I'm just curious. I find these items for sale frequently and I just think it's a little strange. I personally haven't formed an opinion of good or bad. I'm not against hunting for food, but to raise in captivity these animals purely for decoration just seems weird to me. Given the auction prices seems like there is a market for this type of thing.
Did you notice the "no payments for three months" routine? Pretty commercial operation, so I bet if there is a market for the meat he's selling that, too. If that's the case, I don't see much difference from raising chickens for meat while also having a market for the feathers. Leather is a pretty popular commodity, too. Though I have to say that while it's legal to cultivate and sell waterfowl, it's not legal to sell wild ones as far as I know. Might be interesting someday to compare his farm production records with the # of mounts going out the door.
I don't necessarily agree with the act of raising an animal to only put in on display (unless were talking an animal ambassdor in a zoo or something to that nature) but I don't think that it is breaking any laws to do this.
I have mounted fish on my walls that I have caught, it's just a bird instead. The cute and cuddly factor could be getting involved for sure.
I wanted to get closer to wildlife and wanted to bring it home without damaging it. This is what started my love for photography. I don't see there being a huge market for this as birds tend to fade as mounts, the also collect huge amounts of dust in their feathers. If anyone has bought one I'd bet the wouldn't buy another after a few years and watching what happens to the mount they spend their money on.
I am also curious as to how many ducks are raised vs. how many are mounted, just seems like it'd be too easy to collect wild ducks for this purpose and make it seem like they are farm raised.
Thanks Dan for the tip, and thanks for the comments too.
I thought about the fish comparison too Kyle. While I could see mounting a fish that I caught myself, I wouldn't buy a fish from a farm already mounted. I guess that's the part I'm wondering about. I mean, if you're a hunter fine... show off your prize, but buying one already stuffed? Seems kinda like a soldier buying his own medals to me.
I found all kinds of parts for sale on the same site too (Coyote legs ) including many hummingbirds, flycatchers,etc. all supposedly "antique". Who's to know if they are or not?
Anyway, that's kind of creepy to me - something about song birds being mounted just seems pointless. At least with other animals, there's the hope that they might be eaten, but I doubt these were. I guess I'd have more of a problem if I thought these were more popular. I find it hard to get upset about 3 or 4 birds, but if the numbers are larger, it gets much much worse. But I don't know how popular that kind of decoration is anymore.
I've always thought taxidermied animals were odd - the barbershop in my hometown also served as the show room for a taxidermist - all kinds of deer, ducks, fish, etc. - local stuff. I always wondered who was buying that stuff. I think they got rid of it in the early 90's...
Thanks David, Today is a good day. I'm learning stuff.
I've got a friend that is into taxidermy, but he only stuffs roadkill. He doesn't hunt. So in his living room he's got four or five Ravens, a Turkey Vulture, Raccoons, Owls, etc. It was like visiting Herman Munster. He just got married and his new wife fixed all that. He even has to wear socks now.
I've got a good friend who's been a taxidermist for many years. He has been telling me about the hottest segment of the taxidermy world these days: Pet taxidermy. Ick.
I to learned taxidermary and had owls, hawks, skunks, etc, but after learning that if these items were found in your home there could be fines of $1000 or more. Soooo that pretty much ended it for me. I still have a few rattle snakes mounted but nothing else. By the way, all these animals and birds had been given to me or either I found them as road kills. By the way it is a very interesting hobby. I still have my books.OOPS, sorry if I horned in on a guy discussion.
Posted by Wayne Jones on January 29, 2008 at 10:38 PM
This reminds me a little of the anglers on a stream at the edge of a golf course. The golfers and the fishermen are pointing at each other, both saying to their partners "can you believe that somebody would get up at 5 AM just to..."
I wonder if somewhere on a taxidermy Web site, somebody has stumbled onto the Avian galery of NPN, wondering "how many of these photos resulted in scaring adults off the nest, resulting in repeated brood losses, so they could take 999 pictures, one of which might be good enough to hang on a wall. And they are just colors on a flat peice of paper -- nothing like a realistic 3-dimensional sculpture or mount that you can enjoy from all angles. Oh well, we each have our own way of appreciating nature, I guess. Maybe some of them are legit."
Discussion
11 replieshttp://cgi.ebay.com/Cinnamon-Teal-Taxidermy-from-The-Duck-Blind_W0QQitemZ180209846667QQihZ008QQcategoryZ71123QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
Is it just me?
PS. And will someone please explain to me how to create a link properly so that you don't have to do the paste to browser thing...
It will look like
[url] the address you want to link to (/url in brackets, not parenthesis)
I realized when I checked the message I hypertexted the phrase (before the start of the text and).
I have mounted fish on my walls that I have caught, it's just a bird instead. The cute and cuddly factor could be getting involved for sure.
I wanted to get closer to wildlife and wanted to bring it home without damaging it. This is what started my love for photography. I don't see there being a huge market for this as birds tend to fade as mounts, the also collect huge amounts of dust in their feathers. If anyone has bought one I'd bet the wouldn't buy another after a few years and watching what happens to the mount they spend their money on.
I am also curious as to how many ducks are raised vs. how many are mounted, just seems like it'd be too easy to collect wild ducks for this purpose and make it seem like they are farm raised.
I thought about the fish comparison too Kyle. While I could see mounting a fish that I caught myself, I wouldn't buy a fish from a farm already mounted. I guess that's the part I'm wondering about. I mean, if you're a hunter fine... show off your prize, but buying one already stuffed? Seems kinda like a soldier buying his own medals to me.
I found all kinds of parts for sale on the same site too (Coyote legs
http://cgi.ebay.com/Four-Antique-Victorian-Taxidermy-Birds-Sold-as-Seen_W0QQitemZ220194747082QQihZ012QQcategoryZ67212QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
Don't worry. I am laughing as I write this.
Some Text
Or in your case :
E-Bay Bird Sale
Easier than seeing the big long link...
Anyway, that's kind of creepy to me - something about song birds being mounted just seems pointless. At least with other animals, there's the hope that they might be eaten, but I doubt these were. I guess I'd have more of a problem if I thought these were more popular. I find it hard to get upset about 3 or 4 birds, but if the numbers are larger, it gets much much worse. But I don't know how popular that kind of decoration is anymore.
I've always thought taxidermied animals were odd - the barbershop in my hometown also served as the show room for a taxidermist - all kinds of deer, ducks, fish, etc. - local stuff. I always wondered who was buying that stuff. I think they got rid of it in the early 90's...
I've got a friend that is into taxidermy, but he only stuffs roadkill. He doesn't hunt. So in his living room he's got four or five Ravens, a Turkey Vulture, Raccoons, Owls, etc. It was like visiting Herman Munster. He just got married and his new wife fixed all that. He even has to wear socks now.
I wonder if somewhere on a taxidermy Web site, somebody has stumbled onto the Avian galery of NPN, wondering "how many of these photos resulted in scaring adults off the nest, resulting in repeated brood losses, so they could take 999 pictures, one of which might be good enough to hang on a wall. And they are just colors on a flat peice of paper -- nothing like a realistic 3-dimensional sculpture or mount that you can enjoy from all angles. Oh well, we each have our own way of appreciating nature, I guess. Maybe some of them are legit."