Date of Birth: February 5, 1957
Place of Birth: Kingman, Arizona
Current Location: Kingman, Arizona
Henry Aguilar, born in Kingman, Arizona on Feb 5, 1957, was raised outdoors where he spent his youth discovering the magic of wildlife and their interactions with each other and their habitat. In the early 70’s, Henry’s fascination with ecology, coupled with his budding artistic interests, developed into a driving passion that prompted him to take the Northwestern Taxidermy correspondence courses. Mounting everything he could get his hands on, his confidence increased and hung out his shingle. As the only taxidermist in Kingman, the trophies poured in and Henry’s experience and skill level quickly grew. His humility, straight-forward honesty, top-quality work habits, and fair business practices were the recipe for success, which forged a bond of trust within the outdoor community not seen in many years. This early entrenchment into the outdoor community, in addition to his easy-going nature and Mayberry mentality of honor and handshakes, opened the door and Henry’s popularity soared.
Rather than basking in the glow of his success, Henry took responsibility for his education and never stopped trying to perfect his art. His goal was to get his mounts looking as close to Mother Nature as possible. Henry strove diligently to enhance his understanding of animal behavior and anatomy. He raised live deer and other animals for reference and still runs a mini-farm. He served a short apprenticeship with master sculptor, Forrest Hart, where Henry’s understanding of anatomy and sculpture rocketed to new levels. He attended NTA and state conventions where he hungrily absorbed information from the seminars and specialized trainings put on by the world’s leading artists. Henry said the best part about competing was the one-on-one critique by the judges after the show.
Henry expressed gratitude for the talented artists who helped him gain a footing in the industry—artists like Henry Inchumuk, Jeff Seivers, and Forrest Hart, to name a few. This early desire to learn all he could from whomever he could helped shape his mindset for the master artist & educator he was to become. To this day, Henry assists anyone in any way he can. He has no closely guarded trade secrets and believes educating each other helps lift the industry as a whole. In fact, Henry gives God all of the credit for everything he’s accomplished. As a man of faith, Henry sincerely feels very blessed. Personally, I believe it’s this spiritual focus that sets Henry’s mounts in a class all their own.
Henry’s contributions to the industry don’t stop at his mounting stand & salt pile. He is and always has been deeply involved in his family and community. In addition to running a business, he sponsors youth activities, attends church regularly, was a boy scout leader, volunteered at the schools (Henry’s wife Hilda was a school teacher), and plays guitar when requested for special occasions (Henry is an extremely gifted musician). Henry is active in organizations that benefit wildlife such as the AZ Antelope Foundation (Founding Member), AZ Taxidermy Artist’s Association (President 1990’s), Ducks Unlimited, Desert Bighorn Sheep Society, FNAWS, Trout Unlimited and others.
