A passion for hunting paved the way to a burgeoning new career for one local man, who recently opened his own taxidermy business in Huntsville, combining his love of wild game with its ability to earn him a living.

Garret Ralston, 26, and his wife Lauren Ralston, 24, opened Southern Wings Taxidermy in 2006 and expanded to their new location at 680 FM 2550 this year with a newly-constructed building to house the taxidermy facilities and business office.

In their new building, dozens of shoulder mounts of white-tail deer stare down from the walls as bobcats and coyotes stand frozen in position in life-size mounts, attesting to the skill and talent of the taxidermist’s handiwork.

After first learning the craft of taxidermy from a mentor in La Grange, Garrett began working on pieces for himself and friends before deciding to go into business.

“I had always done it, and then we decided to start the business three years ago,” Garrett said. “We bought the land and built the new building this year.”

An avid duck hunter, Garrett said his favorite game to work with are the ducks customers bring in. Just last year, ducks topped the list of mounts done by Southern Wings with 145 done in just one year.

However his abilities are certainly not limited to wildlife of the feathered variety. Garrett and fellow taxidermist Jason Anderson also produced 110 white-tail deer shoulder mounts last year, making them the second-most requested product that Southern Wings offers.

“Ducks are definitely our main source, but we do everything” He said.

Since opening Southern Wings, the Ralston’s business has doubled over the past three years. Along with their expanding clientele, Southern Wings has also expanded their offerings to include more than just mounted game. The shop now also offers hunting apparel as well as duck calls, which Garrett said have become big sellers due to the rare brands he offers.

“We sell the Rich N’ Tone calls, which are hard to find in this area, so they always sell real well,” He said.

Yet the bulk of the Ralston’s business remains true to their roots with hundreds of mounts done by the duo of Garrett and Jason each year. Together, the pair work on shoulder mounts, life-size mounts and rugs of just about any game available inside or outside of Walker County, including waterfowl, upland game birds, deer, snakes and fish.

Yet it takes more than producing a product to run a business, and Lauren carries her share of the load by managing calls, taking orders and keeping up with the general business activities.

“It can be really challenging,” Lauren said about working for the family business. “It’s fun.”

For more information about Southern Wings Taxidermy, contact Garrett and Lauren Ralston at (936) 788-3183 or (936) 293-8088.