SAFETY

THIS ARTICLE is not "endorsed by nine out of ten doctors." It is not even a semi-technical scientific treatise! And it certainly wasn't written by the brightest guy in town or on my block either, just by one who has paid his dues with injuries related to taxidermy. You will understand the how and why as you read onward. In fact, if you listen to the teenagers that tried valiantly to grow up in this household, for the longest time I was far from the smartest fellow under my own roof. Fortunately, I seem to have improved in that department lately, or so they tell me.

What I hope to offer here are some "common sense" hints backed up by anecdotes. To do that does not take a rocket scientist. All it requires is someone with the taxidermy-acquired injuries and ailments as reinforcement.

I have not known a full-time, professional taxidermist who wasn't overburdened with work and underpaid for his or her time. We all seem to be rushing to meet deadlines and commitments, day in and day out. We race from project to project almost by rote. With experience comes something akin to near unconscious ability. Eventually we can accomplish routine projects while sleepwalking. Our minds are often ten steps ahead of what we are doing at the moment. Does that...

...Continued in the Winter 2003 Issue of Breakthrough.

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