LANDER- The Wyoming Game and Fish Department has a new elk decoy thanks to the Wyoming Association of Taxidermy Artists (WATA), the Wyoming Wild Sheep Foundation, and Boy Scout Troop 64 of Gillette.
Lynn Stewart, of Stewart Taxidermy in Dubois, started a hands-on youth education project while president of WATA. For the past four years, during the association’s spring convention, local Boy and Girl Scouts have been invited to help mount a taxidermy animal. All materials and labor are donated.
“These programs not only benefit youth and the scouting programs, but build a working relationship between state and federal agencies as well as donors, hunting organizations, and WATA,” Stewart said. Scouts will again be invited to work on a project at next year’s convention, April 10-12, 2014, at the Headwaters Arts and Conference Center (20 Stalnaker Street, Dubois).
Jason Hunter, wildlife supervisor for the Lander Region, said the project would not have been possible without WATA and Stewart. “Lynn and I worked together to get all the essential parts of the decoy—electronics, hide, etc., and he rounded up all the donations and help to finish the mount,” Hunter said. “The life-size mount may see a lot of use in the Lander Region over the next several years.”
Past projects include three wolves which are on display at Game and Fish headquarters in Cheyenne (5400 Bishop Blvd.), its regional office in Jackson (420 North Cache St.), and the Dubois Museum (909 West Ramshorn St.).
