       
|
What
do you look for in a taxidermist? Experience? Quality?
Creativity? Attention to detail? You’ll find all of this and
more at Wildlife Encounters Taxidermy. Our award winning taxidermists
have the vision and imagination to create a piece of wildlife art that
makes you relive your wildlife encounter everyday. Whether it’s North
American game, African game, exotics, birds, fish, rugs, life size or shoulder
mounts, we do it all. Wildlife Encounters was created to service
the affluent sportsman as well as the local hunter and everyone in between!
Our staff of taxidermy experts
will mount your trophies to your specifications. We modify our taxidermy
forms to achieve poses that cannot be achieved with stock materials.
This allows us to recreate your dream hunt or create taxidermy art.
Anything is possible. We only use quality materials, and when you
combine these with an expert taxidermist and imagination, good things happen.
You
get a quality taxidermy mount that will last generations.
We
are professional full-time taxidermists, not hobbyists or part-timers.
We devote the time needed to produce only high quality products, a piece
of art that both the outdoorsman and taxidermist will be proud of.
Can there be a greater disappointment than delivering a beautiful specimen
to the taxidermist and receiving substandard taxidermy in return?
After the cost of the equipment, the travel, the guide, why take a chance
on your memories? When you look up at that majestic whitetail buck,
bull elk, or moose, we want you to be satisfied that you received the best
taxidermy there is to offer. We want to hear you say “that’s exactly
what he looked like when I saw him.” One of the greatest compliments
a taxidermist can receive is “Wow, he looks alive.” Our goal is to
hear that from every client.
What goes into making a quality
taxidermy piece? Well, only quality taxidermy materials to start.
We use quality forms that our taxidermists customize to achieve the pose
you desire. At times the condition of the hide may make a particular
pose more desirable. Our taxidermists will council you on what may
work best. This is where our expertise comes in. Knowing what
can be done to make your trophy look its best and modifying the materials
to make it happen. Custom eyes, the best open mouth parts, we won’t
skimp on materials. This is one of the many reasons we have a loyal
following.
The next thing that goes into
making a quality taxidermy piece is expert taxidermy craftsmanship.
That is exactly what we have. Our staff is experienced at African,
Asian, Exotic and North American game. Our safari work is second
to none. Whether it is a lion, a leopard, an elephant or Plains game,
Gemsboks, black buck or Kudu, we have the taxidermy experience.
What
about turn around time? As a full-time taxidermy studio, we are able
to minimize your wait for your trophy. We do not believe in mass
produced taxidermy, but you will not wait a long time for your piece.
Our expert taxidermists give each trophy, from small mammal to elephant,
the attention it deserves.
Do you want a shoulder mount?
Whitetail, mule deer, zebra? We can do it all. In fact, our
taxidermists are among the best in the country and we have the awards to
prove it. But maybe you want something more unique. Our taxidermists
can work with your imagination and create a unique piece you will be proud
to display. We do pedestal mounts that are truly works of art.
We have standard pedestals or they can be custom made in rich hardwoods.
How would you like a life-sized mount with the games natural habitat reproduced
with such detail that it brings you back to your “Wildlife Encounter”?
We can even do dioramas with multiple mounts and appropriate habitat scenery,
painted by our artists, as a background. We’ll design your entire
trophy room if you like. Big horn sheep, dall sheep on a Marco polo
Ram on a rocky slope. Maybe a grizzly bear or Alaskan Brown Bear
fishing in a stream for trout or salmon.
Wildlife Encounters Taxidermists
are located in upstate Hurley, New York. In the beautiful Hudson
River Valley, at the base of the Catskill Mountains, just minutes from
Kingston, NY.
We’re
just five minutes off the New York State Thruway at exit 19, Kingston.
It is about 1 ½ hours from the New York City and Long Island area.
It is even closer to Northern New Jersey and Pennsylvania. About
1 hour is all it takes from the Albany/Capital District area. If
you are from Utica Rome, or even Syracuse and the Finger Lakes region it
is an easy Thruway ride to reach us. In fact, New York’s Adirondack
Mountains, the Berkshires, Western Massachusetts, Southern Vermont, and
Eastern Connecticut all surround the Hudson valley and take less than three
hours to drive.
We feel that we are worth it.
You won’t be disappointed that you trusted us with your trophy.
All of you hunters and fisherman
closer to home in Westchester county, Delaware county, Dutchess county,
Columbia county, Greene county and Orange county including Poughkeepsie,
Newburgh, Middletown have no excuses not to give us an opportunity to be
your taxidermist. You’ll be glad you did.
