Nominate YOURSELF (or encourage someone else) to be on DIRTY JOBS!

[Riverdale Taxidermy]

I looked at it once before also and according to someplace on there, they say they have done taxidermy. I'm assuming by that, they mean the skulls, replicas, and tannery, however none of those are exactly "taxidermy". If I could find that part again, I'd post a link.
What's nastier than a smelly ole yote?

Even if they consider the skulls and tanning part of it. Off hand I can think of multiple episodes of doing similar or flat out the same thing just in a different place. Off hand I recall twice cleaing out a garbage truck. He went with that Vexcon guy 3 different times. Shouldn't be any reason for them not to try actual skinning and taxiing the skin taxidmery.

[Becky P]

I agree Riverdale, but somewhere it said not to suggest things they've already done and taxidermy was on that list. He can come to my shop, I have a couple of skunks that need to be skinned.

[Bobbym1232]

What's nastier than a smelly ole yote?

....A smelly ole badger after you nick the anal glands!

[dugout]

 I just went over there and dared him to come help me flesh bears.

[Lisa M]

I just went over there and dared him to come help me flesh bears.

Thank you Dugout!  There is so much more to our jobs that fiberglass, tanning and skulls.  I want to see Mike/Barski/whoever with scalpel in hand, trying to go around the glands of some dead thing...or run a skiving machine...or do habitat on a fox mount...SOMETHING that hasn't been covered. 

Please folks, if you've thought about trying to be on the show, or if you've entered, please let us know.  I for one would be glad to go to the site & say "HEY NO YOU HAVEN'T COVERED ALL THERE IS ABOUT TAXIDERMY!"  At least until you've knicked a gland or 3.   

Dugout, PM coming your way sunshine!

[Riverdale Taxidermy]

ttt

[elkevo]

I think the person for the Mike Rowe dirty job of a taxidermist should be the cutest lady you could find and show the dam John Q and Susie Q public that women are everywhere in a man's world today, they are taxidermist, hunters and the whole dog dang show. We need even some kids of parents who are taxidermist to be there helping in the shop when Mike Rowe shows up. Let the world know this is Art like any other at it's finest hour. Lisa, I hope you can get him to your place.


Steve

[Lisa M]

Ohhhhh nooo no no...not me.  I would freak out.  I'm only cute through the looking glass of taxinet.    But I do think it'd be something I'd love to watch.  Just like I love watching most of the shows now!  The taxi ones are just that much more exciting!!  There are many many super talented artists on this site Steve.  I've been doing this as an official occupation for a little more than a year.  Give me 5-10 years and I might have a full handle on this craft...maybe!    I just wanted to make it easier for folks to nominate themselves.  I was able to find one post on the discovery site from a member here...commented right after.    If anyone else wants to go do it, I'd be glad to bump them up a little.    Just let me know a little about yourself (if I don't know you from here already) okay?

[SkullsUnlimited]

Mike Rowe spent 10 hours at Skull Unlimited filming all aspects of the company. The version you saw was a made for Discovery version. Dirty Jobs had to go back and edit 3 times before it wasn’t deemed too dirty for Dirty jobs. Discovery has to skate the line with showing to much death. Attached is a statement that Mike Rowe released after the skull cleaner aired. This is why taxidermy hasn’t aired. BTW an episode on taxidermy has been done, just never aired.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There are several questions posted involving Skulls Unlimited International, a segment that ran on last on weeks show. Here are some observations and a response from yours truly.

The original skull-cleaning segment was one of the ultimate dirty jobs, quite possibly THE ultimate. Unfortunately, you will likely never see that version. It was deemed to be graphic for broadcast, and perhaps it was. It’s not my call. The version that aired however, was in my opinion, a bit The Sound of Music with the songs edited out – still a good story, but minus the moments that would stick with you for a long, long time. Let me tell you what I saw on that unforgettable day, memories that I still can't shake.

Step 1. Mail Call. Every morning, UPS delivers dozens of boxes to Skulls Unlimited, boxes full of severed heads. Bear heads, deer heads, monkey heads, you name it. They come from all over the world, and their collective sight defies description. The first part of my day at SU was spent unloading and organizing these severed heads, removing them from soggy boxes one at a time. They come wrapped in newspaper and bubble-pack, like fine china. It's really no different than a mailroom in any other company, except for the unique contents. To my embarrassment, I can’t recall the name of the guy who unpacks these boxes – the work destroyed my short-term recall - but I do remember thinking at that moment that he must have the dirtiest job in the joint. I was wrong, because moments later, there was...

