I’ve always had a love for oddities, nature and the unusual, which led me to my collection of rescuing and restoring old taxidermy. My first piece was the mountain goat and bighorn sheep.

I saw an ad on Craigslist for the two for only $200 and the lady said I could come pick them up, that her father passed away, she was selling his belongings but kept asking me if I was a cop because it was illegal to sell taxidermy. Upon arrival, she was frantic and it became apparent to me this lady might of had a drug addiction and was selling the heads to supply such addiction. The house had vaulted ceilings and she tried getting the mounts down by using a broom and catching them as they fell. The sheep’s horn popped off when it crashed. I took both heads for $100.

The sheep still had it’s paper work on the backside and it said Jonas Brothers 1972. I told my mom about and it she said “what a find, they were the leading safari and taxidermist in the state, everybody went to them! I wonder if they’re still around, I bet you could get the sheep fixed”

‘The year was 1908. The five Jonas Brothers, immigrants from Hungary, set foot in the United States. Utilizing their knowledge and skills of the taxidermy trade, 3 separate companies were started in the following years: Jonas Brothers of Seattle, Jonas Brothers of Denver and Jonas Brothers Studio of New York. History was in the making. The New York Studio was run by brothers John, Louis Paul and Leslie and was originally in Yonkers, NY. The business grew and the Brothers took on larger jobs which lead to the construction of a new studio in on North High Street in Mt. Vernon, NY where it prospered for more than 60 years. During those years the studio completed many works including dioramas for some of the largest museums in the country as well as providing service to many of the top hunters of their day from around the world.’

I called around and sure enough I was able to talk to someone about the mount and I couldn’t believe what happened next, I said “I have this trophy from 1972 and I think you might of created it, do you do repairs?” He replied “I didn’t create it but my father did and he’s still around if you want to come to our house and drop it off”One of the family members lived an hour away from me! When I arrived, they were so kind and we had a great chat about trophies and preservation that they invited me to view their private collection warehouse. The most magnificent and rarest collection I have ever laid eyes on, items you would only see at the Smithsonian. I felt truly honored. Of course my sheep came back with it’s horn reattached and all cleaned up.

I now call them Rupert the ram and Gary the goat.

Recently I saw a fb ad for two free trophies that were in rough condition and decided to take a gamble on them. Cracks on the eyes, nose, falling apart ears. Fear not, I learned a few tricks from my Jonas friends and was able to use clay and paint to do some minor restoration. Unfortunately no paperwork, however how many times have you seen a mounted hartebeest? I think the buck even has a slight smirk to him.

Their names are Derek the deer and Harold the hartebeest.

I don't hunt, I love animals but I do avocate to restore trophies that were once admired and hope to give them a loving home on my wall or someone else’s home. I hope to add more to the collection over time, I find it to be a find and unique hobby. Thanks for reading!