now that the testing is over and we all await our results, I would like to take a moment to thank Paul Czarnecki, and all the other examiners, they did a great job explaining the many problems I had with my mounts, and they did it in a professional and very helpful way, they not only told me my problem areas but helped me with the best way to correct them. No I dont expect to pass the exam this time, but I could do one of 2 things, sit in my hotel room and feel sorry for myself (which I did anyway lol) or make this a learning experience and take away from it as much as I can, I feel that the 50 dollars i spent to try my luck was money well spent to have my work looked over and critiqued, anyway best of luck to all who tested and thanks again to our examiners. Derek (Croc)
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You had a good experence with the guys but not so nice knowing your not going to make it. I do wish you better luck next time you go and take your test.
I don't know if your a member of our association or not. If so please join us in March and learn on how to help you pass the state test. these guys are there to answer you questions. Also you'll meet a ton of folks who can help you out also. I for one am always willing to help out any one as with many other out there.
I will say it with the help of the PTA I got very far in career and I say ,many thanks to them for putting up with all of my gripes LOL.
Our site is http://www.pataxidermy.com/
Look us up we're here to help out.
Listen to Frank, It is also a good idea to bring a piece or two that
you will be taking to the next exam and enter them in the competition.
My husband took the test this past spring, while they liked his worked, they had gave him tips about everything he brought in about how to do it better so don't think you didn't pass because they gave you what you might feel were negative comments about your work ..they're just trying to help you improve your skills..You should find out soon, the paperwork came within 2 weeks..Good luck to you and if you shouldn't pass~~I'll see you there next spring..I'm taking my test for birds then
Good Luck
I have herd many people state extremely negative things about the Pa test. I have listened to both sides for a long time. I have occasionally posted my opinions on the test. I agree that the state has the right to test a potential Taxidermist's knowledge of game laws. But I have never agreed that any part of the test should be subject to the opinions of another individuals judgment on ones quality of work. There is no reason for the state to set such a standard. Unless it deals with public safety.
During the last 3 days of testing I have set up a test for the Pa. Test. Here is how it works.
I hired a shill to take the test. The participant was given the state book to study. and several pre tests were given to them. I then either had mounted, or purchased the five specimens required for the test, from five different Licensed Pennsylvania Taxidermists. To make sure the Shill was not less than enthusiastic about the test. They were told, that if they passed their would be a $500.00 bonus for them. They took the test. Now I do realize that the outcome of the test would be invalid for the participant, because the affidavit they signed was fraudulent but since the shill did not use their real name. The resulting license would be worthless anyhow. Now all we have to do is sit back and wait. If the shill fails because of the written portion, then I guess I will have wasted some time and expense. But if they fail because of the practical or mounts presented. We will all know that the test is bogus. it will prove that portion of the test is useless. As once a taxidermist has a license, there is no mandate for them to perform work to any particular standard. It will also show that the test places higher quality mandates on new comers, than the average licensed Taxidermist produces. Now let's see what happens.
anyone can "memorize" the material in the hand book, but if they cannot
explain how they applied the knowledge to the mounts they brought
in, or cannot demonstrate something in the practical that they supposedly
"knew how to do" based on the answer in the written, then they obviously
did not do the mounts and could be subject to failure of the exam. that
is the whole purpose behind the three parts. If a person brings a
male pheasant to the exam and on the practical portion doesn't know
what a male pheasant I looks like, I would be suspicious of the work that
person brought to the exam. How about a grouse? their specimen has a
hazel eye, but on the practical they choose brown. Maybe instead of
the practical portion testing specimen eyes, they have the person sculpt
an ear butt on a deer. If the person has the hands on experience, especially
with todays "lego" mannikins and earliners, they should come close. But
if your "Shill" has never seen a mannikin or a natural look earliner.
sculpting that ear but could be a disaster thus cluing the examiner in
that your "Shill" really didn't do the work. Thus your assumption about
the test being bogus is in-fact wrong. Should your "Shill" PASS the exam,
then congratulations you put one over on the examiners. Nobody ever claimed
the exam was perfect.
