I haven't competed yet but am going to the NY show in August and was going to try to bring a few mounts. I'm still learning and the mounts I have tried to make "Show Worthy" I have made a few mistakes on or like my pheasant lots of lower back pin feathers. Iv'e read here that if you want a good evaluation enter in the professional. I just don't want to waste peoples time showing something substandard. I really want to get better and feel that the best way would be to enter and get hammered a few times and learn. I guess my question is is it insulting to a judge to enter something you know has problems? I just want to participate and don't know the show ropes at all yet....any advice?
Thanks,
Mike
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By all means do your best and enter it! Take the critique sheet and have the judge go over it with you.
Do one other thing, follow the judge while they critique other mounts.
You can learn so much more by doing so!
Good luck! Learn well!
The show isnt till August, why not try getting an A-1 speciman to do your best with? Its not insulting, the judges understand. But why handicap yourself right from the git-go? Its harder to mount a sub-par specimen. Pin feathers dont even preserve very well. Try to do another mount by then, but surly bring something, youll enjoy the experince. Ill be the deer judge, by the way.
Mike, I entered my first show in Indaina back in March, with only 5 months of training under my belt and it was great. The knowledge you can get from the critques is so helpful, Bill Yox, was the whitetail judge and I learned alot from him. Go for it!
Thanks for the responses..I'm going to bring them along with my first attempt at a Bobcat..the skin is great..the rest is up to me.
Thanks again,
Mike
Best of luck on your mount presentation. Like Bill Yox said above...why present something 'you know in your own mind'...to not be 'your best'? You'll only kick yourself later if there are any 'guffaws' in your presense while on didplay. Don't embarass yourself by not feeling good about your work.
It's called 'keeping it in the back room' as something to be proud of in your earlier attempts at developing your skills.
Get a good Bobcat Mounting Video...(try WASCO...studio quality videos)...plenty of references...a great form to show off your cat dignifyingly...and tell us which ribbon you came home with. Good luck m'friend.
~ ETCC
Mike,
Definitely go for it and remember, you willprobably be your harshest critic. I have done mounts for people that I thought were sub-par and my tutor (a taxidermist with over 15 yrs under his belt) reviewed them, he pointed out some things, but felt they were not as bad as I thought. It really helps to put a prospective on your skills when these "experts" critique your work - it'll only make you better and if you are entering in a "Novice" class, believe me you will not be wasting the judges time. Learning & Teaching should Never be thought of as "Wasted Time"
Good Luck & Keep on learning, if you didn't learn something new this week - that'd be a waste.
Take Care, Peace,
Kurt
I started "stuffing" squirells 6 months ago, thought it was fun, mounted a couple of ducks, a coon, and a bobcat. Last weekend I entered one duck, the coon and the cat in the amature division of the TTAI convention, I figured if I could get an honorable mention out of just one I'd be really happy, well I scored high enough to get 2 2nds and a third place ribbon. I learned soooooo much by going I don't think my little brain will ever be the same. Enter your mounts, you'll learn tons,have a good time and get some helpfull crituqe (sp?) on you work.
Have fun and lots of luck!
Steve