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By ALICE DUBA Daily Republic State Editor LETCHER — “It's not quite a full time job but it keeps me so busy that I hardly have time to get my farming done,” said Leland Walters, who lives just east of Letcher. Walters was ‘speaking of taxidermy projects that have developed from a hobby into a business over the past 20 years. He has always had a great interest in nature, conservation and hunting. He started his first mounting of a pheasant using information from a book he had sent for through the mail; he's improved his skills through experience s and reading of trade magazines and books on taxidermy. Many of his techniques were gained from talking with other persons who have been mounting animals and making rugs. “Walters has a shop in Let cher where he displays many pieces of his completed work. However, he does almost all of his work at his home. On one wall in the shop is the head of a buffalo which is just on loan. The head which was ‘stuffed’ probably about 40 years ago is so heavy that it ook three men to carry it into the shop and hang it on the wall. When this head was mounted, most taxidermists filled the heads or bodies with many different things such as plaster In order to hold the pelt in a natural form. Now lightweight plastic of laminated forms can be pur chased for all animals and birds. For instance a head form for a bear can be purchased of the right size. This will have the open mouth with teeth and tongue of plastic. Van Dyke Supply Company of Woonsocket is one of the major taxidermy supply companies and ships supplies to all parts of the United States. The plastic forms and artificial eyes of all sizes and colors are only a few of the items carried by the firm. Walters pointed out that the care of a skin before he gets it has a lot to do with the work it takes to make the mounting and the way the finished item will look. He's had offers of work in a taxidermy shop in Chicago but he feels South Dakota has too much to offer to move to a big city. He likes to live in the country where he and his family have the freedom of the outdoors and are close to the land. Taxidermy is an art which takes great care and a great deal of patient time consuming work to make a specimen that is lifelike. To do a good job a person must have a feel for The first step in this work is the skinning then degreasing or taking every bit of fat and meat from the skin. In the case of small animals or birds where the head is kept every bit of meat must be picked out. The cleaning is generally done using powdered borax. All skins of animals larger than a squirrel are almost always sent to a professional tanner. Walters sends all of his skins away to be processed. Each skin is given a tattoo mark so you know you get back your own skin. They come back soft and supple ready to be mounted or made into rugs. The pelt must be relaxed or moistened before it can be stretched to the shape or size wanted for the rug. The head is eased over the plastic form and the Ups tucked in and held in place with pins. The open mouth forms are always used as these make a more dramatic rug. Great care is used in stretching to see that the skin drapes properly and the hair pattern falls into place. The ears are carefully avoNlioned and held with card board pieces. After the skin is thoroughly dry which may take several weeks it is placed on an underlining and then the skin is sewed on a felt. “The squirrel is the forgotten animal as far as most South Dakotaas are concerned,” said Walters, “and our fox squirrels are the prettiest and largest you'll find anywhere.” Walters uses a pickle process for all the smaller skins after, they are completely cleaned Then after the skin is com pletely dry, it is dampened so it can be stretched and fitted over the form. A well tanned’ skin is soft and plilable with plenty of life or stretch to it. Artificial eyes are set at the proper angle and depth since expression and lifelike ap pearance of a mount depends to great extent on how the eyes look. Walters recently completed mounting two ocelots for Dr. Ralph Erdmann of Mitchell.’ ‘Chewo animals which the doctor had is pets apparently couldn’t stand a South Dakota winter and died. The two animals were mounted in natural positions. One is standing on a piece of cork’ bark. This type of bark is im ported from Portugal and is often used by the taxidermists. The other ocelot was mounted so he is standing on a plaque and reaching up into a limb This mounting in natural positions shows the artistry of the workman. Another couple of projects that are almost finished are two large bear skin rags. One of these is from a bear Ray Millike of Mitchell shot in anada, y As Walters says, “Taxidermy, Taxidermy is a family project at the Leland Walters home just east of Letcher. Walters who has perfected his technique during 20 years of experience is aided by two of iss family project, all of us, work at the skinning and cleaning. He added that Marlene, who is a student at Letcher High School, is, “mighty handy with a needle.” Marlene showed off the pelt of a huge timber wolf that Randy Pitts shot in the Farmer area in 1971. Walters has done few fish mountings but he says, “I can’t do the painting— I just, can't seem to make a fish look natural.’ He continued that the mounting of the fish was similar to mounting any animal except the skin requires more gentle handling. Perhaps son Brian will be the one to do the painting — although just a six- year-old he enjoys “dabbling with paint’ and is never hap pier than when he's using crayon or ‘paint. Mark, the son who is 12, mounted his first antelone head the past winter. He likes to hunt and has stone many smaller animals besides helnine his dad in all phases of the work, Mrs. Walters shot an antelope in the North Owl Creek area northeast of Belle Fourche several years ago. This is one ‘ of a group of antelone on Letcher taxidermist, “many of display in the R. M. Schiele these hunters would like to take Museum at Gastonia, N.C. The home amounted pheasant if it Walters had sent several Were available but don't want animals to gee museum in ine the several months that previous years after answering it takes before on Schiele’s “ ad in a trade completed. e can be reawagina Pheasants that Walters has mounted have gone to many States and through these he gets other work. For instance a waRanine, Walters has many pelts that he is working on such as skunk, civet cat, badger, coyote and coon. These make luxurious hunter from New Mexico feeling small rugs. Marlene brought a badger he had shot used some of these pelts while in Alaska to Walters. The giving an illustrated talk at hunter had bought a mounted school pod, found her teacher pheasant from Walters on a was “afraid to touch the far previous pheasant i i of the iiver cut.” to South Chetan MARE trip Walters showed a skin from an Arabian colt that was born dead at the Carl Estabrook farm at Mt. Vernon. I t was ‘amazingly soft and silky. LeRoy Walters, the oldest son, was a wst made from a calf skin, Walters also has mounted steel horns and has used deer feet to make novelty items such to min wonke .The taxidermy projects done by Walters show how successful results can be achieved through imuumereble Mare of pains Parmer! specially those staking work and many years one Ween gut on state punters. of practical experience. i should have several mounted. His work shows he is a trug ‘pheasants on hand,” said the artist, Leland Wallers. Letcher , whose taxidermy work hardly leaves him time to get his farming done, is shown with , the large bear tug he is completing for Mitchellite Ray Millizen, who shot the animal in Canada. The natural appearing of two that Dr. Erdmann of ocelot shows the artistry of Mitchell had as pets that Taxidermist Leland Walters, apparently couldn’t stand the Letcher. The ocelot was one South Dakota writer, his sons, Brian, 6, who shows aalent for painting, ndt Mark, 12, who after doing many small taxidermy projects mounted his first antelope head recently. Showing off the pelt of a huge timber wolf that Randy YVitts shot in the Farmer area in 1971 is Marlene Walters, who helps her father with his taxidermy projects.
Newspaper Details
Mitchell Daily Republic
Mitchell, South Dakota, US
Thu, Jun 15, 1972
Page 7
Full Page
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USA 13 Sep 2026
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