Now if your shill used a bogus name, he had to use a valid address, I would
be looking over the shoulder if you indeed did pull off this shenanigan, I'm
sure the PGC won't have too much trouble finding you and it will cost you
much more that the $500 bonus, the $50 for the exam, Travel costs and mount
costs.
I had mixed feeling. When I moved up here folks told me that the PTA was a real tough, but strong organization and when it comes to the test, Guide lines are few. This was even told to me bye a person who they all know and was once a big part of the PTA. That alone being from NJ was gut wrenching. Because of past things I have heard about the exam. And than came the BIG SECRET about the test. No one would tell me anything; they just said they weren't allowed. OR never responded to my inquiries. I have NO DOUBT THAT On the practical I did very well and I also believe I did well on the written. Knowing I got a few of them wrong. But that"s it. All I know is, that if these folks judged my pieces to belittle and break me, they won. And the score was 5 to 0 LOL They knew there stuff!. I had a few compliments regarding proper care and the cleanliness of my mounts and also about my nice paint job on my fish. And will take the critiquing they gave to heart and do a better job in the future. However, They could have done what they did in a much different way. I was thrown so many things, that I couldn't explain things that were definitely pertinent to the test. YES there were some things I disagreed with but just shook my head and said ok or yes sir and listened! Because I felt like I needed to keep my mouth shut. Although I did not think this was a competition. On the commercial end of taxidermy they seemed very picky and harsh. Not the things that they pointed out but how it was done. It's not like I didn't know there were things wrong with my pieces and expected things to be explained. On ways to better my work. At times they were, and at other times these folks were down right degrading. Or at least I can say that's truly how they came across. I listened and asked questions regarding the Laws and how to better my work, was as professional as I could possibly be and I respected them all.......... that, is before I headed home....... . Has anyone heard of constructive criticism? And I am surprised of that because some of these guys are Nationally known as Judges and top Taxidermist in our Country. We are all in this together to better our lives and to do what we enjoy, God willing. Or in my case, to continue to do what I have been doing for over 15 yrs. with out any headaches or out side hardships. And that is the right of every American. And none should be discriminated against because of race, creed or color, ? But as far as I can see commercial work is such, and competition works is all in it's own category. I can say that with the lack of time on my hands and the lack of $ I have at this time in my life. Being on the road between 40 and 60 hrs a month driving back and forth, sleeping in a garage with out a toilet or running water for 3 or 4 days at a time to try and complete my past out of state work-load. And to make enough money just to make ends meet.
I referred back to my old but very competent way of wrapping bird bodies and carving my own fish form .No they weren"t perfect either. And I never claimed to be perfect. I have no extra time to spend on anything, especially on competing. That does not bring home the bacon. Nor does it buy my children clothes or pay for their DR bill"s. Again, I state I knew that they weren't perfect. And all but the duck because that was my own personal bird were picked up and paid for happily bye my customers back in NJ. .
Over all I feel I did pretty well. So If I fail I can blame it on the state of NJ for not making me pass a test for a license. Bottom line! I have no excuses and I will chalk this up to experience and take what I have learned and apply it in the future. If there has to be a next time, I will bring competition quality mounts and also bring reference with me so I may dispute things they say if I disagree with them. And yes, our goals should be to create the best possible mount we can. That is our responsibility to our creator. Who according to the Bible I read will judge us as we treat and judge others.
In the Art, Ernie Kuhn
After just to make ends meet. That life has been very tryin over the last 14 months.
Did I miss something Ernie? You had two examiners for your exam. Ty Snider and ME! Which one of us was degrading? If you think what you were told about your mounts at that exam was degrading and NOT constructive criticism you should really rethink your choice of a career and definitely keep your "happy customers" in NJ.
