My name is Jim Kindig LT AE CT (NTA Life Member, Award of Excellence, NTA Certified) owner and operator of All Seasons Taxidermy.

Over the years I have come to know that taxidermy is really an extension of my lifestyle, part of who I am. Let me explain.

At an early age, my parents instilled in me a true appreciation for the arts and outdoors. I spent countless hours down at the creek with B.B. gun or fishing pole in hand. Regular hunting, fishing camping experiences positively impacted my life. These activities were not debated but rather a way of life. For example, often relatives would come out to the farm at Thanksgiving. Nobody said we were going to hunt, but we always did. After being blessed with an out of this world meal, many of us would excuse ourselves, head outside and pull our shotguns out of their cases. We would then take to the fields for a walk, and if a pheasant flushed, we were more than willing to harvest the bird and have it for a future meal.

Creek fishing led to deep sea fishing adventures. Deer hunting led to a successful Alaskan moose hunt. Squirrel hunting led to Boone and Crockett mountain lion hunt in British Columbia. Rabbit hunting led to bear hunting in Ontario. Antelope hunting on the western plains, God willing, will lead me to plains game in Africa.

Likewise, my spot in the garage turned into a 2600 square foot commercial building where I own and operate All Seasons Taxidermy. Here, we have a showroom, and a carefully laid out work area, where we use state-of-the-art methods, equipment, and supplies. The two taxidermy learning kits led to studying many videos, taxidermy journals, and active membership in state, national, international and world level taxidermy associations where I traveled all over the United States to attend and compete in their respective annual seminars and competitions. Many hours have been well spent one on one with a number of world champion taxidermists.

My first squirrel and pheasant mounts led to mounts as small as hummingbirds for a museum to as big as a lifesize moose for a wildlife art gallery to as tall as a shoulder mount of a giraffe. Doing taxidermy for myself has led to performing taxidermy and related consulting work for hundreds of private individuals, many professional hunters, and from time to time, museum, college, county conservation centers, wildlife artists, and advertising agencies.

Antelope in Wyoming

Moose in Alaska

Reading articles in the National Taxidermists Associations "Outlook Magazine" and looking at reference photos in leading taxidermy journals led to them publishing articles I wrote and posting photos I had taken.

Watching national hunting videos and reading national hunting magazines led to appearing in the magazines and videos discussing taxidermy field care tips. They also shared pictures of world class trophies which their respective pro staffers harvested and that I had the privilege to mount —some making the  front cover.

Enjoying other artists' work has led to allowing artists to use various mounts for reference purposes to assist them in their paintings. Some have used my mounts as the focal point of their painting and gone on to win art contests with them.

Taking personal photos of the outdoors and mounts of mine has led to professional photographers taking photos of my mounts and selling them in photo, poster and stationery form.

All a far cry from " A kid with a couple taxidermy kits in a garage!"

Until one of my mounts takes a breath of air and runs, jumps, flies, or swims away, I will always be driven to improve.