For the Wild-Hearted Souls

If I had a dollar for every time someone asked “how did you get started in taxidermy?” I’d probably be eating a lot less ramen and a lot more gourmet organic hummus. 

Truth of the matter is, I didn’t wake up one morning and say, “Hell, being a taxidermist would be dandy!” 

Rather, it started with a personal interest in bones, skulls, and teeth. I was fascinated by the stories such things could tell about the animals they’d come from, and so I collected them as though they were treasures.

I picked up bones on my walks through the woods; found skulls and claws and teeth in antique stores; and occasionally managed to find pelts and such at estate and garage sales. Each one was an individual to me, with a story to be told about the life said animal had lived out. 

As my collection grew, I began coming up with creative ways to make art from them. I enjoyed painting skulls, making jewelry from claws and teeth, and decorating my room with pelts as wall-hangings and the like. But eventually, I had accumulated too much stuff. And so I started selling it. 

It surprised me when my first few sales on eBay greatly exceeded the prices I assumed I would get. To be honest, I had no idea how to price my work back then, so I listed things at the cost of the supplies and amount of time I’d spent working with them.

eBay worked out well enough to get me started, but friends introduced me to Etsy, and NaturePunk Creations evolved from there. The more I worked with animal parts, the more I became aware of the totemic meanings behind the animals, and grew to understand that each bone, skull, tail, or hide carried with it a story about the animal it came from, and that, by extension, a part of the animals’ “energy” still lingered within it. 

My job then became less about getting rid of my own collection and more about honoring the parts of animals which would otherwise be wasted or put to poor use. This lead me to working in full pelts, which I made into headdress, and which gained me a bit of exposure. 

A friend introduced me to Fish and Wildlife Auctions, which featured skins, skulls, claws, teeth, and all manner of parts which came from roadkill, court seizures, or which were confiscated from poachers. All money from the sales of these parts went back to the Fish and Wildlife Department. So, this became my primary source for parts for a while, but the auctions became too expensive to go to and were taking up too much of my time. 

But I became involved with taxidermy forums, fellow artists and crafters, and started going to more estate sales and local auctions. I got my hands on some really lovely skins, and began expanding my skills. 

My first headdresses had poorly-shaped noses, wrinkled ears, and oddly-shaped muzzles. Over time, I learned to correct these problems to create more realistic-looking headdresses. This urge to achieve realism prompted me to try my hand at true taxidermy, and so I began work on a mountain lion headdress that I planned to wear to Burning Man. 

I would not normally have started with an animal like a mountain lion. They’re difficult even for experts to mount. But I’d had an interesting run-in with a live cat following the car crash during my Freshman year of college, and had developed a deeper appreciate for the cougar. As a result, I wished to wear a pelt from one during the life-changing event that is Burning Man. 

Obviously, being that it was my first mount, it didn’t turn out perfectly, but it was still a big hit at the Burn. Despite the flaws, “Ashland” the cougar is still one of my personal favorite headdresses, and I have a close connection to him as a result. 

After Ashland, I found that taxidermy was actually a lot of fun. Though by no means easy, it was still enjoyable work, and so I moved on to the next project: A mule deer headdress inspired by a dream I’d had about a blind deer. 

The Blind Deer was one of my favorite projects, and it really fueled my fire to do more taxidermy.

I opened up to commissions and got to do a coyote from a customer’s pelt, and completed Teva the Wolf shortly beforehand. Next, I completed Bear’s bear headdress, and am currently working on a large mule deer like the one above, and a tiny piebald doe. 

I’m hoping to do a lynx next, but would actually LOVE to do a wolverine. Still, I’ve got many commissions going on at the moment, so those will have to wait! 

Hope this answers all the questions! :D

Pelts are undeniably precious to those who cherish them. The same goes for tails and completed headdresses, as well. So since I’ve been working with all manners of second-hand hides which have fallen victim to all sorts of ailments, I thought I’d share a bit of wisdom on the physical care of pelts, tails, and headdresses. 

