Memories are among life's greatest treasures, and unique ways to preserve them are always in high demand. Around this time of year in the Deep South, when many are making memories in the great outdoors, Foxworth native Matt Singley offers a means of doing just that through the use of his skills as a seasoned taxidermist.
An avid hunter and fisherman himself, Singley's interest in the art was first sparked by curiosity. A little more than a decade ago, he started out working on a few prizes catches and kills of his own as a hobby to enjoy during his free time. The craft wasn't mastered overnight, but the more he learned, the more fascinated he became with the process.
"I guess you could say I taught myself with hands-on training," Singley explained. "I ordered DVDs about taxidermy, and I practiced on my own mounts until I figured it out."
What started as a hobby turned into a honed skill that Singley took great pride in sharing with friends and family. Thanks to the explosion of social media, his work eventually began reaching a much larger audience, which in turn led to a larger number of requests to share his skills with others throughout Marion County and the surrounding areas.
Of course, as they say, if you're good at something, never do it for free.
"I started it as a hobby and doing my own work, and my friends started wanting work done, so I started Matt’s Taxidermy as a part-time job for three or four years," Singley recalled. "When my work started getting posted on social media, it just took off, and I’ve been doing taxidermy work full time for eight years now."
As rewarding as it was to create trophies of his own, Singley said he found even more joy in the opportunity to preserve memories for other proud outdoorsmen and their children. Seeing their hard work pay off with a prize that lasts a lifetime made it more than worth the hours he put into crafting each and every piece.
"I really enjoy mounting a kid's first deer or fish. I love to see kids fishing and hunting and enjoying the outdoors," Singley said. "Being self-employed is pretty nice, too, and I still get to do my own hunting and fishing."
However, Singley's work has extended far beyond just the white-tailed deer and bigmouthed bass that come a dime a dozen in the South Mississippi. He's had the opportunity to work with countless animals from all over the globe. One in particular, however, still remains on his bucket list.
"I'd love to do a bear someday," Singley said. "I’ve mounted every animal in North America I can think of, plus exotic animals from Africa and Asia. I just haven’t had a bear come into the shop. It’s just fun to mount something different."
Not only does Singley get to share in each customer's excitement over the hunt, but he gets the unique chance to share their memories. Each and every animal that comes into his shop comes with its own story. Vicariously experiencing the planning, the preparation, the hunt and the challenge of out-dueling Mother Nature in the quest for each kill makes all the work seem just a little more meaningful.
"They all have stories that are interesting, but the ones that really stick with me are about the hunters who use trail cameras and get pictures of a particular deer all year, and they eventually kill it before season ends," Singley said. "Those are the hunters who really love to hunt. The patience pays off for them, and they get the trophy they hunted for all year long."
