ELYSBURG - A lot of hunters make no bones about it when they say Ken Vincent's work is second to none when it comes to preserving their trophies.
It is neither black magic nor skullduggery Vincent performs, however, at his taxidermy shop, Raw Bones, that transforms traditional, bleach-white skulls into one-of-a-kind works of art.
To prepare skulls for the standard European mounts, he uses a centuries-old process of having Dermestes beetles clean them of flesh and a relatively new process of hydrographic printing to create decorations in patterns and color combinations that are limited only by one's imagination.
Vincent has been in business for seven years and, in addition to serving the public, he is also subcontracted by other taxidermists. When one learns about the commitment - both financially and in time - needed for the process, it is easy to understand why other taxidermists bring their work to him.
"I began cleaning skulls with beetles about 11 years ago as a favor for friends and family members," Vincent said. "You've really got to be careful with the beetles you use because there can be problems with some of the ones that are advertised on the Internet.
"When I first started to use them, I lost two colonies because they became infected with mites and died," he said. Vincent was about ready to throw in the towel when he read about a guy in Ohio who used Dermestes beetles and contacted him.
"Until then, there was a lot of trial and error and getting the feel for what I was doing. I was able to get the skulls cleaned, but before getting the Dermestes beetles and using them, I didn't feel the quality was there," he said.
Dermestes are often referred to as "skin" beetles because of their non-stop eating as they devour flesh, hide, leather and sometimes even carpet until it is gone. It is estimated there are approximately 500 to 700 species worldwide, but all have round, oval-shaped bodies that are covered in scales.
In addition to being used in taxidermy work, Dermestes beetles are used in college biology classes and by natural history museums to clean both full skeletons and skulls. There are times when police use them in forensic work during criminal investigations, but no matter who uses them or where they are used, they require plenty of care in more ways than one.
Dermestes beetles must be kept in an extremely warm enclosure to prevent them from dying due to cold. Vincent uses heat lamps to produce tropical-like heat, and they are stored in sealed containers outside of his home.
"If they would ever get out it would be a nightmare because they will destroy anything they can eat, including carpeting and furniture," he said. "When I first began displaying my work at the Early Bird Sports Expo in Bloomsburg, they asked me if I could bring some of the beetles, but agreed that would be a bad idea when I explained what could happen if they ever got out."
Vincent said traditionalists prefer keeping their European skull mounts natural, or in the "white," which was how mounts were displayed dating to pre-Medieval times. To this day, natural skull mounts remain popular in the American West and Southwest for both game animals and steer skulls with the horns attached.
Recently, a process known as hydrographics has swept the taxidermy industry and increased the demand for skull mounts. This process is a water-transfer and dipping procedure that requires immersing the skulls in a special solution.
"Some of the camouflage patterns are licensed, but we can usually find something that the customer wants," Vincent said. "As for color combinations, we're only limited by the imagination of the customer and have done everything from typical color combinations used for hunting to combinations that use shades of purple or pink.
"We can do color combinations of a customer's favorite NASCAR driver or their favorite football team. No matter what anyone wants, we're able to match the color or colors."
Vincent said the hydrographic designs are especially popular with kids, and they're a great way to preserve the memory of a first deer and a lot less expense than having a traditional mount.
"Very often, a young hunter's first deer will be a doe, so rather than spend between $400 and $500 on a shoulder mount, having a skull mount is an affordable option, and any child who sits down and tells me the story of their first kill gets the skull at half price," he said.
Vincent has done skulls ranging in size from elk to turkey heads and just about everything in between - including rabbits and squirrels. He has had clients bring him work from as far away as New England, he has shipped work as far west as Montana and he works with taxidermists throughout Pennsylvania.
For information on Raw Bones taxidermy, visit www.rawboneshydrographics.com or call 570-898-2302 or 570-672-2923.