About us

IN SOME MEN, THE NEED OF UNBROKEN COUNTRY, PRIMITIVE CONDITIONS, AND INTIMATE CONTACT WITH THE EARTH IS A DEEPLY ROOTED CANCER GNAWING FOREVER AT THE ILLUSION OF CONTENTMENT WITH THINGS AS THEY ARE.

From the September 1938 issue of American Forests magazine

article "Why wilderness" authored by conservationist/woodsman Sigurd Olson

ABOUT US

First things first: The most asked question around here is, “Where did you come up with the name of your studio?” Actually, my business is named after a well-known Northern Michigan wild area, the Deadstream Swamp. The Deadstream is a large, uninhabited area found north and west of Houghton Lake (pronounced Ho-ton), in the Northern Lower Peninsula. This area is large enough, and thick enough that hunters have actually walked off into the swamp and disappeared! It also has the distinction of being the largest White Cedar deer yard in North America. The swamp is famous throughout the Upper Great Lakes region for its excellent habitat for deer, bear, bobcat, and numerous game birds, game animals, and furbearers. Oh yeah, the fishing in the area is good too, as is the birding.

Now, about Jan. W. Morse, the artist. He was born in Ogemaw County, Michigan, the descendant of a young French Canadian logger who came to Roscommon County in the late 1880’s to work in the legendary pineries of the Northern Lower Peninsula (see PHOTOS). Jan and his bride, Sheila, raised their two children in rural Roscommon County. He has been a professional taxidermist, and operated a full-time studio there for many years—over 20 years in their present location alone. In addition to his custom award-winning taxidermy, he also offers several other services/products, such as relief carvings, songbird sculptures, and various types of paintings. He has also started offering a limited guide service as an enjoyable sideline to his studio work. He has spent a lifetime in the outdoors pursuing game, fur, and fish. He is experienced at chasing nearly every type of game animal, game bird, fish, and furbearer found in the Upper Great Lakes region. He is also an avid birder and nature photographer. He held a commission as a Volunteer Michigan Conservation Officer for 16 years to boot, so not only is he familiar with the methods used on the chase, but the laws that protect our very valuable natural resources.

These three photos were taken in Crawford Co Mich. Between 1910 & 1912 in what was known as the Deward tract NW of the town of Frederic. My Great grand father Edward Sheltrown is in two of them. His two oldest boys Clyde & Claude are in all three. Claude was my grandfather. All three of these men lived into their 90s and I remember them well.