Bristol Taxidermist Creates Art With Critters

BRISTOL, Va. – Chris Ford spends his days surrounded by animals.
There are fish, bears, rams, foxes and deer – plenty of deer.

Welcome to the curious world of Critters Taxidermy, where the atmosphere is friendly and the possibilities for renewed life are endless.

“It’s better than punching a clock,” Ford said.

Ten years ago, Ford left the factory floor to delve into the complex field of taxidermy.

“I wanted to try working for myself,” said Ford, who was in a leadership position at the Electrolux plant in Bristol. “I ended up trying this and fell in love with it.”

The 44-year-old Bristol native grasped the basics of his history-rich craft during an eight-month college course, then spent nearly a year in an apprentice type role.

“I worked at Noonkester’s Taxidermy Supply in Abingdon,” Ford said. “I worked on jaw sets, poured artificial wood and met a lot of people.”

Ford was hooked on a job that intersected with his passion for the outdoors. He operated from his garage in Bristol, Tennessee for two years, before moving to his current log cabin location on Wagner Road eight years ago.
Judging by the endless row of antlers hanging in a corner of his 750-square-foot shop, the Critter business is good.

“Deer makes up a good 60 percent of my business, but I can do it all,” Ford said.

In addition to the familiar whitetail, Ford has mounted other types of deer such as fallow and axis.

“I’ve worked with Corsican rams and other exotic type animals,” Ford said. “Most of my work has been with the deer family, though.”

According to loyal customer Joe Byrd of Kingsport, Ford is a master of his game.

“I’ve had several animals mounted at Critters, and Chris is absolutely the very best in his trade,” Byrd said. “The difference between a good and great taxidermist is in the quality of the finish work and the detail, and that’s where Chris outshines everybody else.
“I would call Chris an artist.”

While the painstaking task of taxidermy entails many talents, Ford doesn’t see himself as an artist in the traditional form.

“I think taxidermy is a combination of art, craft and labor,” Ford said. “And like any other job, you get better with experience.”

Ford has shared his talents and vision with students. Above all, he stresses the importance of patience.

“The hardest thing for students to learn is getting the ears right,” Ford said. “The ear has to be split out all the way to the edge.”

From has developed a customer base reaching from Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee to parts of North Carolina. He has reconstructed everything from a 12-point deer to a 273-pound monster buck recently harvested by Byrd during an “old-time” hunt in Wisconsin.

“I had to use the biggest whitetail form they make on that 273-pounder,” Ford said. “The cleaning job took about ten hours, and it will take another six hours to get it mounted and detailed.”

Given the amount of pride most hunters take in successful hunts, Ford is driven to produce quality work.

“You don’t want to ruin somebody’s deer, bobcat or animal of a lifetime,” Ford said. “There’s some pressure, but you just the best very best job you can do.”

“You will see deer come in with a beautiful cape and it turns out great, but not all animals are that way. The worst thing you can do is leave an animal in the back of a truck for several days while showing it off.”

The months of November and December are the busiest periods in the world of taxidermy. Despite the harried pace, Ford manages to find time for his own fun and adventure.

During deer season, Ford can be found in his frost-tinged tree stand 30 minutes before sunrise

“I hunt about everything,” Ford said. “If they had a rock season, I’d be out there throwing a rock.”

By noon, Ford is back in his shop.

“My customers know I have the [buck] fever,” said Ford, referring to the whimsical malady that occurs during deer season.
Ford encourages hunters to expose their kids to the many wonders of the natural world.

“Young people can learn so many things in the woods that you can’t teach in a classroom,” Ford said. “I really look up to a kid that can harvest an animal though ethical hunting practices. We all should.”

According to Ford, anti-hunting advocates are misinformed on a custom that dates back to prehistoric times.

“Animals where put on earth for us to hunt and eat,” Ford said. “There’s more whitetail deer than ever now in the United States, and that’s due to the hunters and the various game commissions managing the herd.
“What’s more ethical – letting a deer suffer and starve to death or harvesting it for food? That’s not hard for me to understand.”

While the hours are long and the tasks are intricate, Ford enjoys being the master of his inanimate kingdom.

“There are benefits to factory work and Electrolux treated me well, but there’s nothing like working for yourself,” Ford said. “If I can make one of my customers happy here, that reward is almost as good as money to me.”

agregory@bristolnews.com (276) 645-2544.

Who: Chris Ford
Age: 44
Home: Bristol, Virginia
What: Critter’s Taxidermy
Where: 8631 Wagner Road
Contact: (276) 669-3337