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Retrieving the Arrow
Published: 2012-08-05 07:56:47 +0000 UTC; Views: 20142; Favourites: 1122; Downloads: 0
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Description
This was project intended to exemplify humanity's modern disconnection from Nature. The hunter is wearing modern clothes and exists in a modern setting, yet is using primitive weapons and techniques to 'survive' in a world which has been all but destroyed by Man's inability to live in harmony with the planet.The wolf in the image is called Teva. She's my personal headdress. She and her sister were both removed from a population in Southeast Alaska by a friend of mine who works with the State Fish and Wildlife Department in population control.
Once Teva was tanned so that she could not rejoin the Earth, I purchased her to make her into the headdress above. Due to some damage to the leather and a missing rear foot, her hide was not deemed suitable for traditional taxidermy and would be otherwise bound for the fur market to be made into clothing instead.
She is the first wolf I ever mounted, and I’m very pleased with the way she turned out considering. From start to finish, it seemed that Teva’s creation from tanned pelt to finished headdress came together like a dream.
Photography by Teddy Anderson. Editing and taxidermy by me.
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Comments: 412
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Plz go kill urself kthx. The majestic wolfs will be grateful for ur dissapearencez.
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If your ancestors didn't eat meat and wear the skins of animals, you would not be here today.
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I know that (I slaughtered a rabbit once for food) its just wolves are almost gone, and I hate it when they are hunted for taxidermy and things like that.
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Wolves are not "almost gone"; they are listed as Least Concern by conservationists in North America. This one was taken for population control because there are too many wolves in Alaska.
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Is there really a need for the use of profanity? And it's not sick, it's art used for the purpose of making sure the animal is remembered for years to come. Preservation of beauty. And really, telling someone they need to die. That isn't very nice at all. How would you feel if someone did the same to you?
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Such a gorgeous picture. Sad that there are so many ignorant/butthurt fools commenting on here.
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hi there.
I would like to apologize for the comments I posted earlier. Yes, they are my opinion but I have no right to slap my thoughts all over your page without even thinking of your feelings, especially posting as big a comment as I did. I have been thinking about this all day, and I feel horrible for just now realizing how insanely rude it was of me to post those. I really should have thought harder before I did what I did, and I hope I don't make this mistake again in the future.
I absolutely understand if you don't forgive me, and feel free to cover up any of my comments. Sorry again
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I spelled "piece" wrong. PPPFFFFFFT.
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I'm not the artist of this peace, but your humility was refreshing anyway. :] I could learn a few things from you. Have a good one!
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I'm glad you recognize that what you posted was 100% opinion and 0% fact, lol.
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under pressure from hunters and agribusiness, the US Fish and Wildlife Service de-listed the grey wolf from Wyoming's endangered species list--after spending millions of dollars to reintroduce it to its natural habitat after the last time Wyoming residents shot them all. In 1995, wolves were reintroduced into the national parks, and they're still protected in the parks, but it's hard to explain the vagaries of national park borders and state and federal law to a wolf, so they tend to stray into the 80% of the state where they can be shot on sight. And wolf populations are still dangerously low in Wyoming. Yes, dangerous: shooting wolves isn't just useless, it's actively harmful to the environment.
There are groups, like Friends of the Northern Yellowstone Elk Herd , who maintain that wolves should not be protected because they kill too many elk. Here's how friendly the Friends of the Northern Yellowstone Elk Herd is: they are such good friends with the elk that they want to eliminate the elk's major natural predator...so there are more elk for the Friends to shoot, with their guns. This is a hunting organization that is annoyed that a natural ecosystem is making it difficult for them to shoot the animals they want to shoot. In many of the Big Sky states, this is how hunting legislation gets written: with input and political pressure from hunters. Stop listening to hunters. Listen to scientists.
Furthermore, there is a great deal of evidence that wolves are actually good for the long-term health of the Yellowstone ecosystem, which is something you certainly can't say about hunters. Wolves prey on the weak and enfeebled; by culling the elk herd in this way, the remaining elk tend to be stronger and healthier, with less competition for resources. Wolves certainly do not pose any kind of long-term threat to the Yellowstone elk, unlike hunters, who prefer to shoot the strongest and most glorious elk they can find, because this is how you measure your worth if you are the type to measure your worth by your skill at shooting things with guns. Subsistence hunters, by the way, should be thankful for wolves, because subsistence hunters rely on strong and healthy herds, which wolves help maintain. This is how the planet works.
