About

 

Being born and raised in mid-Michigan, Jeff’s passion for the outdoors began at a young age. As a youth, he spent countless hours exploring the heart of the Huron National Forest, just a short drive from his grandparents’ home. “That,” he says, "is where it all started for me.” Some of Jeff’s fondest memories involve deer hunting in the Northern Lower or duck hunting on Saginaw Bay with family and friends. 

 

Jeff left Michigan in 2013 to pursue a career in the brewing industry in Nashville, TN. Starting on the packaging line and eventually running the brew house, Jeff became an accomplished brewer for Yazoo Brewing, one of the largest breweries in the state of Tennessee. During that time, he continued to do what he loves–hunt deer, duck, and turkey in Michigan and throughout the Southeast. 

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After nearly ten years in Nashville, Jeff and his wife came home to Michigan in 2022 to be closer to family and open Ritual Taxidermy on their property outside Ann Arbor. Prior to opening Ritual, Jeff attended Lone Leaf Custom Taxidermy School in Mount Gilead, OH. There, he received hands-on instruction from two renowned taxidermy experts.

 

Since then, Jeff has continued to invest in continuing education and his commitment to his craft. Jeff has received extensive training in artfully preserving a variety of species, including turkey, whitetail, and small mammals. 

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When he’s not chasing deer or doing taxidermy, Jeff loves spending time in the woods with his dogs, woodworking, watching University of Michigan football, reading nonfiction, and restoring his 19th-century farmhouse with his wife, Liz. He looks forward to growing the Ritual Taxidermy community and hearing all about your hunt!