Jim
Brown is our chief taxidermist. Born in upstate New York and raised
in High Falls, NY, he grew up loving the outdoors. He spent his formative
years fishing the Ashokan Reservoir, (a part of the New York City water
supply system), for walleye, smallmouth bass and brown trout. He
especially loved fishing the famous Esopus Creek for rainbow trout and
brown trout. He continues to enjoy fishing today. He hunted
for whitetail deer and the less common wild turkey on the ridges of the
nearby Shawangunk Mountains and the Catskill mountains. Of course
small game, predator and waterfowl hunting were all part of his growing
up too. We were lucky to have plenty of rabbits, red fox, grey fox
and coyotes to occupy our time in those days. Geese and ducks (especially
wood ducks) were plentiful also. Although Jim loved to hunt and fish,
taxidermy was never really on his mind. He spent his early working
years as a skilled laborer but a rod and reel and a firearm were never
far from his hands. Jim traveled on outdoor adventures to Saskatchewan
Canada for big whitetail deer, and Alaska to fish for salmon. Still
being a taxidermist was not on his mind. It wasn’t until about sixteen
years ago when the opportunity arose by chance to start doing taxidermy.
Jim had given a whitetail buck to a friend to mount. He was a taxidermist
that supplemented his income by doing carpentry. As Jim waited for
his deer, his friend was becoming a full-time carpenter. Eventually
he became too busy and suggested that Jim try taxidermy for himself.
Intrigued, Jim did some reading and bought some taxidermy videos.
That first deer got him hooked! He began studying wildlife anatomy
in depth and taxidermy became his passion. Jim had found his calling.
God has blessed Jim with a talent for creating wildlife masterpieces.
This gift blossomed quickly in Jims hands. He began competing in
taxidermy competitions on the state and national levels. With accolades
and encouragement from the likes of taxidermy icons such as Bill Yox and
Rick Carter, his passion for wildlife artistry grew. To be a great
taxidermist, one must be extremely familiar with anatomy, dissection, sculpture,
tanning, and painting. Jim is adept in all of these areas.
Jim credits the teaching seminars that he took at taxidermy competitions
and the critiques of the taxidermy masters Bill Yox and Rick Carter with
advancing his skill level greatly.
Jim
was the owner/taxidermist at Summit Taxidermy in High Falls, NY for several
years. He left taxidermy for several years to battle a serious illness
and with God’s help he was able to persevere and return to his passion.
He then worked for a large taxidermy business and gained valuable experience
with less common wildlife such as large bears, sheep, rare exotics and
a great array of plains and African game.
But he loves to do North American
game, and if you ask him what his specialty is, the answer is deer, specifically
whitetail deer. Jim has won many awards for his whitetails including
the prestigious Joseph Bruchac Memorial Award, Master of Masters.
Another top award winner was a caribou shoulder mount that garnered the
coveted Wasco award for most artistic entry. If you would like to
see an example of his artistic genius, look in the Bass Pro Shops in Denver
Colorado. He did the grizzly swiping at the salmon. Jim supervises
our taxidermy staff and brings his passion for wildlife art and taxidermy
to Wildlife Encounters Taxidermy. We are lucky to have him.
Jim’s list of
awards includes:
Over
60 - 1st place entries
1999
Northeast Wildlife Art Show, Stow, Vermont
Grey
Fox, 1st Place, Best of Category Best Life-size mammal
1st
Place – Best of Category Black Bear
2000
United Taxidermists of New York
1st
Place, Best of Category, Open Mouth Whitetail
2000
Joe Coombs Award
Judges
Choice, Best Professional Whitetail Mount
2001
United Taxidermists of New York Convention – Syracuse, NY
1st
Place, Best of Category, Whitetail
2001
Whitetail Specialists Award
Best
Whitetail Shoulder Mount
2002
United Taxidermists of New York
Jonas
Bros. Award
Judges
Choice
Best
Gamehead – Masters Division
Best
of Show Commercial Mount Whitetail
Wasco
Award
Most
Artistic Entry, Pedestal Caribou
2002
Safari Club International Award
Best
Gamehead – North America, Pedestal Caribou
Joe
Coombs Award – Trophy
Whitetail,
Best W.T. Masters Division
Garden
State Taxidermy Assoc.
2001
1st Place Whitetail, Open Mouth
Best
of Category
1st
Place Black Bear, Open Mouth
2002
1st Place, Best of Category
Whitetail
Pedestal, Masters Division
2004
National Taxidermy Association National Convention
Huntsville, Alabama
1st
Place Masters Division, Pedestal Whitetail
2004
United Taxidermists of New York
Buckeye
Manikins Award
Highest
Scoring Whitetail, Masters Division
Buckmasters
Award
Judges
Choice
Best
in Show Whitetail
Joseph
Bruchac Memorial Award
Best
Whitetail, Masters Division
Masters
of Masters
Judges
Choice
Best
in Show Masters Division, Whitetail Deer
1st
Place – Gameheads
Black
Bear
1st
Place – Gameheads
Axis
Deer
|
Jim also has an interest in passing
his knowledge on to the future taxidermists. If you are considering
Taxidermy school, call to get information on a Taxidermy workshop with
Jim. This is an opportunity to learn from an award winning wildlife
artist. Housing is available.
300 Wynkoop Road
Hurley, NY 12443
845-338-1242
eMail
nytaxidermist@gmail.com
COPYRIGHT © WILDLIFE ENCOUNTERS TAXIDERMY - WWW.NYTAXIDERMIST.COM
|
  |