Step 2. Remove the brains from each and every skull. This job is completed with the help of a homemade contraption called The Brain Demiser and Cerebral Extractor, a large barrel with an internal vacuum and a long plastic tube. The actual work is executed by Dale, whose name I will never forget. Dale was quite adept at manipulating the end of said tube into the base of each skull, easier said than done. Once accomplished, he would turn on The Brain Demiser, which churned to life with a hungry growl. Then, with horrible efficiency, the brains from the skull would begin to hurtle through the transparent tube and into the barrel, where they plopped noisily onto the previous deposit. Quite a sight. I’ll never forget the sound of brain on brain. Needless to say, I tried my hand at the process, and eventually got the hang of it. Nearly lost it, but held on. Quite unforgettable, rather like...

Step 3. Flensing. Flensing is the process by which flesh, skin, and muscle are carved away from bone. It is delicate, painstaking work, and requires the skill of a true artisan. Here, Dale proved himself a humble craftsman who was capable of much more than sucking the brains out of skulls. Dale spent most of that morning flensing the days earlier arrivals, and patiently sharing his knowledge with me. I learned a lot from Dale, but mainly, I learned that I do not possess the skill or inclination to work as a professional flenser. Profoundly dirty work, but nowhere near as bad as…

Step 4. Emptying The Brain Demiser. This may be the dirtiest of dirty jobs. It’s certainly one of the worst I’ve ever seen. The task most often falls to Josh, a 16-year old lad who just happens to be the son of the owner. Every day after school, Josh stops by Skulls Unlimited to tackle a number of onerous tasks, but this one takes the cake. Typically, Josh simply approaches the giant barrel of brains, now brimming from a full day of demising, grabs it around the middle, and hoists it onto the lip of a large, stainless steel sink. On that day, I had the honor. Under Josh’s watchful eye, I hefted the gelatinous, quivering payload and proceeded to dump the chunky amalgam into the steel basin. Conservatively, I’d put it at over 50lbs of assorted brain. Again, the sound made by a waterfall of cascading, congealing gray matter is unexampled, especially as it collides into a steel sink, and the smell, as you might imagine, is simply indescribable. With momentum and gravity working in concert, the falling brains accelerate rapidly, and the sink fills quickly. Too quickly. Naturally, a clog forms in the drain, and there is only one way to correct the situation. Someone must roll up his sleeve, dig through the brains and remove the blockage. On that particular day, that particular someone, was me.

Anyway, the day held many other horrors that were glossed over or omitted entirely from the show, and though I believe the original cut was far superior to the one that aired, I am grateful that we were allowed to air some version of the original. However, it needs to be said that the jobs at Skulls Unlimited are among the dirtiest I’ve ever seen, because the segment you saw did not reflect that. Also, the work done by those guys cut from the original was stellar, and deserves to be acknowledged somewhere. So, I’ll do it here.

To Dale, Josh, and the fella whose name I can’t recall, thanks very much.
You were all fantastically dirty.
You too, Jay.

Mike
  Posts: 1572 | Registered: 06-12-05

[Lisa M]

Skulls/Jay, thank you so much for taking the time to post here!  I saw a Skulls Unlimited in the registry of who is here, but I wasn't sure if it was really the company portrayed in the episode, or if it was a wannabe.  I'm so glad it is really you!

Also, thank you for sharing the letter written by Mike Rowe.  He certainly put a spin on the brain bucket that I hadn't ever thought of!  I wish Discovery had left it in...DANG that they took it out.

If you don't mind sharing, could you please tell us who the taxidermist is for the unaired segment?  I'd love to tell them thanks for trying!  I hope that with continued suggestions from taxidermists, Discovery will relent and air the episode, or at least shoot more episodes related to taxidermy!

[Becky P]

Too bad Discovery and Hollywood aren't as open-minded as Mike.

[SkullsUnlimited]

Go to youtube and type in dirty jobs taxidermy. It doesn't do the industry good though. It might be best it never aired.

[countryview]

sure am glad it did not air makes us look like freaks hackserdemist Imo go to his web site and see the rest of his jewels spaternite.com

[Scrubby]

I think a big greasy bear would do the trick but I agree some stuff we do is just too graphic for the channel saw the skulss unlimited version mostly cleaned up no eye balls etc.

[David Patton]

I think a big greasy bear would do the trick but I agree some stuff we do is just too graphic for the channel saw the skulss unlimited version mostly cleaned up no eye balls etc.

When the weather turns right, we have a great segment for Mike....casting a 600 lb. black bear carcass. We can let Mike pull the guts out and pack the burlap back in the cavity. It smells great! Then after two days in fiberglass, Mike can cut the mold off the bear...Ha Ha!