Oh, and without wolves, elk (and caribou and moose, if you go further north) experience crazy overpopulation, which is awful for the biological ecosystem, and further leads to a lack of resources which leads to a crash in population far worse than if there were wolves (and mountain lions, and bears) around to naturally cull the population. Wolves--even an unnaturally small population like that in Wyoming--are good for the environment, not bad.
Hunting to maintain natural order is sometimes required; in my home state of Pennsylvania, for example, there is a dangerous overpopulation of white-tailed deer. They have few natural predators, because we've shot them all (see: wolves, mountain lions), and there are more than the local ecosystem can handle. They damage forests by eating and trampling young plants, they wander into roads and get hit by cars because they encroach on human areas. They are dangerous, and there is a state program to cull them, in concert with scientific findings, to make sure there is a safe number of deer. Pennsylvania certainly isn't perfect, but that's the way this should be done.
There is no valid reason to make it legal to hunt wolves. Shooting wolves is bad for wolves, meaningless for livestock, bad for the environment, and bad for people. Conservation of individual species is incredibly difficult; we have done damage to our ecosystems, and they don't work as well as they should, and, yes, we need to find a way to keep it as healthy as possible given our own needs. And that's why we need to listen to scientists, not ranchers or hunters. We need to get the best data possible, run it through the best minds we can find, and make our laws in accordance with what will do the most good. We sure as hell shouldn't listen to a group that wants to shoot wolves on Tuesday so they can shoot elk on Wednesday.
There is no valid reason to make it legal to hunt wolves. Scientists, conversationalists and researchers have identified non-lethal alternatives that protect livestock and ranch animals without the unnecessary killing.
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My legs started to shake when I read your comment. It angers me that people still believe in these whacked out myths. Wolves don't go for the "weak and enfeebled," wolves will kill anything they see. Of course, being from Virginia, I don't expect you to know anything about the real damage wolves cause to the environment. Let's start from the very beginning, shall we?
"after spending millions of dollars to reintroduce it to its natural habitat"
Where do you think the government got that money from? Spoiler alert: The Pittman-Robertson/Dingell-Johnson funds. It's a specially created "trust fund" that only sportsmen - specifically hunters are responsible for. The government illegally stole over $60 million dollars from this fund to capture wolves from Canada (where wolves aren't endangered, by the way) and then hauled them over the 60th parallel north to where suddenly they became endangered. It's not science, it's politics. You also skipped over the very important part where there were already wolves living in Yellowstone, but that's ok, I forgive you.
"In 1995, wolves were reintroduced into the national parks, and they're still protected in the parks, but it's hard to explain the vagaries of national park borders and state and federal law to a wolf, so they tend to stray into the 80% of the state where they can be shot on sight."
That's funny, it's as if you don't understand what the original DEIS or EIS stated.... oh that's right... YOU DON'T! An early National Park Service (1975:5) report was noted for saying, "the final numbers [of wolves] that would winter within the park and be compatible with other interests on adjoining lands are expected to range between 30 and 40 wolves." In fact, this was quite similar to what DOW was originally lobbying for (40-50 wolves). Then, in the original EIS, it was agreed upon (by both environmentalists and government agencies alike) that, "if a minimum of 10 wolf packs breed in any one recovery area for three successive years, the wolves in that area are to be downlisted from endangered to threatened status. When at least 10 breeding pairs have been maintained for at least three successive years in all three recovery areas, wolves are to be completely removed from the Endangered Species List."
"And wolf populations are still dangerously low in Wyoming."
