Making memories

The topic of taxidermy has not often crossed my mind on a fieldsports outing, as I usually try to concentrate on enjoying the sights and sounds of a day out. But last season, as I was walking-up a bog, I had the pleasure of bagging a left-and-right on snipe as they zigzagged away from my feet.

Gazing upon the beautiful birds cradled in my hands, I felt rather attached to them and was left in a quandary as to whether I should eat my bounty or relish and treasure the memory for my lifetime as a piece of taxidermy. I decided to do some research into the process.

Taxidermy was, and still is, a major business. In the late 1800s, a style known