Larry Wold has applied lessons learned in and out of BSU classrooms to become one of the premier taxidermists on the North American continent. But that education came with some adversity.

The captain of a state championship hockey team in Alaska, he wanted to play for the Beavers. He arrived overconfident, ill-prepared for the collegiate level and without adequate training. He was cut.

“It was a very good life lesson,” Wold said. “It helped me grow as a young adult and prepare for life.”

He graduated in 1988 with a degree as a model maker and worked 15 years for companies from coast to coast until changing his professional direction to pursue a career as a taxidermist. Always around taxidermy, he was an avid hobbyist when he opened a studio full-time in Armour, S.D., where he lives and raised three children with his wife, Ann.

Since 2003, Wold has transformed his work to earn master taxidermist status. Twice named the state’s Best Overall Taxidermist, he’s had three mounts win first-place honors on the national level.

“Having extensive art training as part of my major put me a step above, by far, the average taxidermist,” he said of his experience at BSU. “It was not only as an artist, but there were business, management, industrial technology and English comp classes that helped me greatly.”

By focusing on the natural elements of an animal and integrating as much detail as possible, Wold creates unique poses that have made him the taxidermist of choice for large and established game preserves, hunting lodges and avid hunters. He now completes about 300 projects each year, with most taking six to 12 months to finish.