The Amazing "Western Taxidermy"

Western Taxidermy is world class and it is located in Bertie County! Many people who drive through Colerain never even notice the Rhinoceros "reproduction" above the store on the west side of the street. It is the sign for Western Taxidermy, a business that is famous around the world, and justifiably famous.

Driving Through Colerain A Rhinoceros Says This Place Is Different

Inside this quiet office on this peaceful Colerain, North Carolina street is the business and Trophy Room of an excellent big-game hunter, the owner of Western Taxidermy, Jim Edwards. I love to drop in to see Jim, and my excuse most recently was the huge Giraffe that was being prepared for shippping to Doctor Bill MacCarty of Virginia, behind Jim's shop across from the Post Office. If you have never seen a life size mount of a giraffe in the middle of a small North Carolina town, you may not be able to imagine how surprising it can be.

Jim has just returned from the Safari Club International Convention in Reno, Neveda and as usual his shop is covered with fascinating animals and "reproductions" being mounted.

Doctor Bill MacCarty's magnificent Trophy Room With The Giraffe Addition

Western Taxidermy has prepared almost all of the mounts in Doctor MacCarty's impressive Trophy Room. Jim's own Trophy Room, in his business in Colerain is equally spectacular. The picture below is a small sample, but if you click on the title to this article above it will link you to Jim's Western Taxidermy Web Site. Click on the "Virtual Tour" on that site and it will pan around showing you the simply amazing collection of Jim's personal hunting trophies.

Jim Edward's Colerain Trophy Room Is More Spectacular Than Many Museums

Jim Edwards is not just an extremely talented taxidermist and artist; he is also an active and enthusiastic supporter of a growing conservationist and environmentalist movement that changes the dynamics of hunting for endangered and rare species. This new process replaces the classical "mount" of an animal with a "reproduction". The animal is darted (or photographed) by the hunter and then released alive after photos and measurements are taken. Can you tell if this is a real "mount" or "reproduction"?

Is This Elephant Real?

The memory of the hunt is what is most important to hunters, and the "reproduction" of these awesome animals is as good as the "mount" of a trophy animal for that purpose. These mementos can also be amazing memories for many who never went on a hunt but just love the wild.

An Endangered Species Can Still Be A Trophy - A "Reproduction" Instead Of A "Mount"

I still remember the first time I came into contact with a big game hunting memory that is the major drive behind so many hunters. While visiting with the owner of the Tampa Annheuser-Bush distributor in 1972, I walked into a conference room with the owner behind me. It was dark until he turned on a light, and there about 6 inches in front of me was a Grizzly Bear towering above me with his jaws open and claws reaching out. I experience the feeling for just a moment that it had to be real, and my body reacted as if it was. It is this trick of the mind that says; no matter if it is still and we know it is not going to hurt us, these animals are so awesome that we have to react.

You Will Never Forget Meeting A Grizzly

Jim Edwards has had a lifelong passion for hunting and the memory of the hunt. It started in high school when he shot his first deer. His school principal was a taxidermy enthusiast, and he helped Jim to "mount" that deer. It was a hobby for many years until he graduated from NC State in 1971 and he realized that he did not want to leave Bertie County. The lifestyle he wanted to live was here.

Jim Edwards and Family At Their Home In Colerain

In order to stay here, Jim needed a business that allowed him to earn a living. His first choice was his hobby. Jim started Western Taxidermy in his mothers garage in Windsor and quickly established a reputation as one of the best taxidermists in this area. Lenny Perry persuaded Jim to bring his company to Colerain where it has stayed.

Polar Bear - Another Awesome N.A. Carnivore

However the game Jim wanted to mount was not found in Bertie County, and so Jim became an international taxidermist, specializing in bears, elephants, rhinoceros, big cats, bighorn sheep, and all the other famous and amazing animals that cover the globe.

African Bull Elephant

His primary source of clients after word of mouth is attending the big game conventions such as the Safari Club, where he has gotten notice for his creative use of reproductions. Since reproductions don't have to be animals that are still available today, he has done among other dinosaurs, Raptors and Tyrannosaurus Rex. Now those would have been a couple of animals that would definitely cause your heart to stop. For just a moment the reproduction reminds you of that feeling.

Raptor Tearing Flesh From A Kill

As noted Jim is an avid hunter himself. He has been to Africa 18 times, with significantly more trips into the wilds of North America and other continents. I mentioned it above, but it really needs emphasis, Jim's trophy room (which you can visit in his Colerain offices or see on the Virtual Tour of his web site) is simply amazing.

Leopard's Are Spectacular

One of his recent mounts is one of North America's most spectacular animals, the Bison. Still in Jim's trophy room when I took this picture, it has since been shipped to its owner.

Jim Edwards With Canadian Bison Bull Mount

Another ongoing project for Western Taxidermy is providing mounts for the various Bass Pro Shops.

Bass Pro Shops Store Display

Go visit Jim's trophy room in Colerain. You will not be disappointed. If you have questions or would like more information, email Jim, bighorn@coastalnet.com, call him at (252) 356-2109 or click here to visit his web site.