At what point in your 20 minute critique did you disagree with what I or Mr. Snider was saying? I realize you consider yourself a "Master Taxidermist by NTA standards" as you stated in the resume you attached to your application but the questions you asked me about the competition process indicated you have never entered a competition and the flaws we found with your mounts concerned BASIC TAXIDERMY. YOU were the only one that brought up the word "competition" when you asked me about entering one. I encourage EVERYONE to enter competitions as a way to get CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM about improving their work.
I'm sorry you feel you were degraded at the exam. I'm also sorry I didn't question you further about your "achievements at State, Regional and National Competitions". However, I'm MOST sorry that you had to post this hypocritical, ego-soothing, whining for the rest of the world to see without having the balls to call me first or at least the INTELLIGENCE to wait until you got your results.
Paul,
Sorry but that is how you and especially Ty made me feel. I took your criticism fine, with the exception of the point made that I need to check my reference of black duck feet. I know and you should also that a black can even have green feet. Orange, orange and brown or even reddish orange how about in-between? And with your statements above I now believe that you did in deed discriminate against me ! How about the fact that I told you that birds were my weakest point. Just so happens I had to identify all those duck heads {coincidence?}Did pretty good NO? In fact I know I got them all right. I have reference pictures and casts of fox feet and you can not tell me that a gray's foot should like a reds as Ty did. Remember it's also called a tree fox and they do indeed have a wider and flatter foot. The reference cast I have shows an impression of just over 2 inches. Or saying that the white on the hind legs should not show more than half way. I replaced that tail because the original had some slippage before it was brought to me. Ty said it was twisted Not true I do however feel the stitches a bit but you cannot tell that the tail was from a different animal. Which according to your hand out was what was expected. Instead of disputing these things I kept my mouth shut. Worrying that you may not like it If This JERSEYITE could either prove one of you wrong or tried explaining myself and one of you taking that as disrespect. No one ever told me that one could not use poly filled wrapped wire for the tail. I used a real nose and Ty though it was a repro so That must have been done right?
As for the partial snarling open mouth and a slight over bite on the bottom lip. If my dog snarls his nose and skin do in fact move in ward thus making it look as if he closed his mouth he would have a slight over bite All in all I know I didn't give my best effort for whatever reasons. I guess Bill Yox, Richard Christoforo , Bob Coughlin , Cary Cochran, Bill Hayes, Ron Reynolds, Mike Gillis and those other judges must not remember me. Nor ever seen me compete at state level NTA sanctioned competitions And I never said I competed nationally or regionally. I really can't see where you are coming from on that level. I never had enough Money to travel like some of you who were blessed either with a wife with a great salary. I never settled a law suite for a large sum of money and I wasn't an engineer that retired and took Taxidermy up as a hobby. I can't afford to spend weeks on pieces when I have to worry about where my children's next meal is going to come from. However I have never had things handed to me and I worked hard, very hard to get to where I am at today. Things didn"t come easy. But with the critiques of some of the most trusted names in the business. And sitting in on their seminars I have accomplished Blue ribbons in Fish and also on deer heads, Boar heads and a nice Mule deer pedestal mount. I can prove this if you can"t seem to believe this. And as I see it, all that garbage seems like a personal attack. You can"t break my spirit any more than you guys did. Please don"t put things down here that I never claimed because that shows your bias system at work. And that in deed you do discriminate against others whom come from a different state who have been practicing the art of taxidermy. I haven"t lied to any of you. And would not do such just to cover my rear end. In fact all those people I talked to signed an affidavit stating that they skinned, cured and mounted the pieces. Which is untrue because I know some of them had their skins tanned by a tannery or bought a tanned hide this was said directly to me. I did however tan my deer hide, which TY said he liked and didn"t have anything to say about it. No drumming. Etc yes there was some pink paint on the upper right nostril inside nose hair. Than he threw in the fact that the bottom lip should be only as wide as the nose pad from a frontal view. I have reference that clearly shows this is not always true.. I also tanned the gray fox.
