Jim Rice is the only full-time taxidermist in Macon city, capital of the county with the highest annual deer-kill tally in Missouri. Among the hunters drawn here from all over the US, Jim is sought out for his life-like trophies. "A bad taxidermist makes dead animals look dead. Taxidermy is an art, like painting or sculpture."

Jim took up his art in 2002 after a fall from a ladder, cutting short his previous careers as a house-painter and rodeo champion. His new career took off so well, that during the Macon deer season, he can no longer afford the time for the hunting passion that first drew him to taxidermy. On the other hand, it earns him enough money that he manages to make an off-season trip every couple of years to exotic hunting destinations like Namibia and South Africa.

His 2012 trip to Africa is already planned, but how much longer he can maintain this lifestyle is open to question. His showroom is now choked with unsold inventory -- trophies commissioned from hunters who in these econimically stressed times can no longer afford to make their final payment.

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Under the gaze of one of his creations, local taxidermist Jim Rice prepares the form for another bobcat.