Wildlife Wall Decor

The bear is one of the most respected creatures in the animal kingdom representing both ferocity and nobility.  In addition, the United States is home to a number of the world’s bear species, including the North American Grizzly which remains one of the few truly wild creatures left in the world.  In fact, Grizzly attacks are common in certain wildlife refuges in the United States, and hikers, backpackers, and campers are encouraged to carry animal pepper spray.  Despite the Grizzly’s rough demeanor, it is a gentle creature that fiercely protects its young, illustrating the animal’s nobility. 

The Grizzly bear as well as several other species are celebrated in North America, with bear decor, bear apparel, and bear figurines quite common and desired by children and adults. 

The gray wolf, or Canis Lupus as it is called in Latin, is a carnivorous mammal inhabiting a portion of North America.  Though widespread throughout North America, the gray wolf only inhabits a small part of its former range mostly due to human destruction of its habitat.  Despite preferring dense timber, the gray wolf is highly adaptable, and can survive in environments such as deserts, tundra, grasslands, and urban areas.  Though wild, gray wolves are not particularly dangerous to people unless they feel threatened. 

The gray wolf has integrated itself into the culture of several societies, and now exists as a symbol of the wild, untamed world.  Wolves are also thought to be savage creatures by many people, but scientific evidence proves this to be untrue.  Wolf team mascots, wolf figurines, and wolf art is common throughout the Western world.

Last year my wife and I took the Royal Carribean Cruise to Alaska.  Returning to the Port of Seattle, we stopped at Victoria BC and visited Butchart Gardens.  On the way there, we stopped at the Butterfly Gardens.  Both experiences were memorable.  Both were especially colorful and unique in their environmental creativity to present nature’s flowers, plants, and landscapes. The gardens provide natural foods and fresh water for many species of Butterflies, Hummingbirds, and other winged creatures.  There were plenty of opportunities to purchase wall art for interior decor as a reminder of our spectacular trip.

A simple thing you can do to make your house seem more inviting to others is to add a welcome sign out front. Welcome signs can come in all shapes and sizes. Many choose to go for a mat, but they can also be window hangings, posted signs, cut wood, and just about anywhere else you can think of writing welcome.

Not only do they give guests (and sometimes strangers!) that warm feeling when walking up to your door, they add a splash of color and whimsy to your yard. The look of the sign can be tailored to you exactly. Are you really into butterflies? Decorate your sign with them. Do you have a shabby chic theme going on? Use a distressed wood finish. Remember the importance of first impressions – and make yours a good one with a welcome sign.

Every man has or at least needs a good hunting story.  The story I’m telling you is true.  I was holding down a deer stand in the hills in northwest Nevada in 1953.  A group of friends of my Dad was circling the mountain across from where I stood.  The idea was to drive any deer my direction.

After waiting in the cold wind for several hours, my hands and feet were almost frozen.  Suddenly, a small herd of doe and 2 bucks drifted through the draw, and I aimed a 3030 Winchester rifle at the deer . . . hoping for a hit.  My dad’s friends didn’t tell me that the rifle didn’t carry 1000 yards without aiming very high.

“Buck Fever” took control of my spirit, and after ten rounds, only one shot came close to the belly of one of the bucks.  The herd drifted away from me over the top of the ridge.  This was my first and last deer hunt.  When the men arrived, they all had a good laugh!  I overheard one of the men comment, “Where’s the War?”

There’s more to this story.  This is another reason why I appreciate good wildlife wall art and great phototography of nature scenes, rather than killing the animals that live there. 

Thirty-five years ago, during a cool summer evening, I was lying on a blanket, under a live oak tree in the Umtanum Mountain Range North of Yakima, in central Washington State.  I fell asleep while waiting for the sunset to appear.  I was lost somewhere in a peaceful dream, when a noise awoke me . . . The sound of two bull Elk were sparring, working their horns together. I was completly surrounded by a large herd of Elk drifting toward their night cover.   The scene included calves playing,  young bulls challenging each other’s strength, and cows grazing on the meadow. 

The scene I will never forget, however, was the majestic king of the herd, the BIG DADDY of them all, standing with his antlers high above his body, with the multi colors of crimson reflected in the clouds in the background.  Standing proudly, he became a masterpiece of silhouette art, filtered among the hues of soft pinks and pastel blues painted in the clouds of the western heavens.  A vision of heavenly grandeur!

During our travels in the summer of 1994, we visited a wolf sanctuary near Winchester in the Panhandle of Idaho.  The museum on the site was very inspiring and informative.  We learned more about the  preservation of wild life, as well as the reintroduction of wolves into the wild frontiers of North America.  Wolves are such majestic animals!

This visit led to our love for wolf decor in our home.  We enjoy bringing the natural part of our beautiful world into our living space.