Chatham entrepreneur moves home, practices taxidermy

CHATHAM — One 21-year-old not only came back home after graduating college, he started his own business.

Adam Nicholson, a former Chatham High School football player and wrestler, graduated from the University of Virginia’s College at Wise in just three years. He majored in administration of justice, intent on entering law enforcement.

He wanted to follow in the footsteps of his dad, Capt. Tommy Nicholson in the Pittsylvania County Sheriff’s Office and his grandfather, who was a deputy in Buncombe County, N.C.

Adam Nicholson started working as a new police officer for the city of Danville in October. Yet, his longtime passion for hunting and fishing drove him to open a creative outlet: taxidermy.

Adam, who fished ever since he can remember and began hunting in middle school, was always interested in how animals looked in the wild, including their different stances and poses.

He started “piddling” with mounting squirrels and small animals in his late teens. Through college, he read voraciously about the history of taxidermy and different techniques.

Right after graduating college, he attended taxidermy school in Missouri in the summer.

His dad helped him turn a storage building beside the house into his taxidermy studio.

“I told him he was either going to do taxidermy or live in the building,” Tommy Nicholson said, then laughed.

Tommy Nicholson was “tickled” to have his son come back home. He’s impressed with his son’s drive to play football in college and still graduate early so he could get started on taxidermy.

“He’s always loved hunting and fishing,” the father said. “It’s kind of a natural fit for him.”

The sign at the driveway on Woodlawn Academy Road advertises “Adam’s Taxidermy.”

A week after opening up shop, Adam started getting a lot of fish to mount. He knows people in the area are “addicted to hunting” and hopes business picks up through the fall.

He plans to spend the time he’s not working or hunting in the studio. He likes to keep busy.

But taxidermy isn’t something that can be rushed, he explained. Skins and hides need to be dried out properly and over periods of time.

“I’d say it’s an art,” Adam said.

Mammals need some airbrushing to bring them back to life. Nine colors can go into painting a large-mouth bass.

Adam is meticulous in getting the eyes and ears just right. They make all the difference in alert, aggressive or relaxed poses.

Remounting old stuffed animals proves interesting, too. When deconstructing one mount, Adam found Coke cans for ear liners and newspaper from the 1920s stuffed inside. He found it interesting how past taxidermists used materials available to them.

His goal is to produce quality work for the people entrusting their trophies to him.

“I will work to make it right. Your name is everything in taxidermy” Adam said. “You’re not only mounting that animal for them, but all the buddies that will come to their house and see it.”

Adam’s Taxidermy
• 612 Woodlawn Academy Road in Chatham.
• For more information, call Adam Nicholson at (434) 251-4219.