Totally Awesome Taxidermy

[Art Lambart II]

@CAustin, @Shootist43 and I visited Jim Guist at Totally Awesome Taxidermy over the weekend, Jim has done several NA mounts for me in the past and I wanted to see his work on African PG, wow what a showroom, from Elephant to Duiker it's all there. We where trying to decide where to have our Taxi work done in RSA or the US, after our visit the decision was made, Jim will do all our work for this summers safari. If you live in Missouri or Easter Kansas I highly recommend a trip to Totally Awesome Taxidermy, he's located just outside of Springfield, MO only a few miles from Bass Pro's world HQ.

 

[CAustin]

I liked the mans work for sure!

 

[CAustin]

It was a good drive down to Springfield and Mr Jim was very kind to show us around.

 

[cpr0312]

Certainly some good looking stuff!

 

[Ridge Top Ranch]

He will be doing my lioness full mount this fall. Cats are hard to do right.

 

[Custom]

I have been to Jim's place many times and he has earned all of my taxidermy business. He is a world class taxidermist and I highly recommend him. He has done my last two safaris and will do my next one, along with an elk, several whitetail, various and sundry other critters and he'll do my mulie this fall (assuming I connect!).

 

[Lee M]

Very nice work!

 

[CAustin]

Guys Art, his dad and brother plan on taking several animals to him! I'm hoping to get old spots but maybe a sable if the price is right! His shop had several works in progress! It takes a little navigation to get there but it's worth the drive!

 

[Custom]

I'm hoping to get old spots but maybe a sable if the price is right!

Spots is what I will be taking to Jim next, Charlie. I am booked with Somerby Safaris for a combo leopard and buff hunt in Zim for May of 17. Hopefully USFWS doesn't do something stupid and ban leopard before I can pull this off! I would love to have a leopard mounted like Jim has in his shop, the one in the top of the tree. Sadly, not enough space in the trophy room.

 

[enysse]

The quality is great I love it! That nyala and sable

 

[Lee M]

Somerby seems like a quality outfit. I have spoken to their rep at shows a few times In the past

 

[CAustin]

Somerby seems like a quality outfit. I have spoken to their rep at shows a few times In the past

Lee, like you I've spoken with the. Somerby group at a couple of shows myself. They seem to be good folks. I almost hunted with them a couple of years ago.

 

[Lee M]

I bid on one of their hunts at the local SCI show in 2013 but dropped out before the end. It went pretty cheap but I didn't have someone committed to join me.

On another note your sable pic above is getting to me... I can see my bow coming back.... .

 

[Custom]

I was actually introduced to the Somerby guys through Jim Guist. He hosts a safari night at his taxidermy studio every year when they are in the States helping them market their business. Jim has been on several safaris with them and took most of his Big 5 trophies with them. My second safari was with them last summer and resulted in the buffalo in my avatar. Drom bids on a few buffalo tags every year in some of the national parks and I took that one on the Sandveld reserve in the Free State. I hunted buffalo, then took an eland and zebra, then bird hunted a few days before the rest of my family came down for some photo safari and a few days in Cape Town. It was a fantastic trip!

 

[cpr0312]

Anyone got a pic of the leopard in his shop that was mentioned by @Custom ?

 

[Shootist43]

It was a good drive down to Springfield and Mr Jim was very kind to show us around.

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Charlie, please post all of the photos you took at Jim's studio.

 

[Art Lambart II]

Here are pics of Jim's Zebra and Kudu mounts

 

[cpr0312]

Art,

Do you have a close up of the buff floor pedestals?

 

[Custom]

Here is a link to Jim's web site. There is a video on his home page where he pans around his studio. He has two leopards, one on a pedestal and one at the top of a tree, holding an impala with a hyena looking up at him. I don't have room for it, but that one really trips my trigger.

http://totallyawesometaxidermy.com/

 

[cpr0312]

Thanks @Custom

Wow, just scrolled through his website, some incredible stuff there. I agree about the leopard in the tree, and how about the crocs jumping out of water after prey!!!