Dangerously low? What's your opinion of dangerously low? Are you a certified wildlife biologist? Are you qualified boots on the ground that measures elk, moose, deer:wolf ratio? You do know that Wyoming's stated population number is a conservative minimum, correct? In fact, the entirety of the Northern Rocky Mountain wolf population is a conservative minimum number. Idaho is known for carrying the majority of wolves, since after the wolves decimated the elk population in Yellowstone, they quickly dispersed to ID. When questioned about how the biologists keep track of wolf populations (and whether or not they know for sure how many there are), get a load of what biologists had to say; "No, we really don’t know EXACTLY how many there are. We combine information from hunter harvest, hunter report and observations reported through our website to identify locations of packs throughout the state and to supplement our knowledge of those packs and the information we have from actual counts of packs that we do monitor intensively. The annual report on our website provide the detail of information we have on wolves throughout the state and the appendix describes how our estimate was calculated. Wolves are very difficult to count. There’s no way to get around that. We are working to improve our methodology for estimating wolves and looking at a variety of techniques. Our current efforts are very dependent upon capturing and radiocollaring wolves to aid in locating them, documented reproduction, and counting the number of wolves in those packs at the end of the year. See our monitoring report for more information." Even from their own website: "From 1996 until 2005, wolf populations were counted using a total count technique that was quite accurate when wolf numbers were low and most had radiocollars. Since then, we have used an estimation technique that is more applicable to a larger population that is more difficult to monitor. This technique has been peer reviewed by the University of Idaho and northern Rocky Mountain wolf managers. The technique bypasses the need to count pups in every pack, and instead relies on documented packs." The fact is, they don't count every wolf. In some situations, it's impossible, since after birth, pups will disperse before they can collar them. This was also admitted during a Michigan DNR meeting (they admitted to only surveying 60% of the Great Lakes due to manpower - so, wolf populations all in all are only a guess).
"wolves should not be protected because they kill too many elk"
They do. Have you ever seen what wolves do to elk, or are you just going by what you read off of pro-wolf websites? Wolves are the cause for the 90% decline in the Northern Yellowstone elk herd, the Lolo elk herd, the Shiras moose herd, and more.
"wolves are actually good for the long-term health of the Yellowstone ecosystem"
A peer-reviewed paper written by the very same scientists that embezzled money isn't very scientific. Also, the claim that wolves are "saving the aspen" scientifically contradicts the claim that wolves "only kill the sick and weak," since that would only leave the strong and fit to continue overbrowsing. www.yellowstonenationalpark.co… (Scroll to "overgrazing controversy").
"unlike hunters, who prefer to shoot the strongest and most glorious elk they can find"
Hunters shoot what they can get with the limitations they have. Shows how much you know.
"in my home state of Pennsylvania, for example, there is a dangerous overpopulation of white-tailed deer"
Actually, Pennslyvania is experiencing the lowest population of deer in a long time. www.griffinsguide.com/?p=53651 This is because the government doesn't know how to manage both doe and buck populations at the same time. It's a gaming commission slaughterhouse scam (just like what they did in YS with the elk). Read the article and learn - then you will realize why the population "suddenly" started to increase the past three years.
"And that's why we need to listen to scientists, not ranchers or hunters"
Um, unfortunately for you, hunters are the ones that have the most influence on scientists and lawmakers. Since, you know, they are the ones out there protecting out wildlife for future generations. Once again, proving you don't know what you're talking about...
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I also sincerely apologize if this comes across as attacking you. I am simply defending my point against the people that are still commenting on my comments and arguing with me.
I should have noted you this instead of commenting it on your picture. Again, my apologies!
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whoops, I apologize. I didn't realize I had made such a huge comment. Feel free to hide it after you've read it.
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Noooo! That's not the way to pull out your arrow! You might break or bend the arrow like that... Just saying... XD
Great Picture though and grats on the DD. ^^
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This is really lovely. Beautiful headdress as well!
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Awesome photo and concept. It's a shame that so many are disconnected to the point that they fail to understand it.
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Eeeee, this is so awesome!
I like how you kept eyes, and the way the paws are tied around the neck is just asdfg, this is soooo COOOL.
>w<
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Controversy...about a dead animal.
People are dying in Egypt and Syria, but THIS is what they react to?
Come on.
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i do like wolves, and this is a really cool way to use the pelt! i really like the eyes too! @q@
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This is absolutely beautiful! It's an amazing photo. 
