[Music]
Pity the wall-eyed fox, the hump-necked wildebeest and the lopsided hare - they're stiffs and
their proud owners were stiffed.
As a result, taxidermy is an underrated art form.
There aren't many deerstalkers out there who haven't shelled out for a shoulder mount only
to be stitched up in one way or another by someone who either lacks talent or scruples,
leaving you wondering if that really is your roebuck.
Max Hunt gets his mounts done by Jacob Strunge, a Danish taxidermist with a client list that
is most definitely out of bounds.
This is actually the latest work Jacob did for me.
It is one of the sheep I shot in New Zealand when I was down testing the new Sauer 101.
And if you take a close look at the eyes that is actually where you see the big difference
in the way taxidermists work.
It is not like the shape of the form or anything it is the details like the nose and the eyes
and everything which makes the difference.
But I think the biggest work Jacob has ever done for me is the turning stag.
Some of them have already seen it in the video we did for EVA.
This stag is totally made from nothing.
Jacob did the shape because you can't order a foam form like that so he built it up from
scratch and did everything on its own.
Jacob is the real deal.
His apprenticeship lasted years and he travelled the world being taught by the best.
For him it's all in the detail and adding a little bit of flare.
It is all about passion and creativity, the design and skills doing something very different
from what we will see if you have something standing on all fours and stand up mannequins
and things like that.
Everybody can do that but we try to change and make everything unique.
Your hunters have been hunting with you in Kurdistan and we had a lot of nice things
out there.
What is your dream, where do you dream about going.
My dream hunt would be central Africa right now.
For some of the giant antelopes out there.
That would be really brilliant.
We ask Jacob to show us what goes into transforming a boar skin into a life-long hunting memory.
So what's the difference between a good mount and an average mount?
For me it is very important to use an eye that looks realistic to save 15 Euros is not
worth it because you can't compare good eyes and cheap ones.
Jacob is a talented man but the more the hunter thinks about skin preparation, it the easier
it is for him.
If you are somewhere in the mountains in ... or somewhere else in the world it is a good idea
before you go and consult with your taxidermist to know how do you skin, what are the basics
of skinning and salting and taking care of your field preparation of your skin.
Max's red deer from New Zealand was a first for Jacob it involved taking a standard mount
and slicing and dicing it to give it sense of movement.
The stag we did for you was basically built on a standard mannequin standing on all four
which we chopped up into 30, 35 pieces and then we added the different twists that I
have not seen anywhere before, the turning of the whole mount and I think that put even
more motion into the motion of running even though it is just circling around.
It adds something to the mount I think.
For more from Jacob, visit TrophyArt.dk.
And if you want a trophy that is a talking point for all the right reasons, talk to your
taxidermist and ask him not to save money on the eyes!