A talented and skilled taxidermist is an absolute must for hunters who want to preserve their adventures with trophy mounts.
Artful, finely crafted mounts of trophy animals are primary symbols of our passion for the outdoors and hunting. They are recognized, even by non-hunters, as tributes to the animals and the memories of past adventures. A talented and skilled taxidermist is an absolute must for hunters who want to preserve their adventures with trophy mounts — a bad one can ruin the entire experience.
When I first moved to Colorado I spoke with a lot of experienced, well-traveled hunters. I wanted to find the best, most-artistic taxidermist, someone capable of creating truly lifelike mounts worthy of the remarkable animals found in the U.S. and around the world.
Time and again, I heard the name Mike Jankovsky, the owner and artist-in-residence at Artworks Taxidermy in the Centennial State. When I checked out Mike’s work first-hand, it was obvious that I’d found the right guy — I think I saw a couple of his mounts actually blink. Such realism is the sign of greatness, and he’s been handling a number of my personal taxidermy needs for years.
When I started production on a season of Ultimate Sportsmen’s Lodge for Great American Country Television, I knew I needed the very best mounts possible. You see, that year’s ultimate lodge was actually mine, where my hopes, dreams, and, yes, most-treasured trophies are on display for me and my guests. Whom could I turn to other than Mike?
“I was honored but not all that surprised to do the mounts for your lodge,” Mike said as I toured his impressive studio outside Denver. “I’d been doing work for you already, and when I got wind of the Ultimate Sportsmen’s Lodge, I knew you’d have some big projects for me.”
Thanks to Mike’s amazing skills, my lodge is alive with world-class mounts of all kinds. There’s a record-book tule elk from British Columbia. There’s a life-size muskox from Cambridge Bay in Nunavut, Canada. A Lord Derby eland and roan antelope from Cameroon and, my personal favorite, a record-book mountain goat that I killed on camera after one of the most grueling hunts of my career. Mike has transformed that world-class goat into a work of genius worthy of New York’s Museum of Natural History. With his thick, woolly coat, powerful shoulders, barrel chest, and 11-plus-inch ebony horns, the billy will stand forever, primed to leap to another precipice.
“I love that mount,” Mike chimes in as I rave about it in his studio. “I have to say, every time I catch that guy out of the corner of my eye, I think he’s going to charge me.”
And that brings us back to the magic in the fingers, eyes, and sportsman’s soul of Mike Jankovsky. For my money, he is the finest taxidermist in the country. And you won’t find a more down-to-earth guy anywhere.
“I’m in this as an artist,” he says in his quiet, serious-yet-friendly way. “I want to treat my clients well and do a great job. I want to show people the difference between ordinary mounts and true works of art.
“We’re an Exception to Designated Port and USDA approved to receive restricted animal imports. So no matter where hunters go or what they kill, they can ship directly to us, then my wife, Vicki, and I will work with them to find out what they’re hoping and dreaming for with their mounts. Then we’ll bring the mounts to life in the most artistic fashion possible.”
Stories are common from hunters who took their prized trophies to a taxidermist only to receive a caricature in return — deer that look surprised, elk that look tired or rumpled, animals that look just plain fake. Mike’s original mounts are stunning, but he’s also in the business of transforming poor workmanship.
For example, Mike took a mountain lion that had previously been mounted by an inexperienced taxidermist who reduced the puma to a near cartoon. Tragically, the big cat that’s synonymous with with dignity and grace looked more like Sylvester the Puddy Cat — sad, hungry, desperate.
Once Mike got his hands on it, he performed a miracle. He reshaped the form, sculpted new details beneath the skin, and magically — mystically — turned the mount into a stunning specimen.
Realistic art is what Mike Jankovsky’s Artworks Taxidermy is all about. His amazing work literally adds so much to Ultimate Sportsmen’s Lodge. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
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