GAMEHEAD TAXIDERMY

Bison: The Tom Weickum Way
by Larry Blomquist

WHO BETTER COULD I GO TO FOR ADVICE ON mounting a North American plains bison than former Best in World Gameheads winner Tom Weickum? No one. Wyoming is known for its bison herds, and many a harvested bull from these great herds make its way to Rocky Mountain Artworks, Inc., Weickum’s studio in Cheyenne. Several years ago, Tom started the massive task of sculpturing a complete line of 20 bison forms (in 7 sizes), and this line is now available exclusively from McKenzie Taxidermy Supply (1-800- 279-7985). At the 2003 World Taxidermy Championships, Bryan Roll of Marion, Iowa, used one of Tom’s forms to help him win 2003 Best in World Gameheads, so we used Bryan’s beautiful bison piece to start this article.

If you’re in taxidermy long enough, sooner or later you will have the opportunity to mount one of these beautiful beasts. Even in southern Louisiana I have had the pleasure of mounting thirty or so during my career. From my experience, the biggest task is preparing the skin. I have skinned and fleshed several, and you will have tired arms at the end of the day from handling this thick skinned animal. Even though I have fleshed and tanned bison on several occasions, I have learned that this is a task that is best left to the professionals. Even after shop tanning is complete, the job of cleaning and grooming the long thick hair is a task that I have always preferred leaving to a professional fur dresser. Tom Weickum uses and recommends South Texas Fur Dressers in Victoria, Texas. The number is (361) 578-8154.

In Tom’s discussion of mounting bison, he emphasized that the thick upper portion of the head must be thinned before salting to ensure salt...
 

...Continued in the Spring 2004 Issue of Breakthrough.

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