it for now. Y'all have a safe Memorial Day Weekend!

2006-05-22T11:08:00.000-04:00

Monday May 22, 2006

The 1st Annual Surry Communtiy College Taxidermy Mini Course was held this past Thursday through Saturday in Dobson, NC. This event was previously held at Piedmont Community College in Roxboro, NC for 31 years and is well attended by taxidermists from across the country. The events of the mini course included classes taught by nationally renowned taxidermists, a trade show, a competition, and general networking with other taxidermists. I got to see some old friends and made some new ones. The classes I took included turkey anatomy, deer head mounting, a business class, skinning and mounting a largemouth bass, and molding and casting deer mouth parts. I entered a cinnamon teal in the professional division of the competition and received a second place. I got alot of constructive criticism from the judge and from a fellow taxidermist. I am going to mount something different for the NCTA show in August.

I still need to edit the photos I took to make them more "web friendly". Otherwise, they'd take forever to upload...especially for my readers with dial-up. Once I get them resized, I will try and post a few here for y'all to enjoy.

2006-05-15T08:04:00.000-04:00

Monday May 15, 2006

Well, here it is...Monaday again! The weekend seems like it flew right by. On Friday, I had a couple of clients bring in six ducks to be mounted. Three of the ducks will be mounted in the "dead game" or "hanging dead" pose. I usually can't talk customers into this pose, but these guys asked for it. The hanging dead pose is one of my favorites and I'm sure these mounts will reflect that. I also made a run over to the tannery on Friday to pick up some capes.

On saturday, my wife and I went out to the flea market at the NC State Fairgrounds. My wife wanted to sell some of the designer flip flops she makes. So, we got a booth and set up shop. We sat there from about 8:30-3:00 and she only sold about 5 pairs. It seemed like people were just browsing and not spending money. The only vendor in our area that did good was the lady selling hanging baskets. Ofcourse, it was Mother's Day weekend.

After we left the flea market, I went to work in the shop. I mounted a boar head for a customer. It is not due until June, but he asked if I could have it ready for Memorial Day weekend...so I'm going to do my best to have it done by then. It is drying right now. Over the next couple days, I will check and adjust the eyes, ears, lips, nose, and hair patterns. I will continue to groom the hair as well. Then, I'll let the mount hang on the drying wall until the hide has completely dried out. I will then take and brush the hair to remove any clay or hide paste residue. Next, I'll use an epoxy putty to blend the lip skin to the gums of the artificial jawset. I will also use the epoxy putty to fill any gaps around the eyes and I will blend and fill the nostrils. I will then paint the bare skin areas (nose, lips, eyes, ears, and brisket) to match a reference photo of a live animal. I will remove any paint overspray from the hair and eyes. The last step before the mount is complete will be to install the articicial tongue and give the mount a final grooming.

Yesterday, I went and had lunch at my grandmother's house. Then, I came home and worked on skinning out some birds. I skinned 9 ducks. I had also laid out 2 geese to thaw, but they were still frozen pretty hard last night. So, tonight, I will skin those two out and I will also skin another pintail.

The Surry Minicourse starts thursday. I have to do a little finish work on my competition piece before then. That's what I'll concentrate on on tuesday night. That's about it for now. I'll probably update this as soon as the Surry minicourse is over.

2006-05-09T08:11:00.000-04:00

Tuesday May 9, 2006

Last week I was on vacation. My wife and I went on a cruise. I really needed to get away. I got back saturday and got back to work. I am currently working on a piece for an upcoming competition. I really don't have the time to do an elaborate piece. So, I am doing a simple cinnamon teal drake standing on one foot. Competition pieces are judged for anatomical accuarcy, not intricate habitats, etc. I think this will probably be my best competition piece to date, but we'll have to see what the judge says about it. I will post results and pics after the competition is over.

Coming up this week and part of next week, I am going to be mounting a boar head and two deer heads. These are customer pieces that have just come back from the tannery.

I didn't post pics of the slatwall before I left for vacation, so here they are.

And lastly, here's the view from Paradise Point in St. Thomas.

