Walk into the showroom at McCall’s Taxidermy and you will be stunned by the magnificently realistic animals that reside there. Right inside the door you will find the full size bear welcoming you in. To the right is the graceful-looking albino deer peering cautiously at you with its red eyes. After seeing the animals, you will be even more impressed with the friendly couple who created them. Jackie and Bob McCall have been working as taxidermists for 34 years. Their love for what they do is apparent in the way they talk of their work, both past and future projects. “Its art, it’s just like sculpting or anything else,” said Mr. McCall. The expression most people are familiar with, “stuffed," comes from an early form of taxidermy in which animal skins were sewn up and stuffed with cotton and rags. Today, taxidermists prefer the term “mount” to “stuff.” The McCall’s many years of experience are punctuated with unusual and exotic animals alike. They once mounted a polar bear with hide that was 400 years old. “We did a skunk once, it was so cute,” said Mrs. McCall. “We’ve done African animals, Caribou from Canada. We’re going to get a zebra soon.” It can certainly be said that the McCall’s do a “little bit of everything.” The most unusual animal they ever mounted was a chicken with horns. Mr. McCall had a friend call one day and announce that a chicken with horns had been born on his farm. Mr. McCall didn’t quite believe him and said that if it was true he would mount the chicken for free when it died. So, true to his word, when it died he mounted the horned chicken for free. “It was a big, red rock chicken, with what looked like cow horns, right above his eyes,” said Mr. McCall. The McCalls mount a variety of animals but will not do pets. “We had a guy call yesterday for a dog,” Jackie said. They have even had requests for hamsters. The most common mounts are deer. They also do many coyotes, raccoons, squirrels, and groundhogs. When a customer takes in an animal to be mounted it is usually a year before they will see the completed work. On average, it takes eight hours to mount an animal. However, the tanning process alone takes four months. The typical taxidermist is a year behind, but the McCall’s get work done faster because they are both licensed taxidermists. Prices vary by the type and size of the animal. Fish are priced by inch. Deer heads are a set cost. Bears are $290 by linear foot, usually totaling around $1,200. During October through January, the main hunting season, the McCall’s are busy taking in work. They don’t do any finishing work; instead they begin the processes to get the hides ready. “Come January we start putting things back together. And then the work starts,” she said and laughed. “It’s like accepting a challenge,” said Mr. McCall. A large part of that challenge is bringing back to life the trophies of past experiences. “Every time we see a deer head it brings back family memories,” said Mrs. McCall. “It’s a family thing, and it should be.”