I'm posting this journal as a rebuttal to the people rallying together to try to get the entire network and community that is related to taxidermy and fur pelts banned or filtered.

A word of fact; it’s not going to happen. DA is NOT going to ban taxidermists or put a filter on our work, there is absolutely no reason for it. A taxidermist's or a collector's pieces are not deviant, perverted, or explicit.

Those people trying to get the filter/ban put on taxidermy are ignorant and selfish.

I can't believe that so many people have the nerve to tell people that what they like is "wrong" when it clearly isn't breaking any laws or extreme codes of moral. We are not devious perverts; we just find an interest in something different and uncommon.

You people are saying that it isn't an art form...which is incorrect. I encourage anyone to go and pick up a dictionary and look up the word "taxidermy". Here is what you will find (or close to it):

"the art of preparing and preserving the skins of animals and
of stuffing and mounting them in lifelike form".

This definition came directly from Dictionary.com. AND TAXIDERMY IS DEFINED AS AN ART.

Taxidermy is not different from any other art form in that it involves a great deal of modeling, sculpting, painting, and carving. Not only that, but to be able to be a successful taxidermist it requires a great eye for realism, an eye that even many artists that try to create realistic images don't have. When a taxidermist composes a piece they think diligently on placement, negative and positive space, movement and flow, etc. Everything any other type of traditional artist would consider when creating a work.

Taxidermy is an art form that is centuries old, and still thriving and staying strong. Actually, I would say that taxidermy in this day and age is stronger and more popular then it ever has been. Taxidermy mounts can be found in many people's homes, offices, restaurants, bars, clubs, and so on. Even designer brand stores support taxidermy and use it as display. Every Abercrombie and Fitch store has its trademark taxidermy moose head hung somewhere and many of the Juicy Couture stores have an array of game heads hung throughout their stores and used in displays.

Taxidermy is also very educational. I take my collection every year to an elementary school to show 5th graders and tell them about animals, adaptation, and why an animal looks the way it does. The kids love it! They get a chance to be close to and touch an animal that they may never have been able to encounter outside of a zoo or picture book. All of the kids and teachers are all very impressed with my collection and the questions and interested inquiries that I get are endless and enthusiastic. People like taxidermy; it's fascinating and beautiful.

There are also competitions and shows held all the time for taxidermy, just like any other type of art. And just like any other artist, taxidermists take very special care in their competition pieces. Here's a video that talks a little bit about a taxidermy convention and competition and how they work: [link]

And also, a note on the taxidermy ' plushies' before I conclude the first section of this journal. You folks who calling them childrens toys are mistaken; they may be stuffed with stuffing, but that does not make them toys. I have a few of these taxidermy ' plushies' and I in no way use them as toys. I use them as display, for educational purposes, and for photography. That’s what’s special about the taxidermy ' plushies' as opposed to traditional rigid taxidermy. The ' plushies' are easy to transport and great to position and create life-like photography with. This is not "playing" and these are certainly not "toys".

Now for a subject change: Fur Farming.
Fur farming is a major industry all over the world, and the garment industry is not simply going to just drop the use of all fur. As a matter of fact, clothing with fur trims, fur bags and accessories, and fur jackets made a massive comeback this past season in the fashion industry, and it is predicted that it will be an increasing trend all over the world. I’m not saying that I wholeheartedly support the fur trade, because in reality, I’m impartial to it. I don’t go all out buying fur coats, but I do own some fur garments such as scarves and things related.

The garment industry has THOUSANDS of unwanted pelts and skins that were rejected for minor imperfections. Imperfections can include skinning or tanning flukes, holes in the hide, the slipping of hair, baldness, discoloration, or inconsistency of color throughout the pelt. Why simply let things like this be thrown away when there are people who would love admire and enjoy them? I see nothing wrong with this; it’s a form of recycling and not allowing something to go to waste.

Fur farms are also not wasteful like many of the protesters here are claiming. The meat of the skinned fur farm animals is actually processed and ground up to be used in pet and animal feed. So, if you feed your pet a commercial brand of pet food-guess what...YOU'RE SUPPORTING THE FUR TRADE. If you have any doubts, go read the ingredients on your pet's food...if it says something like "meat by-products", "rendered meat" or just "meat" without specifying the type of meat, that's a portion of what's in it. Also, other meat and bones, are also fermented and prepared for fertilizer. SO GUESS WHAT VEGANS AND VEGITARIANS...you're eating of veggies is too, supporting the fur trade, seeing as those vegetables had to be fertilized somehow. There is actually a type of fertilizer called “blood meal” that is completely made of animal meats and blood that is extremely beneficial to many plants’ growth.

Here’s the logic to go with the above paragraph as well. Why would the ranchers and farmers simply throw something away that there is a demand and use for? Selling is an using it maximizes their profit and helps the business, so really, throwing it away is irrational and illogical.
The majority of fur farms are also nothing like the kinds of farms that PETA (the people for the ethical treatment of animals) portrays. A lot of PETA’s material is out dated, tampered with, and false. There are Animal Welfare laws in place to protect animals from being treated inhumanly be it fur farming, cattle ranching, dairy farming, whatever.

So, in reality, fur farms are no different from any other kind of animal product industry.

I’m not saying that their aren’t inhumane farms and ranches out there…saying that would be like saying that there are no serial killers out there because there are laws against murdering. However, keep in mind that places that treat their animals inhumanly are breaking the law and it is considered criminal activity.

Now onto the importance of hunting and population culls.

A lot of animal activists and people who are protesting the art of taxidermy and the use and ownership of fur and other animal products, as well as hunting and trapping call themselves “conversationalists”. Bull shit.

The first thing I would like to address is the IMPORTANCE of population control for an area's indigenous species.

Someone who claims to be a "conservationist" should know that a VERY important part of conserving certain species and wildlife is population control. If it were not for population control of certain species (fox, deer, varmint ect.) they would become over populated, over eat their food supply, destroy the habitat because all the resources have been over used, and thus, in turn eventually become extinct, which would in turn affect another species and so on. In fact, this is how many species have become extinct or endangered. A good and simple example of the importance of population control would be whitetail deer. The reason there are hunting seasons for them is to keep the population balanced and the environment stable, otherwise they would overrun certain areas and turn grasslands into wastelands.

I also had another person on SheezyArt tell me about a population cull that they had to in her area.

“For example, up here right now, we have some sea lions that are eating up the salmon supply and the government says it's alright to kill the minimum of 85 sea lions.”

There are also common culls in Australia for Red Fox, because they over populate quickly and they are harmful to the environment if there are too many of them. They eat up all the voles and mice which are important because the rodents are what manage many invasive species of weed and plant.
I hope that this has enlightened a few of you. If I taught just one person something new, then writing all this would make it worthwhile. If you have any questions, feel free to ask under comments in calm, civilized matter.