Maine Menagerie
Ever since I was a schoolgirl, when I would spend long afternoons in the Newark Museum and the American Museum of Natural History, I have loved the examples of taxidermy more than anything else on display.
Men have been stuffing animal skins for hundreds of years, yet the art of taxidermy -- mounting or reproducing dead animals for display or for other sources of study -- was not perfected until the early 20th century. That is when the proper materials and methods of artistic preservation were discovered and developed by a small group of talented naturalists.
At Skylands, my house in Maine, I amassed quite a few examples of fine old taxidermy that I found in shops, at auctions, and at local garage sales. The stairway is occupied by a few superb taxidermic examples: ducks, geese, a turkey, a bird, and a baby black bear.
Martha,
Time to educate your readers about what is legal and what is not. A direct quote from the US Fish and Wildlife Service:
The Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA), 16 USC sec. 703, prohibits the possession of any migratory bird...there is no exception in the law or regulations which would allow one to import, export, sell, barter or purchase these "pre-act" items without a permit.
Please explain how you can possess these legal when I cannot?????
DIGEST OF MIGRATORY BIRD TREATY ACT: http://www.fws.gov/laws/lawsdigest/migtrea.html
BIRDS PROTECTED BY THE MIGRATORY BIRD TREATY ACT: http://www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/RegulationsPolicies/mbta/mbtandx.html
Stunning photos! I love the owls. When i was little we'd visit family who lived at the foothills of the mountains in northern Mexico and i was terrified of the mounted animal they had in their home. One of my dad's cousins had killed it. It was some sort of bobcat or wildcat or something. I couldn't sleep because i beleived it would come alive while we slept.
You think your insurance is high enough already. Just think if nobody hunted.
Yes my comments are out of order so you will have to ready from Bottom up . But it all works out in the end. Have a nice day.
They are like rabbits around here. I am sure non of these people saying how could you kill a animal have ever eating eggs. Or own some kind of leather shoe or belts or anything like that . Taxidermy is Preserving a animal so people can enjoy looking at it for many years. I think they look better on my wall then Smacking the crap out of the front or side of our car or truck . But that is just my opinion. .
Lets say it lands in your front seat hurting You or maybe Killing you OR you try to miss the Deer so you don’t kill it and you roll your car over in the ditch and die . I know I know some of you do not OWN cars and you live in a BIG city but just think about the BIG picture for a while.I have them walking across my yard at least once a week during the day and I am sure more at night .
It is always interesting to me when I see Negative comments on hunting. Here is a paragraph out of the New York Times With so many deer crossing roads, accidents are common. Nationwide, cars hit at least 1.5 million deer a year, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reports, causing more than a Billion Dollars in vehicle damage.Here is the Link to back it up.http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/d/deer/index.htmlJust wait till YOU hit a Deer with your car.
Martha, dead animals are not decorations. What is wrong with you?
I think this is disgusting! Showing off murdered animals in her home really, really, really crosses the line! I'm sorry, but this is WEIRD. Someone needs to give her head a shake.
Repulsive!
I just loved this article Martha! I, too, have been fascinated with taxidermy for most of my life (much to the shock of my family and friends). This does not mean I am an animal hater, or barbaric. On the contrary, I feel that it is an art in preservation, of the absolute beauty of wildlife. I'm very happy that you, the gracious, classy lady that you are, feels this way, as well. : )
I am so absolutely disgusted by this that I'm at a loss for words.
I was shocked at the pictures of the "stuffed animals" in the latest issue. My brother dabbled in taxidermy when he was in high school. His specimens were kept in an alcove in the upstairs hall of our home. They used to scare me to death. When he left home, they were put away. When my brother got engaged my Mother showed his finance the deer head and other critters she would inherit when she married. She married my brother but left the critters with Mom! Always a joke in our family.
Martha, this was a wonderfully, well-written article. It was unexpected and yet fantastically done! My father has been a professional taxidermist for 20+ yrs. He is nationally recognized and puts so much into his work at Master's Wildlife Services. Many in mainstream thought have a problem with taxidermy as a whole. I've never seen popular culture have a positive take on it. This was a breath of fresh air! Birder2 you are incorrect. Check those statements with Fish and Wildlife.
You might have found these specimens for sale in antique stores, but it is illegal for them to sell them and it is illegal under federal law to possess most of the mounted birds you have. The mammals and quail are ok, but the others are federally protected migratory birds.
Donate them to a nature center as soon as possible or you may be in federal prison or have some serious fines.
Appalling and disgusting. I will most definitely not be renewing my subscription. This issue is in the trash where it belongs.
I absolutely loved this Martha. You truly inspire us to achieve things we never would have thought of doing. Thank you so much for all you share. These specimens were delightful. What a wonderful idea to display them so creatively. Loved the bears in bed.