In general, the kinds of filth you can expect to befall any pelts, tails, or headdresses include dust, possible food spills including sticky substances, and maybe a bit of mud or dirt. For collectors, a true nightmare scenario is receiving a pelt which has a foul odor despite a beautiful appearance, or a horrible appearance due to neglect or misuse. 

Given the first set of events, the best course of action is to simply take a damp towel and brush away the filth by following the natural nap of the hair follicles. The guard hairs of most pelts are smooth to prevent matter from adhering to the fur, and a little brush with a damp towel will usually draw it away. 

You shouldn’t have to use any more than a dab of water for the lesser messes, and you can even use a slight touch of dish soap in the event that something sticky has come into contact with the hairs. In either event, the key is to use just enough water to wash away the unwelcome matter, but never enough to actually soak into the leather beneath the fur. 

In the event of larger messes such as food spills, you may need to take more drastic action. Using a brush of the sort you’d normally use on a dog can be very helpful for thick spills or any greasy matter which may come into contact with the fur. Do not over-brush the fur, as this can weaken the follicles. 

Using such a brush will help separate the hairs and make it easier to wipe away the mess with a damp towel as explained above. If you need to, using a small amount of soap may help, but I wouldn’t suggest using heavily-scented soaps or shampoo. Stick to dish soap with de-greasing agent, as this will help break down stubborn matter so that it’s easier to wipe it away. If even this doesn’t work, add a bit of hydrogen peroxide to the water you’re dipping your towel in. It is vital to remember: do not let the leather beneath the fur get wet. 

So what about pelts, tails, or headdresses that are seriously bad? Let’s say that you acquire a pelt which smells like old lady, or which was rescued from a tavern which reeked of cigarette smoke. 

Odors are difficult to banish from a fur of any sort, but a good simple solution is to put the smelly fur in a clean plastic bag with several un-used dryer sheets. Tie the bag closed and wait a few days. The dryer sheets will help absorb the scent. 

If a pelt is losing coloration because it’s dusty, greasy, or subject to smoke damage, there are many products that you can use to help. Brushing with a comb dipped in hydrogen peroxide will help mild stains, but for others, you may need to look into commercial products which can usually be found from taxidermy supply sites. Other products include Lana’s Fur Whitening cleanser. DO NOT USE BLEACH. 

Further fur issues may require more work. If this is the case, consult with a local fur professional, or feel free to ask me personally. 

ENJOY!

Specifically, Bear’s bearskin headdress. He’s coming over tomorrow, and since he’s had a rough past few days, I figured I’d surprise him.

I’d never mounted a bear before, so it was something of an adventure, especially considering the fact that it was a vintage hide which most taxidermists probably wouldn’t even risk rehydrating. I got some help from a few professionals, including the exceptionally talented John Bellucci, world-champion taxidermist and something of a celebrity within the trade.

Even with all Mr. Bellucci’s help, it was no easy feat. There was no lip skin for tucking, the eye holes were enlarged, and the nose was mangled. Likewise, the ears would literally not rehydrate on account of the cartilage being left in by whoever skinned the animal. It probably would have become more workable if I’d left it to soak a while longer, but I worried that the hair would slip, as I’d been advised to only use as much water as necessary. 

Also, the original change-out head form I bought didn’t really fit. Thankfully, I had another on hand from a bear I did on commission for a customer a month or so back, which actually turned out working wonderfully. 

So it’s drying now, and I’ll do the finishing work tomorrow. 

In other news, my housemates helped me set up a freezer outside so that I can be more productive in my work. With this, I can hydrate multiple hides at once, store them until the forms arrive, and then work on more than one mount a day. I can also have wet-tanned pelts shipped to me frozen and actually have a place to put them! Also, roadkill.

The downside is that the freezer is kind of exposed and I worry that someone may try to steal the pelts inside. Seems a little strange, but I don’t want to take that risk - so thank god my housemate is a sheet metal worker, and can help me set up a badass locking mechanism for the freezer door. I will have the most epic freezer ever. And it will drive the cops crazy when they cruise by (because yes, you can see the freezer from the road).