Marty Homan, owner of Marty’s Taxidermy, holds up a pair of deer antlers brought in by a customer on Friday afternoon. STAFF PHOTO/KEVIN WOODRUFF
BY KEVIN WOODRUFF
Marty Homan of Tuscarora Township is hoping that his willingness to serve the customer will help boost the popularity of his burgeoning taxidermy business.
Homan, 53, and his wife MaryAnne, live just outside Laceyville, where Homan has set up his new business.
He relocated to the area in October after living in East Greenville, just outside Allentown.
Homan’s interest in taxidermy goes back several years, but only recently did he think of it as a career possibility.
“I got an interest in taxidermy years ago after I got some things of my own mounted,” Homan said. “I’ve always loved wildlife.”
After losing his job more than a year ago, Homan decided to pursue his dream, and enrolled in taxidermy training at Bill Allen’s Pocono Institute of Taxidermy.
Marty Homan works on a deer shoulder mount at his taxidermy studio in Tuscarora Township, Bradford County, on Friday afternoon. STAFF PHOTO/KEVIN WOODRUFF
He completed the 15-week course, and began work on setting up his shop on his property.
Homan said he doesn’t specialize in just one type of mount, and is willing to do just about anything a customer asks.
His training included game heads, rugs, birds and fish.
“I learned how to do pretty much anything,” Homan said. “Whatever the customer wants, I’ll do.”
While Homan is new to the industry, he believes that his willingness to make a customer happy will get him far.
“If a customer brings me an animal, I will do everything in my power to make them a satisfied customer,” Homan said. “And I will do it with a decent turnaround time.”
Homan said that he does everything except for tanning the animal skin at his shop. He said that his skins will be sent away to Wildlife Gallery in Michigan.
“I know they do great work,” Homan said.
His main focus in completing a job is to make the animal look as life-like as possible.
Marty Homan doesn’t just focus on deer in his taxidermy business and said he will also mount birds, fish and exotic game. STAFF PHOTO/KEVIN WOODRUFF
“I want to bring the animals back to life,” Homan said. “I want the customers to have something nice to look at.”
Homan said that having natural looking mounts is important to him.
“I enjoy the wilderness, and I love watching animals,” Homan said. “I’ve been hunting since I was 16 years-old. I try to never miss a day.”
Homan’s shop in Tuscarora Township was recently completed, and built to be handicap accessible.
It took contractors nearly three months to complete it, and Homan hopes that it will be a nice place for customers.
Homan said he encourages anyone who is interested to stop by and chat with him and come see his sample work.
Marty’s Taxidermy is located on Baker Road, just off Route 367 in Laceyville.
For more information on Marty’s Taxidermy, visit www.facebook.com/MartysTaxidermy or call 1-267-640-2648.
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