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Moncton Taxidermy: Where performance meets affordability!

Moncton Taxidermy offers complete taxidermy service

As published in the Times&Transcript:

It's also an incredible art form. One look at the finished product of a good taxidermist will confirm that.

To the uninitiated, taxidermy is derived from two Greek words: taxis (movement) and derma (skin). That's pretty much what happens in taxidermy.

A taxidermist takes the skin of an animal along with the antlers, fur, feathers or scales, and mounts it over an artificial armature (polyurethane body). That process includes carpentry, woodworking, tanning, molding, casting -- and considerable artistic talent with sculpture, painting and drawing. Using man-made materials for the finishing touches, such as with the ever-popular deer head mount, eyelids are fashioned from clay over glass eyes, and the delicate nose and mouth are recreated from epoxy or wax.

Taxidermy actually began eons ago in primitive times, when hunters would prepare the skins of their prey for use in hunting rituals. As man progressed, methods improved, and the tribal "tanner" was an integral part of his community.

With succeeding generations, sophistication grew in proportion to demand until hunters were desirous of preserving more than just the skins of their conquests.

By the 1800s they were taking their trophies to upholstery shops, but the methods were pretty crude. That's actually where "stuffed animal" originated, as upholsterers would simply stuff the trophy with rags and cotton. The industry, of course, has been revolutionized, and "stuffing" is a thing of the past.

Gerry Poirier of Poirier Taxidermy in Moncton has been in the industry for 28 years. A highly respected taxidermist, his interest began, as is sometimes the case, as a hunter who wanted to preserve his own trophies.

Many start down the path to becoming a taxidermist for this reason, but few succeed. However, Gerry has made a successful career of it. He took the requisite course, but it was the help he received from established taxidermists like the late Laurie Arsenault that truly made a difference when he was new in the industry.

"He really helped me out in any way that he could when I first started," he recalls of Arsenault. "I don't think I'd be where I am today if it wasn't for him. Val-Guy Brideau is another guy that helped me. Those two helped me out when I really needed it."

There is much that Gerry enjoys about the work, but perhaps nothing more than the finished product. As with any artist, it's just that moment of stepping back and looking at what's been created. The cherry on top, of course, is when "the customer is happy with the product".

Understandably, after so much effort and painstaking attention to every detail, that's especially rewarding.

It's time to chuckle, though, when he recalls how some have misconstrued the nature of his work -- not understanding at all what a taxidermist is.

"They see me in the phone book and they think I'm a cross between the tax man and a cab driver," he laughs. "I'm close to the column for the cab drivers (in the yellow pages). Especially if there's a big concert in town I'll get a call: 'Can you send a cab over here?' There's a few people that don't know what the word means but most people do. I had a person who thought I could do his income tax for him."

Working with the animals he loves, Gerry thoroughly enjoys sharing that career with his daughter, Lisa Poirier, also a talented taxidermist. Away from taxidermy he still likes to hunt, skydive (he recently went on his first jump) and is an avid scuba diver and pool player. (anything brought to him must be fresh), with due respect for the revolution of taxidermy in the early 20th century, thanks to the outstanding artistic contribution of men like Carl E. Akeley, William T. Horneday, Coloman Jonas and Leon Pray. These dedicated pioneers in the industry created the life-like mannequins used today -- anatomically accurate right down to every muscle and tendon. They also invented modern mounting techniques that allow hunters to enjoy their trophies forever.

Nevertheless, it takes years to master the skills of taxidermy, and "it's a trade for sure," as well as an acknowledged wildlife art form. His work has gone well beyond the borders of Metro Moncton, as he deals a lot with outfitters catering to American hunters.

His mainstay has proven to be deer and bear mounts (both full and head); he does fish, which "can be pretty tricky," and "a lot of birds." There's also fox, bobcat, mink, coyotes and squirrels. He does not do domestic animals.

The most unusual piece he's done is a male African lion and a cougar, both zoo animals and the smallest is a hummingbird.

"I've done about everything going," he says with a smile.