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:
(http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r296/wapiti792/imagejpg5-10.jpg) (http://s147.photobucket.com/user/wapiti792/media/imagejpg5-10.jpg.html)
*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.
(http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r296/wapiti792/imagejpg6-7.jpg) (http://s147.photobucket.com/user/wapiti792/media/imagejpg6-7.jpg.html)
*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 :)
(http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r296/wapiti792/imagejpg3-16.jpg) (http://s147.photobucket.com/user/wapiti792/media/imagejpg3-16.jpg.html)
*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.
(http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r296/wapiti792/imagejpg4-14.jpg) (http://s147.photobucket.com/user/wapiti792/media/imagejpg4-14.jpg.html)
*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.
(http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r296/wapiti792/imagejpg2-25.jpg) (http://s147.photobucket.com/user/wapiti792/media/imagejpg2-25.jpg.html)
*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.
(http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r296/wapiti792/imagejpg1-41.jpg) (http://s147.photobucket.com/user/wapiti792/media/imagejpg1-41.jpg.html)
*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
Great stuff Mike !!! Thanks for sharing :thumbsup: :notworthy:
Bill
Thats awesome Mike! Thanks for sharing that brother!
VERY cool! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
This is what is all about!!
Very cool mike it nice to see you spend time with him like that MEMORIES you will Never forget..well done man!
Very cool! I can relate to your story. Enjoyed it!!
:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :campfire:
Awesome story Mike. Its what Life is all about!
Awesome thread Mike! I was hanging on every word. I have always wanted to be able to do my own taxi work. If I had a family member that did it I would wear them out with offering my free labor. Haha. So cool you got to spend that time with your Uncle. Good on you Brother!
Nice to have a mentor in your first mount, and a special mentor, too. I learned by Braille, lots of strange creatures until I got it right. Nice deer, one to remember
Beautiful buck Mike.
Thanks for sharing your relationship with your Great Uncle. That's good stuff!
Great read... Thanks for sharing. Sounds like quite the man you get to spend time with!!
Awesome story and a beautiful buck.
:thumbsup: Enjoyed that.
That's just awesome Mike.
:thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Great story....that's what it's all about, time spent with family, passing on knowledge.
Nice work on the mount.
That is cool. Fun story and some life-lessons all in one.
Thanks!
I love it. Very cool mike. Very cool.
Very cool! Thanks for sharing that with us. Lot of wisdom in that old timer, I bet! Soak it up! :thumbsup:
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!
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.
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.
A very touching story from many directions ... thank you so much for sharing something special.
Great story. Love the pics.
Good taxidermy is art. But, then, you're uncle already knows that.
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. :dunno:
Ahhhh. You make it all look so easy. Nothing like old uncles.
A special student spending special time on a special buck with a special mentor. Doesn't get any better than that!
Great stuff Mike!
What a great experience! You're a lucky man! :thumbsup:
Bernie
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.
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.
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 :)
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...?
:thumbsup: Great story!
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.
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.
Very Nice! :thumbsup:
Good for you buddy, very, very special!