Getting the details just right : Local taxidermist loves giving others a glimpse of nature
Posted on Thursday, April 10, 2008
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/bcdr/News/60637/
DECATUR — Harold Holt, the owner of Harold’s Taxidermy, brings animals back to life with an artistic touch.
Holt works with all kinds of animals in his cozy shop on Arkansas Highway 102 in Decatur. Some of the animals he’s worked with include deer, bear, coyote, raccoon, fox, game birds and animals from as far away as Alaska.
Holt began working in taxidermy three years ago as a way to keep himself busy while he was laid in up in the house after an injury. He’s primarily selftaught, learning through books and videos.
Holt said he has always been a hunter and loves the outdoors, so taxidermy is natural for him.
His work has caught the attention of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, and game wardens have brought him several animals that had been hit by cars. He mounted a fawn for the Ponca, Ark., Elk Center and is working on a bear that will also be displayed in the Elk Center.
His work is also displayed in the Decatur General Store’s sporting goods department.
Holt said he enjoys knowing that children will get a glimpse of nature from his work.
The process of mounting a deer takes five to six weeks, from start to finish, and goes through many steps.
Holt carefully measures the animal while it is fresh and takes reference pictures to help him choose the right mold.
Any flesh that will decompose must be removed from the hide. The hide is then cured. It is packed in salt for two days to dry it out. The process is then repeated. The hide is then placed in a “ pickle” — or saltwater — solution for three days until the acid level reaches a certain pH. Baking soda is then used to neutralize the acidity, and a tanning solution is applied, followed by a tanning oil.
After the tanning is complete, the skin is carefully mounted on a mold. Holt uses clay to mold the expression of the eyes, and bondo, a putty used for auto body repair, to mold the ears into a lifelike position. He paints around the eyes, ears and nose to bring a life-like color back to the animal. He takes great care with the details of the eyes and nose.
“ Even if all of the big things are done correctly, if the details aren’t just right, the animals don’t look natural, ” Holt said. He studies live animals to learn as much about their body language as possible.
The details, like the shape of the muscles behind a deer’s ear, or the shape of the eyelid and amount of white around the eye, change the animal’s expression.
A buck can look as if it’s standing relaxed in the woods, or alert and ready for battle.
Holt spends hours in the woods videotaping deer to study their expressions. Deer sometimes walk so close beneath him when he’s on his deer stand that Holt has to move his feet for a good view. Holt has watched a doe with a crooked leg — possibly the result of being hit by a car — raise her fawns for several years. He has an agreement with the neighbors to never bother her.
Holt gained an advantage in observing deer behavior by raising a rescued fawn. When he was given the fawn, it was too old to be fed by a bottle but so weak it couldn’t stand.
Holt worked with the little buck, encouraging it to stretch for food and water, and eventually helped it stand. The deer is now 18 months old and grew his first set of button antlers last fall.
“ When I need a break, I go down to the barn and watch him for a little while. It’s very relaxing. ” Holt said.
If a hunter wants to mount an animal, it is important to properly care for it. When hunting season begins, Holt suggests that hunters call him with questions, or stop by, and he will show them how to properly prepare the animal for mounting.
“ Pictures of the animal while it is fresh are very helpful, ” Holt said.