Some say a picture can never truly capture the beauty of a living thing. Perhaps this idea was derived because a picture fails to cover every dimension of a being. This is not the case for art pieces that take the actual shape and mold of a creature, which is one reason taxidermy has become so popular.

A lover of animals, I never had much interest or appreciation for taxidermy. My perspective changed drastically after meeting Roger Browning, owner of Browning Taxidermy Custom Mounting and Wildlife Lamps in Lakeland.

I learned about Browning during a meeting with Jefferies Eldridge and Jeff Corley for a story on their company, Southern Outdoors Productions, LLC. While looking around Corley’s office, I noticed what I can only describe as the most beautiful still turkey and fox I have ever seen. The blend of natural colors and landscape that accompanied the animals kept my attention and made me want to know more about the artist. After hearing several good things about Browning and his work from Eldridge, I knew his story would be a great one to share with the world.

I recently met with Browning and his wife, Wanda, at their taxidermy shop in Lakeland. During our interview, Browning took me on an adventure into the life of a taxidermist who has been in the business of immortalizing wildlife for half a century.

Born in Hahira, Browning was raised in Douglas. He was introduced to taxidermy in 1958 at the age of 15, when he took a Northwestern Taxidermy School correspondence course he purchased.

“I’m basically self-taught,” Browning said. “I have taught myself everything I know over the past 50 years.”

After graduating from Coffee County High School, then South Georgia College in Douglas, Browning attended LaGrange College, where he majored in religion.

“I then became an educational director at First Baptist Church in Westpoint for a few years. However, I continued to do taxidermy as a part-time job.”

Browning eventually decided that his calling was in the taxidermy field, so he decided to do taxidermy full-time. He opened his first taxidermy shop in Cordele in 1965.

Browning met his wife in 1976.

“After we got married, we moved to Destin, Fla. There I opened a marine taxidermy business that I ran for 15 years.”

While running the marine taxidermy company, Browning pioneered fiberglass reproduction. He worked on creatures such as swordfish and marlins.

Contact with the chemicals used when dealing with marine fish took a toll on Browning’s health in 1983. He got sick and lost the use of his legs; therefore, he chose to leave the marine taxidermy business.

“After leaving Destin, I moved to Orlando, Fla., and worked for a lighting company,” Browning said. “We actually built 11 companies. I sold the companies, retired and moved to Valdosta in 1993.”

It wasn’t long before Browning was back to taxidermy work. He worked from the yard of his home on Jerry Jones Drive. While Browning still did small work in the lighting business, he worked full-time as a taxidermist.