Have you ever been to the Fred Bear Museum? If not, it's not too late. This museum not only pays tribute to the man, but to the art of taxidermy as well. The Fred Bear Museum is a tribute to the accomplishments of Fred Bear, who founded the famous Bear Archery Company. During his 50-year archery career, Fred Bear traveled the world to promote proper wildlife management, the sport of bowhunting, and to prove the quality of his products.

Once located in Grayling, Michigan, the original museum and many of the outstanding examples of early taxidermy it held were destroyed by fire in 1952. Today, the museum is located just two minutes off Interstate-75 in Gainesville, Florida, and contains many fine examples of taxidermy performed on specimens from around the world. Jonas Brothers Taxidermy Studio did the majority of these mounts.

This museum is a lesson in natural history. Mounts range from antler mounts to lifesize mounts of animals whose live weight exceeded the 1,000-pound mark. There are six mounts that truly capture the imagination. Each one displays the kind of artistry seen today in the works of taxidermists like Mike Boyce or Marcus Zimmerman. Even though most of the mounts are more than 40 years old, the work performed was phenomenal and way ahead of its time. The Jonas Brothers were not only taxidermists but artists, telling a story and applying exquisite detail in each mount...

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