Balancing the hunter/non-hunter home.
Part 1- Fall
Hides & Antlers
After reading @writinghuntress* Twitter query looking for wreaths in her area (of which I happily answered even tho I lived states away) – it dawned on me why this is one of my favorite times of the year…sure, the feast of Thanksgiving, Christmas and the onset of the hunting season – but, it is my favorite time to bring the outdoors in, live amongst flora & fauna in our home – the decorating options abound from the hunt. Fall!
Many hunter/anglers share a home with a non-hunter and many times our ‘spoils of the hunt’ are just not appreciated as we wished, often relegated to the man cave – or worse The Garage, when in fact they can be handsomely and may I say Elegantly incorporated into every room in the house. You may say, ‘oh fun for you-with a 30+year career in the interior design field!’ Well, I also have a 30+ year 
(I’m not quite as old as dirt) background in the oat field as well. It doesn’t hurt that my German heritage predicates that we use, save, and re – purpose everything. Which I in turn draw upon from time to time to position hunting finds around the house. Hunt it, shoot it, eat it & hang it! Makes perfect sense to me. Most of the ‘stuff’ the hunter finds in the field is haute (hot) in the décor market. Why would I go pay money for something that I have hanging around? I hope to help you or your significant other realize it is EASY to bring the outdoors in.
Think about some of the things you might have access to: Gramp’s old fishing net, creels, rods, acorns and pine cones, shed antlers, taxidermy mounts (fin, feather & fur), hides, skulls, decoys, and barb wire. How about shell boxes and found (empty) turtle shells!
I was inspired to create my company www.HeritageGameMounts.com from my grandfather’s antique mounts and a piece of German jewelry, called a Charivari that was passed down in my husband’s family to honor the hunt.
HIDES:
Many years ago when ‘never done that’& ‘not enough time’ were never uttered, I had a white tail hide tanned into the softest golden leather and I sewed a vest for my husband’s Christmas present. Guess what? They last…he still wears it. Over the years I have had them tanned with and without the hair and used in a variety of ways. I have a beautiful axis skin that came from a very special friend’s family ranch- I have threatened for years to upholster something with it, but keep finding uses for it as a throw. Drape one over a chair, coffee table or hang on the wall or the back of a display cabinet – if you actually upholster with it, make it the accent- perhaps just on the back of the chair and cover the rest of the chair in rich brown, black or red leather and big brass nail heads! How about making the leather into a unique gun or rifle case? Go visit Trophy Hides in MN to see how they painstakingly produce wonderful products from your skins or theirs www.trophyhidesleather.com
HORNS & ANTLERS:
Singles, sheds and full mounts…I always scout around the hunting grounds, you can find all kinds of wonderful left-overs: sheds, fox skulls, turkey feathers. Use all of these in centerpieces, wreaths, and a still life. For your wreath use some discarded old rusted & coiled up barbed wire-just make sure and cushion the back with a piece of felt or packing peanut to protect your door.
Create a still life using a shed as a focal point in a grouping of objects on a coffee table, countertop or bookshelf.
Many non-hunter homes can’t find a spot for the mounted antlers and trophies or just don’t think they fit in – well that is one reason I designed the Heritage Game Mount, it takes up less space than a shoulder mount, is less expensive and elegantly enhances the domestic deer or exotic trophy.
Add a touch of the Old World that adorned the royal hunting lodges of Europe and surround your antlers with oak leaves and acorns. And another good reason to hunt and save all these items? In the off season they make fabulous ‘show n tell’ for the kids to take to school, inspiration for school papers etc. So many kids today have no idea about the joys and responsibility of of our wildlife heritage – much less seen it or felt it – so let your kids share it!
*visit the writinghuntress on www.huntlikeyourehungry.blogspot.com, a proud member of a 2 hunter homestead!