2006-04-22T21:57:00.000-04:00

Saturday April 22, 2006

Today, I did some yard work until the rain ran me inside. I got a chance to hang the slatwall I purchased for the shop. It looks really nice and it makes hanging mounts so much easier. I have mounted 2 ducks this past week. I took in a turkey and 2 bluegills this past week. So, things are going well. I am going to get another duck done tomorrow and hopefully I can get 2 more done this coming week. It might be tough because I leave Friday to head to Florida to go on a 7 day cruise. I'm looking forward to it. This will be my third cruise. A friend of mine will be available to meet clients while I am gone. Well, that's all for now. I'll try to get pics of the slatwall tomorrow.

2006-04-10T20:03:00.000-04:00

Monday April 10, 2006

Well, I have moved more stuff into the new studio. I took some pics for all my visitors to enjoy. I still have more stuff to move and I will try to keep everyone up to date on the progress. In the meantime, enjoy the pics of the new studio, the squirrels, the bass, and the lifesize deer. Do keep in mind that I still have to do the finish work and painting of the deer and do the habitat work.

2006-04-08T20:28:00.000-04:00

Saturday April 8, 2006

Well, the new studio is finally complete...well almost. The structure and interior are done. I am in the process of moving stuff over. I am only moving stuff as I need it. Hopefully, I can get rid of all the stuff I don't use.

On thursday, my friend Joey came over and finished out the upstairs. It looks great. Yesterday, my father in-law and I finished up the trim and today, we cleaned everything up. My father in-law and my wife completed the sidewalk and did some landscaping between the house and the new studio. I am so pleased. I want to just say "THANK YOU!" to everyone that helped get this project done. There is absolutely no way I could have done it without the friends and family that helped out.

As far as taxidermy goes, I finished up those 2 bass and I began working on a turkey for a wholesale customer that needs it done pretty quick. And with turkey season starting today, I'm sure the calls will start soon from people looking to get their bird mounted.

Well, that's all for now.

2006-04-05T08:33:00.000-04:00

Wednesday April 5, 2006

Not a lot has happened since my last post. On Saturday, we did manage to get the walls done in the downstairs of the new shop. I have started doing a little work in there. Hopefully by the end of the week, I can get the upstairs finished and get the trim work around the doors and windows done. I did the finish work on 2 fox squirrels last night. They are now ready for the customer to pick them up. Tonight, I plan to get 2 bass painted and they will also be ready for pick up.

Projects that I have coming up include finishing the lifesize deer I mounted a couple of weeks ago, mounting a strutting turkey, and starting to mount some of the many ducks I took in back in January. I still have 2 customer deer capes and a customer boar cape at the tannery. They should be ready in a couple of weeks and I can get them done.

Taxidermy is a lot of work, but I really enjoy it. That's all for now.

2006-03-29T07:35:00.000-05:00

Wednesday March 29, 2006

I have taken off the past couple of days from work to get some work done in the new shop. The electrical is finished. The stairs have been enclosed and the sink has been plumbed and installed. In the upstairs, all the insulation is done. We still have to insulate the down stairs, put up the T-111 plywood to cover the walls, and put up paneling in the upstairs. Hopefully, we'll have it all done by this weekend.

I took in an albino whitetail buck on Saturday. Its a shoulder mount in full sneak. It should make a really nice mount. I was able to get it skinned out, but that's about all the taxidermy work I have been able to do for the last week or so. If all goes well, hopefully I can begin working in the new shop next week.

2006-03-24T08:21:00.000-05:00

Friday March 24, 2006

It's official, New Life Taxidermy Studio now accepts Visa and Mastercard. The representative from the bank set up my machine and trained me how to use it yesterday.

I got the other fox squirrel mounted to go along with the one I mounted last week. They are both on a piece of Natra-Wood from McKenzie Taxidermy Supply. This stuff looks like tree bark. The realism the McKenzie team has been able to achieve is amazing. The tan/grey fox squirrel is climbing up and the black fox squirrel is climbing down. I will post pics as soon as they are dry and I can get the finish work done.

