The 21-year-old Fountain City resident and owner of Ridge Top Taxidermy wades through the fur, the bones, the skin and the viscera in a centuries-old process.It isn’t just about stuffing animals: It’s about preserving stories.
I took a wildlife class in high school. For the next two years, I worked with the instructor without credit. I got all the basics (in high school) and sort of taught myself along the way.
Patience is number one. Details are the most important, especially with deer.
The story is what makes the trophy for them guys.
They say if you make it over five years, you’re more likely to make it. I was struggling for a little while to keep it going.
The peacock was definitely the weirdest thing yet. Its tail feathers were over six feet long. I did four baby rabbits once. It was sad but the cool thing about it is that they never go to waste. I get to bring them back to life.
Some weeks you work for nothing. My yearly earnings gross $40,000, but after costs I’ll be lucky to get half of that. You’ll make $10 to $15 an hour to work for someone else, but you’ll be stuck with the bull work right away — all the nasty stuff.
I use an airbrush for the finish work, like a deer’s nose. I do all my own woodworking so I need a table saw, sanders, wood finishing and lumber. My grooming brushes are mostly toothbrushes. Needle and thread. Sewing turned out to make my living........Continue
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