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Beautiful, it reminds me of Princess Mononoke.
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As someone who is part Oneida, it makes me smile to see that you treated this wolf with kindness and respect. Some people just see what they see as "fur" and don't see it was once a living animal. It makes me happier that you chose to use all of her than just pieces so she stays as one piece. It shows the respect you have for her.
Please take care of her. She will take care and protect you as long as you take good care of her.
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Many thanks! Teva is, in many ways, a reflection of my own self, and I feel very comfortable with who I am when I wear her; it's like she becomes a part of me, and I become a part of her, giving her new life. Your words of encouragement and appreciation are a blessing.
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You're welcome. I know I would hate someone to judge me on my Autism, and taxidermy, to you, is part of you, so why should I judge? I actually didn't know I was part Oneida for many years; when I actually found it, some of the things I believed in staunchly (like animals having souls) made sense. So, I think rather very differently here. I would rather all of her be used over just the "good" pieces. So, you see, I happen to have the same belief there.
It doesn't mean it doesn't creeps me out any less seeing heads on pelts (it just does), but I have a great deal of respect.
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Oh wow! This is cool to see some taxidermy get a DD!
Maybe I'm weird, but I've always been fascinated by taxidermy ever since I was a little girl. 
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Wow this picture and set up reminds me of Princess Mononoke.
We rely on electricity and materialistic items, everything must be sped up, and everything is now overcomplicated. Even our food appears to be fake, our clothes are made of plastic, and our emotions and relationships seem flimsy. There was once a time where man lived to survive and to support his family. But nowadays we live for a so called greater purpose, or to acquire the next iPhone model, or to make enough money to live a comfortable life. Not only that, we are also becoming spiritually removed, again, another theme brought up in Princess Mononoke. Nothing is sacred any-more.
People also seem to be forgetting their true nature. We may bare a so-called conscience but biologically we are still classified as animals and living beings. We are virtually all the same. We still need food, water and shelter to survive. Man is a natural omnivore, a natural gatherer of food and a natural hunter of meat.
Anyway, beautiful artwork, I just love the symbolism that comes with it.
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It's sad that it's a real wolf, though I can't help but acknowledge the effort put into making such a cool headdress! At least it's beautiful face can be admired for decades to come? I'd like to think of it in that way.
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Nice, but you'll lose an eye if you do it like that...
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Such a strikingly beautiful photo; very well done
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I bet the kids screaming animal abuse on this awesome peice eat meat. Because shooting a wolf quickly and painlessly is HORRIBLE, but hanging a cow for steak? Fine and "natural". That is the downside of getting a taxidermy on DD isn't it? Don't let the PETA supporters let you down.
This is sweet! I would like to buy one someday, wolves are beautiful and we will not waste their beautiful fur
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Cows aren't hung, they're done with a bolt to the back of the head (or at least they are in Australia - hanging seems rather clumsy as a means of killing a lot at once).
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Some countries kill cows like that. Whatever it is, it is painful and brutal and can last for 10 minutes. I say the deaths in slaughterhouses are far worse than hunted animals deaths. Hunting for food is more humane and natural than buying one from the store.
At least Australia is more strict on slaughterhouse rules.
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Cows are not hung as a way of killing. No slaughterhouses do that. I think you're confused as to how cows are killed. The cow is bolted in the head, then hung up and throats cut. They hang them that way to drain the blood from the meat, or else if its not drained it can taint the meat after so much time and spoil it for human consumption c:
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Yea, I get confused with it all. Still, head bolting is a horrible death. Far worse than a gunshot, which is usually the wolfs fate.
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I never really liked Cow meat.
So I feel bad for cows.
I only like milk, and at least you
don't kill the cow for that. Poor things. D:
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I love beef, but I always buy RSPCA approved meat. At least then I know the animal had a better life.
I love milk.
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I love milk too.
Only, not silk milk. -.-"
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I like real milk and coconut milk the best. What is silk milk?
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I don't know.
But one time I needed milk, I tried some, and nearly died.
It tastes horrible.
*Don't kill me those who like silk milk!*
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Any other milk you tried?
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