Taxidermist John Lombardo...FROM THE WOODS TO THE WALL

FROM THE WOODS TO THE WALL
    The Process of Memory Preservation

So what do you get when you cross a very enthusiastic outdoorsmen, with a butcher, a clay sculpture, a hair dresser, a seamstress, and a painter, all with the skills of a fine artist?  Well, if you have all of that in one person, you have yourself one heck of a taxidermist.  This rare combination of talents, is delivered through the hands of John Lombardo with each and every deer mount that he meticulously prepares for his outdoor clients.  
John, like all taxidermists, is in the business of preserving outdoor memories.  It is the goal of any taxidermist, to bring to life the experience that unfolded while afield, every time you lay your eyes upon your mounted trophy.  There is an entertaining, yet meaningful story behind every deer, on every wall.  It is the hunter’s stories and their look of deep satisfaction, when they pick up their trophy from John, that brings true fulfillment to his work.
The art of transforming a wild living creature to a permanent indoor memento, is a fascinating process as you will see…
The taxidermy process actually begins in the field with the hunter who wishes to mount their trophy deer.  It is the goal of the hunter to minimize any damage that could occur to the ears, hide or antlers.  This is best avoided by not dragging the deer’s head on the ground, not  puncturing the ears, and leaving the skinning of the deer’s neck and shoulders to a trained taxidermy professional.
All too often, hunters puncture the ear of a deer in order to attach the license, instead of placing it around the antlers or through the tendon on the animal's hind leg.  Hunter’s should also avoid cutting into the brisket of the deer during field dressing.  Any damage that needs to be repaired by the taxidermist can have an upward effect on your cost, and make it much more difficult to mount without any visual imperfections.  Be sure to rinse any blood from the remains and store the deer in as cool of a place as possible, out of the sunlight, until it can reach the taxidermist.
Once the deer is brought to the taxidermist, the real cool stuff begins.
Step 1:    The head and neck are measured to determine the proper size of the mannequin that must be made, to fit the skin that will eventually be attached to it.
Step 2:    The head is skinned and the antlers are cut from the skull (hence the butcher talents), with the top of the skull cap holding the antlers in place.
Step 3:    The skin goes through a fleshing process, whereby any excess muscle or tissue is scraped from the hide (again we call on the butcher talent).
Step 4:    Doing the laundry is next in the process, as the skin is then salted and resalted again, within a day, and then hung to dry for at least 5 to 6 days.  This process sets the hair permanently to the skin.
Step 5:    The hide then takes another lengthy bath in tanning solution, that permanently preserves the hide, turning it to leather by the end of the process.
Step 6:    The now pliable leather hide, spends some time in the experienced hands of the taxidermist as the hide is run along a fleshing machine that further thins the skin and removes any excess fat, or meat left on the hide up to this point.  This step is for the true professional as it is done by sight and by feel.  If the taxidermist hesitates for a moment too long, the fleshing machine will quickly cut a hole in the hide, and thus, yet another repair.
Step 7:    The skin is then washed and oiled to replace the lipids within the skin.  This helps keep it soft and pliable for the taxidermist to work with as it is eventually mounted to the mannequin.  
Step 8:    Next, the seamstress talents come out as any flesh wounds are sewn and repaired.   Any cuts, punctures, or holes of any kind, are sewn so meticulously, that many times, you will not notice any change to the fur, once repaired.
Step 9:    Now the mannequin gets to spend some time with the taxidermist as it gets sanded to help the hide glue adhere to it.  The sculpture's talents seep through the hands of the taxidermist as clay is strategically molded to the mannequin, to provide muscle tone and definition, creating a more life-like appearance.
Step 10:  Glass eyes are now inserted and clay again is used to around the eyes to ensure the proper look (no pun intended!).
Step 11:  Plastic forms are then placed into the ear skin that keep the ears in a life-like position.
Step 12:  Bring out the seamstress once more as the skin is fitted, glued, pinned, and sewn into place on the mannequin.  Just so you know, no mannequin has ever asked the taxidermist if this fur makes him look fat!
Step 13:  Final eye, mouth and nose adjustments are made and the newly covered mannequin is set aside to dry.  As the skin dries, it does incur some shrinkage, requiring the taxidermist to adjust the pins, and stitches during this time, so that the final fit is just perfect.
Step 14:  After a two week drying time, the fur is brushed out, the antlers are oiled up to retain their luster and final touchups are made to the mount so that everything is just right.  Oh yeah, so a taxidermist must also posses cosmetoligist talents as well.
Step 15: Conditioner (not hairspray) is applied to restore the fur’s natural sheen.
Step 16:  The completed deer is now ready to go and eagerly awaits it’s resting place as a hunter's personal piece of hunting history, and the ultimate accessory to any home decor.
Determining which deer you wish to mount, is a personal decision as a trophy animal is many different things to many different people.  A hunter’s first white-tailed deer, their first archery deer, their personal best or just the one that almost got away, are all trophy experiences.  The mounted animal, helps preserve that trophy experience for you and all who are fortunate enough to admire it.
My name is Jonny and this is my adventurous tale of taxidermy.
A special thanks to John Lombardo of Lombardo’s Taxidermy in Anchorville, MI, who opened his studio to me, so that I could share the taxidermy process with you.  Lombardo’s Taxidermy has offered a "First Buck" Special $20 discount for youth hunters who bag their first white-tailed deer.  Lombardo’s Taxidermy can be reached at 586.725.4352 or at jlombardo370@aol.com.