Joe Dabulskis (Wasco) is a taxidermist who taught himself the trade as a kid. After earning a taxidermy license in high school Dabulskis went on to teach the subject at Blue Mountain Community College. Dabulski is now passing on to his kids the same hunting, trapping and fishing knowledge that his dad taught him.
Bio
Joe Dabulskis is a skilled taxidermist as well as a wheat farmer, woodworker, and beekeeper. When he was a child, his family moved to Oregon in 1970, settling in the Blue Mountains with the National Forest as their backyard. Dabulskis learned to trap, hunt, and fish with his father who was also an amateur taxidermist. Taxidermy is a labor-intensive process, which involves careful treatment of the hide and a solid knowledge of anatomy. Creating a lifelike final product is no mean feat. As a teenager, Dabulskis consulted books to refine his craft, but his father continued to be his “best critic.” When Joe first started doing taxidermy, he stuffed the hides with dried hay and grasses, a very traditional method; today he uses pre-made stryrofoam forms, which he adapts by shaving off bits or building up with clay. Dabulskis earned his taxidermy license while still in high school. He attended Blue Mt. Community College and later taught taxidermy there as well as to high school students. One of his students went on to become a professional taxidermist himself.