My father-in-law is coming to stay with us for a few days to help me get the new shop ready for move-in. Hopefully, we can get alot of work done. We still have to get the insulation done and put up some walls. I also have to get my plumber to come out and install my sink. I have a nice cabinet that will serve as a work bench once I get it installed and get the countertop put on it. Things are starting to come together, so hopefully, I'll be working in the new shop very soon.

2006-03-20T10:28:00.000-05:00

Monday March 20, 2006

I took last Thursday and Friday off from my full-time job to get some taxidermy done and to work on the new shop. On Thursday, I mounted a fox squirrel for a client. I have another fox squirrel to mount for the same client. On Thursday afternoon and Friday, I worked on getting the interior of the new shop ready. It seems like so much has been done, but there is still so much more to do. One thing about the new shop that I like is the lighting. All I have to say is that the place will be bright.

In other news, I am pleased to announce that beginning this Friday (hopefully), New Life Taxidermy Studio will begin accepting Visa and Mastercard. I have to meet with the Merchant Services Rep at the bank on Thursday afternoon to learn how to operate the credit card machine and finalize everything. If all goes well, the system will be up and running Thursday evening or Friday morning. I hope that by offering these forms of payment to my clients, it will allow them the flexibility to get their mounts done even if its not a good time cash-flow wise for them.

2006-03-14T08:04:00.000-05:00

My first Lifesize Deer

I had planned on mounting my friend Danny's lifesize piebald doe a couple of weeks ago. However, when I got into the project, I realized how difficult it was going to be. I had the skin already tanned and in the freezer. I pulled it out and determined that I needed to sew up the belly cut that Danny made when he skinned the deer. After what seemed like hours sewing the belly incision up, I cut the deer down the back so that it would go on the form better. I did a test fit to determine if the hide would fit the form. Ofcourse, all four legs on the form were too big, the neck on the form was about 3" too big and the belly/chest area of the form was about 2" too big. I took the sawzall and cut the form to reduce the girth in the neck and chest/belly. This alteration required me to cut the form into several pieces that were later reassembled with bondo or liquid foam. I also had to cut 1/4" out of the area between the eye and nose and I had to cut another 1/2" off the back of the head. Once I reassembled the form, I used my power sander and a hand rasp to smooth and reshape the contours of the body. A test fit showed that the form was ready to accept the skin.

I had cut several small holes in the hide during the tanning/fleshing process. I sewed them up and did a final fleshing on the nose, eyes, lips, and ear butts. There were also a couple of areas on the face that I thinned down. I normally use earliners in my deer mounts, but this deer had extremely small ears, and the earliners I use would not fit. Rather than trim the earliners down and reshape them, I decided to use the bondo ear method.

The form is a standing mount. To get the skin on the form, I had to remove one of the back legs. I cut it off with my sawzall and coated it with hide paste. I then inserted that leg into the skin and reattached it to the form with bondo. I put some clay over the seam and and pasted the rest of the form. I pulled the hide up onto the form and got the skin into position. I then clayed in the eyes and ear butts and pulled the head skin up onto the head of the mannikin. I then sewed the back incision and worked hide paste into the incision area as I went along. When I got to the tail area, I made a tail from wire, cotton, and clay and inserted it into the tail of the skin. I then attached it to the form and smoothed the transition with clay. I finsihed sewing the back and tied the stitches off.

Next, I tucked the eyes, lips, and nose and set the ears into the position I wanted them in. I then turned my attention to sewing up the incisions on the legs. Clay was inserted into the hoof area to give it definition and blend it to the form. After a quick check back over everything, I stapled wire mesh over the seam to make sure the hair doesn't kick up on me.

The deer is now drying. Once its dry and I can remove the pins, etc. and do the finish work, I will definitely post some pics.

Here are pics of 2 deer heads that I also just finished. They are ready for their owners to pick them up.

2006-03-09T20:02:00.000-05:00

Thursday March 9, 2006

Here are the latest mounts to leave the shop. This is a pair of buffleheads on a custom rock habitat with oysters and barnacles. These buffies belong to Mr. Bryan Stempowski of Holly Springs, NC.

