I saw something today....

B

BerdanSS

New member
A property manager on the grounds I was doing some repair/renovation on, offered to show me inside and take pictures of, an odd looking dairy barn. It looked to have been converted into a church or something. After the whole day before of my crew and I taking bets on what was inside this building, I couldn't take it anymore and just had to ask.

Inside was a private collection of mounts that put any I have ever seen...including any bass pro shop or cabellas to COMPLETE AND UTTER SHAME. My line of work offers me to have some interesting run ins and see some odd things....but this collection or north american and African game had my jaw on the floor:eek:


Anyone want to see pics :D
 
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lol I'm trying....@@@@ computer. Trying to switch over to the laptop..



Here ya go. This is just a small sample, there was a whole other floor plus 10 or so walls more than these pics of the 1st floor. I wish I could of met the owner. From this and the stories, he sounds like a very impressive person.
 
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Will you be in touch with him again? If so, please ask if any of those were done by Ron Vanderpol.... a Highly respected and sought after taxi in the florida panhandle... He is one of a small list trusted by these high dollar hunters with their african and euro mount work...


And he does a great job on everything domestic too... including hogs (a real pain in the butt to do right) and wild turkey is another he is renowned for...

That has to be the largest private collection I have seen that wasn't being publicized by a media entity etc...

Brent
 
You've been very fortunate to see such a massive private collection in real life. Probably never see anything to compare with it again.

Thanks so much for sharing it with us.
 
I don't know why, but I think the croc (gator?) behind the couch would freak me out a bit. Lean back and relax, glance down, "oh, hello..." Everything else is cool and wouldn't bother me, but that lizard...
 
Do a google search for the International Wildlife Museum in Tucson. There is one very large room dedicated to one man's trophy collection and that doesn't count what he had at home. For some silly reason I cannot remember his name and I even met him once at the range. One of the spots, I think it's the first one on the list has most of his trophies literally jammed on all four walls. There is a section whee you can view photos of what's in the place. If any here hit Tucson, I consider it a must see.

http://www.thewildlifemuseum.org/

Paul B.
 
thanks for the link paul :)


hotdogs
funny you should mention that...the property manager said "all these here critters were done by a feller in Florida"
 
Dollars against doughnuts, It must be Ron with that variety... What state is this collectioon located in?

Brent
 
I have never seen the "swimming pose" on a gator or croc... I think that is a croc and not a gator btw....

Brent
 
Man, if I had the means for that kind of collection I think I'd have a T. Rex head made up and stuck discreetly in the middle of all that just for fun, to see how long it took for visitors to notice.
 
Looks similar to a friend of mine's trophy room in his house. When he built his new home, his trophy room is 2100 sf alone with 18'ceilings. Since he has been to Africa 12 times, Mongolia, and about every other place, he has a lot of the similar style mounts, including the fighting animals. A WHOLE lot of money in the hunts and taxidermy in that house. One of his friends that I also know who was also a big Africa hunter donated his collection to a small state museum in Florida.

Guys like my friends and your client are the ones who go to the SCI conventions

HOGDOGS - when I lived out West, these folks:
http://www.animalartistry.com/
were then, and still now, are considered some of the best.
 
That is one fantastic collection. I have seen bigger private collections tho', but none the less, that is well, extensive, to say the least.
Bass Pro here does have some huge stuff, some large stuff that is huge. Too large to have in any house.
But thanks for posting that. Sure does make your day to go in there.

You know, that thing is totally African, isn't it. Except for one white tail? north American deer, full size, the has nothing from north America.
I don't see any of my favorite, the giant elk.
dc
 
hotdogs located in Indiana sir

David
oh there was a whole wall devoted to NA game. HUGE deer, 6 or 7 elk mounts, couple of VERY nice caribou and several moose. I couldn't find that picture, I don't think it saved to my phone :(

also, yes that is a croc not a gator. and yes....opening the door into those buildings made my entire week:)
 
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