A nearly-lost art is being preserved in the mountains of Virginia

NEW CASTLE, Va. (WFXR) -- Lee Looney practices an art form that dates back thousands of years.

Looney is a taxidermist, keeping alive a craft that fewer and fewer people are taking part in these days.

The number of taxidermists is falling, but Looney says he continues to do wildlife, hunting and fishing mounts because he loves nature and wants to preserve the craft for future generations.

"I believe it's becoming a lost art," said Looney as he stitched a deer head mount in his workshop in Craig County, Virginia.

Looney is a pastor in New Castle and the last remaining licensed taxidermist in Craig County.

He is the owner and operator of Looney's Taxidermy, where he creates deer, bear and fish mounts from animals harvested by hunters.

Deer season is a busy time for Looney.

"When you're talking about a deer, they're all different — every one of them has a different color," said Looney. "You want every detail you can put in them; the more you put in them, the better they'll look."

Looney has been practicing taxidermy for more than a decade. He was trained by his mentor, the late Ed Shaffer, who was well-known in Craig County hunting and taxidermy circles.

Looney said Shaffer stressed making the mount look as close as possible to the way it looked in the wild as a sign of respect for the animal.

"I want to preserve the way (the animal) looked whenever (it was) killed... and respect the fact that he was a life at one time," said Looney.

Looney also credited his grandmother with helping him develop some of his skills. He grew up sewing quilts with her and uses the stitching techniques in his work to sew hides on mounts.

Taxidermist Lee Looney adjusts ears on a deer head mount (Photo: George Noleff/WFXR)

The job also requires patience and commitment.

Just a single deer head mount can take days to complete: The animal is skinned, fleshed, tanned and then mounted on a Styrofoam mount. Stitching is then done to hold the antlers and hide in place. Eyes are added last.

"It takes what it takes," Looney said. "I had to come back out here Wednesday morning and adjust his eyes and comb down any hair and work on him a little bit. Then, I came back before church yesterday evening, worked on him a little bit and checked his eyes."

He added, "Then first thing this morning, same thing, and I'll have to do that again this evening and in the morning."

While his approach is painstakingly exact, Looney said the art is worth it.

"I love the finished product," Looney said. "I love the joy it brings people when they pick it back up. I love to hear them say, 'Man, that looks nice. '"