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MEET ROB MURTON - TAXIDERMIST

Welcome to Rob Murton’s Fish and Game Taxidermy web page. This site has been developed to let our customers know exactly what we do, along with some tips of the trade to get your trophy to us in good condition.

I was born and raised on Kangaroo Island, and hunting and fishing has been a way of life for as long as I can remember. I shot my first goat on the cliffs of the rugged south coast when I was around twelve, and mounted the nanny’s horns myself. My father was a professional fisherman and from an early age we were out in the boat, haulin’ them in.

I’ve spoken to quite a few taxidermists, and most of them have been interested in the subject from when they were young. I’m no different, wanting to give it a go when I was a youngster and my older brother took me into the old Hambley Clarke’s gun shop in Rundle Street. One look at the heads on the wall and I was hooked. A trip to the Adelaide museum really amazed me, and I guess it all started from there.

I hunted hard when I was younger, and many big billies and feral boars were taken on the island. Being so isolated meant that if you wanted an animal or fish mounted, you did it yourself, so I taught myself. From early beginnings, my work has improved. I still have the first goat I shoulder mounted, and although it was rough by today’s standards, it has stood the test of time and looks the same as it did thirty five years ago.

I’ve also been a writer and photographer for many years, and have produced many hunting and fishing articles for numerous magazines such as Sporting ShooterGuns and GameAustralian ShooterHunter magazineFishing World, and others, some no longer publishing.

ROB MURTON'S FISH & GAME TAXIDERMY
ROB MURTON'S FISH & GAME TAXIDERMY

Some of my other pastimes which I enjoy are wildlife photography and saltwater fly fishing. But the camping trips, the travelling and all other aspects associated with hunting, fishing and taxidermy are interesting and enjoyable for me. Nowadays I hunt mainly deer, but still like all forms of hunting from small game up. Rob Murton’s Fish and Game Taxidermy came into being when my wife and I shifted from Kangaroo Island to the town of Goolwa on the south coast, about an hour’s drive from Adelaide and there has been no looking back since.

The word taxidermy comes from the Latin terms Taxi, meaning to move, and Dermy meaning skins. But a taxidermist is much more than a skin mover. There are many aspects to the art. You have to have knowledge of tanning, woodwork, fibre glassing, mold making, and know the anatomy and look of any subject you work with, whether it’s a yabby or a deer. It all comes down to time spent doing it, learning as you go. I’m still picking up on different techniques, because there’s always something new to try, it’s never ending.

ROB MURTON'S FISH & GAME TAXIDERMY

Phone: 0428 532 275

Email: robmurton@bigpond.com

City drop off location:

South Oz Rods: located on Muller Road,

Hampstead Gardens

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