Sportsman’s Memory Shop in Grapeland Handles A Big Gator
By Greg Ritchie
Messenger Reporter
GRAPELAND – When Robin “Trap” Coppedge was a boy, he and his step-grandfather just didn’t get along. The old man was too old – Trap too young.
But the old man had been a taxidermist for the Smithsonian Institute. Somehow, the two bonded over the art and the old boy taught the new boy some of the tricks of the trade. Trap never looked back.
He spent years as an avid hunter and fisher and worked as a county agent in Crockett in the mid-70’s.
Since 1980, Trap and partner Bobby Shaw have worked on animals from all over the world. Birds, fish, bears – and countless thousands of deer over the years. They are one of the few places around that still handle just about everything. The more exotic, the better.
Their front showroom on US 287 in Grapeland is a monument not only to their skill as taxidermists – but as hunters. Their trophies span several decades and many locations from Africa to Alaska.
Mounting over 500 animals a year, the business now houses four taxidermists with the younger men learning some of the time-honored secrets from the older ones. Their work has earned them 30 state, national and world competition titles. Even their competition sends work to them when they know only Trap and Bobby can do the job.
This year marks their 43rd deer season.
“Deer season is a really, really big deal,” Trap explained. “We not only do the taxidermy, but we process all the deer meat.”
It can take up to a year to mount one of the beautiful animals. Skins must be dried, molds and eyes must all be worked to perfection. The two have the art almost down to a science, designing and installing some of the rigging to move animals from one part of the process to another.
They recently skinned an almost 13 foot alligator caught in Trinity County. This reporter didn’t realize they come that big in our neck of the woods.
“Oh, yes,” Trap warned. “They love a good creek. I have to watch my German Shepherds around the creek. This one here weighed almost 900 pounds.”
The alligator skin now sits in a roll on the floor in the workshop. Next will begin the long process of making it into a trophy for someone’s house in Houston County.
“The flesh will be salted and dried. Then it will go to a commercial tannery and be tanned,” Trap explained. “And then we will take the skin and flatten it to make a rug to hang on the wall.”
Trap said the gator was too big for boots and too old to use the meat.
The partners have done and can do just about any animal known. As Trap says, “from little varmints to elephants.”
“We do a whole lot. A whole lot of African stuff. All the stuff from Africa that our clients shoot over there are skinned and the flesh is salted there and then shipped to us. We do lots of safari work,” Trap said.
Trap said after all the years and all the animals, he is about ready to hang up his apron and retire.
“The guys say I will never retire – but I have plans.” Trap said with confidence. “I got a little place I want to work on and stay busy with that.”
One of the guys working for Trap – who may know him a little better – chimed in from across the workroom: “I have a feeling he will be checking in on us pretty regular.”
Greg Ritchie can be reached at [email protected]
