Warden area taxidermists keeping on

Quality increases in offerings over past decades

WARDEN — A stuffed otter named Mr. Baggypants stands in the Timber Tiger Taxidermy showroom.

Jonelle Thyssen looks affectionately at the otter, whom she says was sort of the sacrificial offering whenever her daughters, now aged 6 and 7, would come into the shop while they were younger, the one thing they were allowed to play with.

Mr. Baggypants has some miles on him, she said, with paws worn with love and stroller trips around the yard.

"The original stuffed animal," Jonelle said with a smile of Mr. Baggypants.

Timber Tiger Taxidermy has been in business in the Warden area for the past seven years.

Jonelle and her husband of about 11 years, Brent, started the business then, although it wasn't her first choice in occupations. A wildlife biology major, taxidermy proved appealing because it offered her a business where she can stay at home and raise the kids. They've lived in the area about 12 years.

Business is good, with a backlog of about 14 months, the majority of repeat customers coming from the western side of the state, dropping off their finds while hunting and fishing one year, and returning to pick them up the next.

Jonelle works on the majority of the wildlife, while Brent works on the fish.

"It's really interesting to see what comes in, comes through the door," she said. "The people of course, are wonderful that we deal with, but it's neat to see what kind of different wildlife we get in."

Each item brought in, be it exotic New Zealand game or unusual antlers, comes with a story, Jonelle noted.

"Every once in a while, we get the pet question," she said, noting such animals cannot be done through traditional taxidermy, and end up being sent to a freeze-dry taxidermists. The majority of animals brought in are mule deer, mallards and warm-water fish like walleye and bass. Jonelle and Brent are certified to work on fish, mammals and birds. The remaining category is reptiles, but she doesn't foresee pursuing that licensing.

Some of the more unusual items brought in have included sturgeon, and an eagle for a Native American, which can only be stuffed for ceremonial purposes and with the proper paperwork, not by the general public. People who call in after hitting or finding osprey or owls are directed to government agencies.

Response to the business has been positive, which Jonelle attributes to the area, noting taxidermists are not nearly as welcome on the western side of the state.

Timber Tiger Taxidermy has grown consistently every year, although the Thyssens thought they would do less last year because of the price of gasoline.

"We are a luxury item, so when the economy turns, business kind of turns off," she said. "But I see it continuing to grow. I think the people that hunt now are trying to savor as much as they can, because it's becoming much more difficult to enjoy hunting, so when they get that first animal — we do a lot of firsts, first fish, first ducks and a lot of first deer." Still, the company saw a 40 percent increase in its petroleum-based supplies and shipping of animal forms, Jonelle added, a cost that has had to be passed to the consumer.

The company is also watching the avian flu to see what happens. While not spreading as fast as originally thought, Jonelle said some potential customers have gone on duck hunts in Canada and not been able to return to the U.S. with their animals. And it's only a matter of time before chronic wasting disease in deer hits Washington, she added.

Still, she says her business will be around forever, noting that taxidermy has become much more advanced in the past few years, more of an art form than a trade.

"It's come a long way," she said. "The average customer is now getting what would be considered a museum quality piece 20 years ago. (That quality) is now the standard for in the home, commercial piece."