They say hunters are heartless. Let me tell you about this community. In 1992, I was out to get my first deer. My dad took me to his friend Malcolm’s farm and sent me off walking to find a deer. I was deflated as I never saw anything. I got back to the house with still plenty of light to spare but I had given up. My dad saw me walk up and said: “Give me the gun.” He then walked down the hill to the fenceline, lined up, and shot. I’m standing 50 yards behind him thinking “what are you doing?” He shot, what i found out later, was the biggest deer of his life. He grew up in Candle Lake, Saskatchewan and they hunted to provide for their family. He never shot a big deer.

As years went by this deer became more special to me and I understood why he shot it instead of sending me down there to shoot it. I took those antlers and promised him I’d mount the deer as I wanted to learn taxidermy. I never got it done. He passed away suddenly in 2013. I took those old antlers and the cape from my 2016 whitetail to Darren and Carolyn Carter at Solitude Taxidermy. They have become good friends and have shown so much passion for their craft and making customers happy. They did my son’s first deer and then, yesterday, I was surprised when I went to visit, that my dad’s deer was completed. I did great holding back my emotions in their shop but it all came out in the truck on my drive home remembering my dad and all the memories we’ve shared hunting together.

Now, on my basement wall, hangs that amazing mount of an amazing deer that represents so much. We don’t hang trophies on our walls to brag about conquering an animal, we hang them to remember the stories, to remember the people. I am so grateful for that trophy that now hangs on my wall and the things that I will be reminded of every time I cast my eyes on it. Thanks again, Darren for this amazing mount. It looks wonderful. And thanks, Dad, for passing on this lifestyle that we enjoy so much.

Visit Solitude Taxidermy today!