MORAN — He’s been a sportsman for as long as he can remember, and Ben Biggs’ next dream is to become a game warden, “or anything to do with law enforcement.”
For now, Biggs has found himself quite a niche with other local sportsmen through his taxidermy service.
Biggs, a 2009 Marmaton Valley High School graduate, has taken over Ben’s Taxidermy Service, 3890 Nebraska Rd., formerly Booth Taxidermy.
Biggs had been assistant at the shop under former owner John Booth for the last few years.
“One of the things John told me was that I needed to go to school so I could take over my own shop some day,” Biggs said.
Booth brought in Biggs as an apprentice until it became apparent he was ready to assume control on his own.
Mission accomplished. He’s handled about a dozen deer mounts over the past year, “and I’d like to get to the point of doing 20 or 30,” he said.
Biggs is a student at Allen County Community College, studying natural science.
He’s also attended courses at the West Central Texas School of Taxidermy and plans to return there after he earns his associate’s degree at ACCC.
Once that training is complete, Biggs plans on transferring to Emporia State University to earn his bachelor’s degree.
THE ART of taxidermy requires a steady hand and an attention to detail, Biggs explained, from the time a hunter brings in his kill to when the final touches of paint are applied for its natural appearance.
It begins with “caping” — completely removing the animal’s hide from the carcass before it is sent to a tannery.
Prior to that, Biggs gathers critical measurements of the skull, from the corner of its eyes to the tip of its nose and from the crown of its neck to below its ears.
Those measurements are used to build a polyurethane skull; an exact fit is a must. If necessary, Biggs uses papier mache around the top of the artificial skull for a more lifelike appearance once the hide is in place.
After the tanned hide is returned, Biggs coats the polyurethane with a pasty material that causes the hide to adhere. Padding is used to compress the hide around the eye sockets, nose and mouth.
After the paste has set, Biggs meticulously sews seams to pull the hide taut.
A few other tricks of the trade give an even more lifelike appearance, such as using Windex to clean spilled paint or remove any traces of freezer burn from the hide.
“The finish work is the easy part,” he said. “But it’s a lot of hard work getting to that point.”
Biggs usually plans up to a year to complete each mount from start to finish.
He also mounts ducks, bobcats or any other kind of animal — except fish.
“I haven’t gone to school for that yet,” he said.
Biggs can be reached via cell at 363-4848 or at his home by calling (620) 237-4218.
