I’d like to introduce myself. Ever since I was a little boy I’ve been an outdoorsman, when the cradle was inside I used to cry all the time. Once I got the outside air in my nostrils I was a sweet little man who could handle things.
I grew up in nature and together with my father and brother always enjoyed the woods and the outdoor life. The whole family hunts at home and abroad and especially with my brother who owns TTA Jagdreisen in Poland, and of course I have been there a lot, seen a lot and learned a lot.
In the meantime, I have also obtained my hunting license.
What always inspired me on the hunts was the boiling off of the trophies, the preparation of the specimen and the skinning right after the hunt. I often took the trophies to the local preparator.
From an early age, I knew I had a passion for gardening and taxidermy. I tried to prepare birds and butterflies on my own. Now I have completed taxidermy school and can call myself a certified taxidermist. In my spare time, I often worked for a taxidermist and learned the tricks of the trade there.
My goal is to give animals a natural “second life”, from small to life-size, from moose to mouse. My speciality lies in the entire animal and shoulder mount, I also pay extra attention to the base, it has to be true to nature.
Discussing with the client how he wants his animal to be mounted is an important aspect of taxidermy for me. After the preparation, the animal will last a lifetime, and a satisfied customer will go home with his trophy, and if we have reached that point, I have achieved my goal.
I do the preparation in my workshop in Diessen, which is beautifully spacious and surrounded by nature, and equipped with the latest techniques. Handwork is always the largest part of my work, preparation is a time-consuming job. To be able to give the animal back its “second life” in my workshop makes it an interesting job.
For the time being, I only prepare in peace and quiet and can give maximum attention to my work.
There is, of course, much more to tell about Bernd van Amelsfoort as a Taxidermist, but I hope to do so when you visit my workshop in Diessen.
Thank you for visiting my website, and I hope to see you in Diessen.
