Taxidermy: Mounts And Skinning

For a trophy hunter, the memories of the hunt are the greatest pleasure, but so is having a visual record of that glorious time. Once that trophy-winning creature has been bagged, the next steps are to mount it, and then display it proudly to friends and family. In order to get the best trophy mount, your catch has a round of taxidermy before you can mount it properly.

The word taxidermy's roots lie in Greek.

The word taxis meaning movement, and derma meaning skin. Literally, taxidermy means the movement of skin. As a mount is prepared, the skin is generally stretched and adjusted for the perfect fit. Modern techniques include use of synthetic materials to give the trophy mount the look of near perfection. With glass eyes, false teeth, paint and plaster, taxidermy isn't a conventional form of art but produces amazingly lifelike results.

Taxidermy evolved as humans advanced. Our prehistoric ancestors knew nothing of taxidermy; they crudely preserved the skins of animals they hunted to make clothing. As people evolved, so did the methods of preservation for animal skins. Eventually the professional tanner became a common fixture to human society. It was not pure taxidermy (it wasn't taxidermy at all as we understand it) but the techniques used were a precursor to the art.

Eventually human society evolved to a point where there was no longer a pressing need to hunt solely for food. At this point, the idea of taxidermy was in an embryonic state. Hunters would want to keep the animal as a trophy in memory of the hunt. This new demand in society created a new field for people in the tanning industry, taxidermy. Early taxidermists from 1700 to the 1800's would stuff the animal skins with cotton and rags then sew them together. These mounts didn't look terribly good, but this crude taxidermy would evolve past the stuffed animal approach. In retrospect, modern day taxidermists shudder at the workmanship of the past.

In the earlier part of the 20th century, taxidermy really began developing as its own art form. No longer was it a chore for an amateur that cured skins. Since the trophy hunters wished their mounts to look as real as possible, the market was officially open. Experts placed emphasis on developing lifelike imitations of animals, using techniques to mount trophy catches in as lifelike a position as possible. The art of taxidermy in the 21st century includes various methods of creating a representation of an animal for permanent display. Whether it is through using the skin of the animal or creating an entirely synthetic creature, the art has developed to ensure that the memory of your hunt will last a lifetime as a trophy on your wall.

Taxidermy, Wildlife Artistry Taxidermy. Larry C. Reese. Wildlife Artistry Taxidermy 1997-2006. http://www.wildlifeartistry.com/ October 11, 2006.

Methods and art of Taxidermy. www.Lostcraftarts.com 2006. http://lostcrafts.com/Taxidermy/Taxidermy-Main.htm l. October 11, 2006