| There's nothing wrong with a bobcat mounted on a | | | | through the door, and how you'll get it to the door in the |
| wooden pedestal or a neck mount of a deer or an elk, | | | | first place. |
| but some of the most interesting examples of | | | | The fun begins once you've figured out what your |
| taxidermy skill are the full-body mounts in realistic sets, | | | | client wants, where he wants it and how you're going |
| called habitats. Learning how to create good habitats | | | | to do it. Habitats need to look realistic without being |
| can be challenging, but it can also be rewarding | | | | real, because carrying boulders down stairways isn't |
| --artistically, competitively, and financially. | | | | usually an option, and you don't want your client |
| One of the most important things to remember about | | | | wondering why his family room has started to smell |
| habitat construction is that, well, it's a construction | | | | like old, wet weeds. Knowing when to preserve |
| project. The taxidermy involved is one thing, but in | | | | existing plants to create the right look as opposed to |
| building a habitat for a client, you've got to also take | | | | installing artificial foliage is important, as is learning how |
| into consideration his budget and space constraints | | | | to get your soil or soil analog to stick to your base |
| before getting too far into the project. On-site | | | | properly. You can learn how to make your own rocks |
| consultations are also important, as you'll need to know | | | | and trees, giving you a realistic look without all the |
| more than room dimensions: the placement of power | | | | weight concerns. |
| outlets, water sources and heat vents, as well as | | | | The best way to learn how to construct realistic |
| atmospheric conditions such as humidity, air flow and | | | | habitats is to study with a taxidermist experienced in |
| exposure to sunlight --while important to every | | | | habitat design. One-on-one consultation and instruction |
| taxidermy project-- now become significant factors | | | | is key to success, as you can see the process from |
| before you've even begun. You also have to plan your | | | | beginning to end, as well as assist in its completion, |
| installation before you begin, so you know just how | | | | before you take on the risk of such a large project |
| many pieces that habitat will have to be in to fit | | | | yourself. |