Hey, Matt Bouwmeester here, the one behind Matt's Taxidermy and Lord of the Fins. I grew up not far from where I currently am, Rockwood, Ontario. On the outskirts of town on a farm, although my family is not farmers it afforded me plenty of acres to wander and roam as a child. I could usually be found at one of the two ponds stocked with trout and bass, spending every waking moment enjoying my childhood passion, fishing. As I got older I'd walk down the road to the river in search of pike and bass. Hard to believe but no one else in my family is fishers. My love for the sport has always been supported by my parents, they even got me a boat when I was 14 so I could travel further, it afforded me the opportunity to explore more ways to fish and species.
Later on in my life when I was in my early 20s I took up the sport of hunting. To which the chase of all query triggered a new love for the outdoors. The challenge and new learning curve I was about to endure was a great experience. Not having any family or mentor to guide me it was mostly self-taught, with a lot of tough lessons along the way. With a few good friends, lots of youtube videos and tv I got the hang of it. I was fortunate enough though to always accomplish the hunt with a reward of a kill. My nickname became "Horseshoe" because of this. Shooting was always a hobby but the knowledge of animal habits and rituals I take seriously. I was very fortunate to get a deer, turkey, coyote, and moose in my first few seasons of hunting. The challenge fuels my
passions. All of this combined led me to chase trophy animals just like in fishing. I started falling in love with the memory of each hunt with some sort of taxidermy or memorabilia. Realizing I wanted to do more with the art and learn on a deeper level. I got to apprentice under Mike Thorpe for 6 months, learning the basics of preserving and mounting. Once on my own, I have found great reward in advancing my skills, as the years have passed I've come to stick with to the motto that producing a product of quality vs quantity of products produced. My favourite part is seeing the customer face when they pick up the mount, their amazement of the lifelikeness, and being able to show them how that is achieved with the finer details. My love for fishing remains strong and I run a charter on the Great Lakes. The outdoors has always been a great part of my life and is where I find my peace. I hope for many more great years of adventure and memories.
Hey, Matt Bouwmeester here, the one behind Matt's Taxidermy and Lord of the Fins. I grew up not far from where I currently am, Rockwood, Ontario. On the outskirts of town on a farm, although my family is not farmers it afforded me plenty of acres to wander and roam as a child. I could usually be found at one of the two ponds stocked with trout and bass, spending every waking moment enjoying my childhood passion, fishing. As I got older I'd walk down the road to the river in search of pike and bass. Hard to believe but no one else in my family is fishers. My love for the sport has always been supported by my parents, they even got me a boat when I was 14 so I could travel further, it afforded me the opportunity to explore more ways to fish and species.
