About Amy...

I am 24 years old and live in Statesville, North Carolina. I have been doing taxidermy for over over ten years. My interest began as a hobby at age 13, when I would pick up roadkill and practice skinning and tanning the hides. At 15 I began selling small mounts on Ebay, and at 16 began taking work from local customers and my business has continued to grow steadily every year. I 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 a wonderful husband named Robby. We were married July 15, 2006. We have been hunting together ever since we met and often go to taxidermy shows together. People often think it's funny that our "first date" was a gun show! On April 14, 2010, I became a mom to a sweet little girl named Lily. I have so much fun watching her grow and discover the world! Even though she's just a baby, she already has so much personality.. she LOVES touching and looking at all the mounts in the shop. The red fox is her favorite! She also loves the outdoors - when she's fussing, all I have to do is take her outside for a walk and she's happy. Just like mama!

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!

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 650. 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, 21, and Hannah, 14) and a 12 year old brother, Stephen. They live in Monroe, an hour or so away, but I go down to visit when I can!

This is my 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.

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. He also built my last two shops for me. 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 second deer 11/20/06

Possum shot with .410 shotgun

Skinning my first deer November 2004

squirrels with the air rifle