2006-03-08T08:27:00.000-05:00

Wednesday March 8, 2006

Well, the contractor finally finished his part of the new shop last week. I spent all day Saturday filling the "valley of death" that was left between the house and the new shop. I put in a drain so that any water that collects there can run off. I am working on putting in a walkway made of concrete pavers. Hopefully, this weekend, I can start working on getting the inside ready for move-in. Here are a couple of pics. The first is the finished front of the new shop. The second is the "valley of death" that has been filled in. You can see the beginnings of the walkway.

2006-02-28T09:50:00.000-05:00

Tuesday February 28, 2006

The guys worked on the siding for the new shop on Friday and yesterday. They are going to get it finished up today. I should be able to start getting the inside set up by the weekend if all goes well. I didn't get any pictures of the work that has been done since my last post, but I will try to take some this evening if I can.

I mounted another deer head last night. That's the last one until I get some more back from the tannery. This evening, I have to touch up the paint on a three birds and I have 2 fish that need skinning. Tomorrow, I'll try to get another bird done and I will try to mount those 2 fish on Thursday. On Friday, I am going to mount a lifesize piebald doe that my friend Danny shot a couple of years ago. I have put it off for far too long. All together, I have 33 more pieces to mount for customers. Hopefully, I can work in some of my own personal stuff. I have a newborn fawn that was given to me, a wild boar, a bobcat, a deer head, a pheasant, a blue goose, a Canada goose, and several ducks that I would like to mount for showroom pieces. I'm sure that I'll get caught up enough this summer to get some of those done.

Well, that's it for now.

2006-02-23T10:39:00.000-05:00

Thursday February 23, 2006

Its raining again today. The guys have not done anymore work on the new shop this week. There really is no hurry, because once they're done, I have to install the electrical wiring, put in some walls, and install my cabinets/workbenches.

Martha and I got new cell phones on Tuesday. We are now with Verizon wireless. The new phones are really nice. They are bluetooth enabled. So, I bought a bluetooth headset to use while driving and working in the shop. It takes some getting used to, but it is so nice to be able to talk on the phone and work at the same time. The best part is that there are no wires and I don't even have to touch the phone to answer a call. Our numbers have not changed.... I can still be reached at 919-524-8291.

As far as mounting goes, I am working on deer heads right now. I haven't gotten as much work done in the last week as I would have liked, but in reality, I'm ahead of schedule anyway.

Here is a pic I took with my new phone. Its me sitting at my desk at work.

2006-02-20T09:21:00.000-05:00

Monday February 20, 2006

Well, the new shop is coming right along. Last Thursday and Friday, the garage doors were installed and the shingles were put on. This week they are supposed to put on the siding and get everything finished up. I will post more pics as they get finished.

2006-02-16T08:09:00.000-05:00

Thursday February 16, 2006

Last night I mounted another duck. That's 3 that I've done in the last week. I am going to work on some deer this evening. I have 2 of the deer I took in this past season already tanned and I want to go ahead and get them done. The rest of the deer and the boar I took in are at the tannery and should be back around the end of April.

I took some more pics of the new studio.

The stairs.

2006-02-15T12:59:00.000-05:00

Getting Up To Speed

February 15, 2006

This hunting season has brought continued growth to New Life Taxidermy Studio. In the last 2 months, I have taken in more work than I did all last year. While I am excited about the growth, I have encountered problems with space. So, I am pleased to announce that construction has started on my new studio and showroom. This new space (over 800 sq ft) will allow me to complete mounts more efficiently while maintaining the high quality my customers are accustomed to receiving. The structure should be completed within the next week or so and the interior should be finished by mid-March.

To all my customers, your trophies will be completed on or before the scheduled completion date. The construction will not interfere with the dates that were given to you when you dropped off your specimens.

Here's the progress so far:

Monday Feb. 6, 2006

Today, the backhoes began the site work for the new studio.

Tuesday Feb. 7, 2006

Today the footings were dug and the concrete framework was done.

Wednesday Feb. 8, 2006

Today the footings were inspected and the concrete will be poured tomorrow.

Thursday Feb. 9, 2006

The concrete was poured today. Sorry...no pics.

Monday Feb. 13, 2006

Today, the studio was framed up except for the stairs and roof.

Tuesday Feb. 14, 2006

Today, the roof was framed, the windows and side door were installed, and the stairs were built.