December 28, 2015 (Album) - When you think of 4-H most think of a youth organization that provides opportunities with livestock, horses, food, fashion, photography, shooting sports, and leadership, just to name a few. These projects are some of the banner programs that are offered, but 4-H is more than that. This year, Shelby County 4-H has kicked off a new project, Taxidermy.
The taxidermy project blends many skills together to make this project a success. Patience might just be the most important one learned. It takes lots of time, dedication and skill to harvest the animal from the wild and mount so that it still looks alive. The tools of the trade are scalpels, needle and thread, air paint gun, drimel tool, hide preservative, and, of course, polyurethane foam mounts. The habitat can be made from drift wood, foam insulation, plaster of Paris and even Bondo.
The 4-H’ers have to be extremely careful to not cut through the hide or they get to work on their sewing skills. One of the tricks of the trade is being able to camouflage any holes or imperfections. After the animal is mounted, then the habitat is constructed that will support or display the mount.
As you can imagine, this is a detailed project that requires a 4-H volunteer with skills not only in taxidermy, but one who enjoys helping youth. Mrs. Sherryl McGown has been a great project leader donating her time and expertise each Monday from 6:00-8:00pm and has willing done so from September through the present. The taxidermy project has twenty-two 4-H members that are actively working on squirrels, raccoons, coyotes, and deer with plans to showcase their mounts in the upcoming District 5 4-H Round-up contest in April 2016.
If you would like to participate in this project or any other 4-H project in Shelby County, contact Lane Dunn, County Extension Agent – Ag/NR at 936-598-7744 or email at jldunn@ag.tamu.edu
