About Amy...

I am 21 years old and live in Statesville, North Carolina. I have been doing taxidermy for over seven years and enjoy anything that has to do with wildlife and the outdoors. I love bringing animals "back to life" through taxidermy, as well as going for walks in the woods and observing the live ones. I have several pets, which include a german shorthair pointer (Hunter), a persian cat (Snowball), a ball python, a tarantula, three buff cochin chickens, and my newest addition, a fuzzy little duckling named Casper.

Whenever I'm not doing taxidermy, I'm spending time with my husband, Robby. We were married July 15, 2006. We have been hunting together ever since we met and we go to many taxidermy shows together. Robby wants to try learning fish taxidermy, since I have no interest in fish. I enjoy playing the piano and guitar. I have been playing the guitar for several years, but I have played the piano by ear since I was three years old! I intend to eventually produce a CD with some of my own piano music, which is heavily influenced by new-age artists such as John Tesh, Jim Brickman, and Yanni. I plan to offer my CDs for sale through my website, with sound-clips available for previewing. I love shooting guns and hunting! I currently own a Remington 1100 12 ga. shotgun, Remington 700 25-06, Mossberg .410 shotgun, Ruger 10/22 rifle, a Crosman 277 air rifle, and a Bersa .380 handgun. I began with my airgun and then aquired my .22 (my first "real" gun). My most recently aquired gun is my pistol, which I keep loaded in my shop at all times for person protection. I also have a PSE compound bow that I used to kill my very first deer in 2004!

Snowball, my persian

Another interest of mine is motorcycles. I took the motorcycle safety course in August of '06 and earned my license. From there I bought a Honda Rebel 250, which is the perfect sized bike for me. Robby has a Yamaha V-star and we ride in the mountains, or somewhere interesting, almost every weekend in warm weather. I really enjoy the freedom of motorcycle riding ... and getting 90 miles per gallon doesn't hurt either!

My Family

A little background on my family ... I was homeschooled by my parents, Lisa and Ned, all the way through 12th grade. It was really great to be at home and be able to pursue taxidermy which I may have not had as much time for otherwise. I have two sisters (Sara, 18, and Hannah, 11) and an 8 year old brother, Stephen. They live in Monroe, an hour or so away, but I go down to visit when I can!

In this older photo of my family there is my stepdad James, My mom Lisa, Hannah, Sara, me, and Stephen. And Miss Prissy, the poodle

This is my wonderful dad, Ned, pictured grilling some meat from the deer that I killed. Dad really helped me start taxidermy by building me two shops (one small one when it was just a hobby - and then a large one when I outgrew that!). He also was a paper carrier and would find lots of prime roadkills in the morning. Dad is currently serving with the Marines in Afghanistan, but we keep in contact a lot

The other side of my family - the Carters! From left to right ... me, Robby, Beth and Daryl (Robby's parents), Tyler (Robby's brother), and Tyler's girlfriend, Sara. Daryl is quite good at woodworking and makes me habitat bases whenever I need them. Beth likes to travel to taxidermy shows and went with me and Robby to the World Show in 2005.

My Hunting Photos... Click the small photos to view them larger.

My first deer! 11/16/04

Skinning my deer

My second deer 11/20/06

A very old photo of me.. after shooting a squirrel with the air rifle

More squirrels with the air rifle

Possum shot with .410 shotgun