All I was saying on the above post was that your test is like a competition. And on the mounting part you were much harder than I ever imagined. Most of the things pointed out were true. And I did learn some important things at the exam. And will use the advice in the future. I didn"t mean to start any trouble. But I needed to express the way I feel. Not knowing what you folks were exactly looking for. And seeing the local work around here made me believe that I would have no problem using my commercial work. Your test is like a competition. And I guess that once you pass you can give a customer mounts that look 30yrs old and that will fall apart in a few years without any consequences. So why even have people bring mounts except to see if they can actually mount a specimen. I have no time for egos that is why I no longer belong to some of the other state associations as I once did. And I never attacked anyone. Just spoke what I have been feeling the last couple of days.
If I hurt your feelings I am sorry. If I do horrible work sorry Again and last I again I state that those whom judge will be treated the same way they treat and judge others on their final test of this life. Respectfully, Ernie Kuhn
Ernie,
I appreciate that you're probably frustrated and nervous about the results of the state exam. However, I also have some feelings on the matter. I don't think that Paul convinced the other committee members to make the practical matching bird heads-- just to make it more difficult for you. And most taxidermists aren't blessed with money (or a wife/husband with money). Many that I know, and know of, are just like you... there's a reason they're charging for their time and efforts instead of giving their work away. PA has taxidermists from all different states, you being from New Jersey has nothing to do with the matter. If you'd like to see what a PA competition is really like, attend either of our mini-shows (in either Harrisburg or Sept. 19 & 20 in Pymatuning) or our state convention in March.
My advise to you is relax, congratulate yourself on taking the next step, and wait until your results arrive. If happen to not pass and you still have questions, then contact someone to see what you can do better next time. There are a lot of people out there willing to answer any questions you have (Frank Kotula and Perry Klein, Paul Czarnecki and Ty Snider... all more than willing to help). But don't badmouth two of the people who work very hard on educating and promoting taxidermy in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. If the committee were there to degrade and belittle and keep things a secret, they wouldn't put out an informational packet and they wouldn't hold informational meetings in hopes to further educate (and also dismiss many fears) about the exam.
Make sure you get your facts straight, and make sure it's not your emotions speaking. Watch the way that you treat others, because it is just as important as the way you feel they're treating you.
Best of luck,
Christie
just wondering, if your "shill" used a different name how did he/she take the test, I know that i personally had to show my drivers license as proof of identity, and while we're at it,Ernie you should be grateful to have practiced taxidermy for 15 years so you at least had a chance on the hands on, since I can not legally mount any animals for anyone other than myself there was no way that I would have the opportunity or reason to be able to identify any of those waterfowl heads, luckily I mounted a gifted woodduck for the test so I knew which one that was, not being a waterfowler I was very much at a disadvantage, but you know what, thats the breaks I should have studied my reference and my supply catalogs harder, you can bet I will come april if need be, again good luck to all who tested and thanks again to Paul and Ty, Derek
I am not bad mouthing anyone . I never mentioned names until Paul did. Just defending myself at this point. Remember I was the won that the bad mouthing was done to and about. Not your comittee members. All I said was that I disagreed with some things. And also the way I felt I was treated. And it was mostly the way they came across to me. Not their critiques. Except for the points above about the gray fox. But with Paul's response, Boy did he seem to take it personally and attack me personally. And he actually made some statements claiming I said things that were never said...and never put on my application. I I guess I am just misunderstood. Oh well Like I said before, I will chalk this up to expierence and move on. And use what I have learned to better myself and my work. Again I stress I didn't want to start a fight. Or have people get all bent out of shape. If any one wants to see a pictures of my mounts I would be glad to send them just leave your e-mail on here and I will foward them to you. Ernie
Maybe if you want to test the PA test, you should do a walk though, of every practicing taxidermist in PA. Then pick another state and do the same.
Although I'm against testing, I think you'll find the system does work.
*Practicing Taxidermist is anyone taking money for the service.
if this is an art.
I'm not shur the aesthetic view of one man should determine the livelihood of another.
I do like the idea of the free lesson. Consider that being worth $400.00
The saying goes CYA. P/O boxes are very easy to rent. as are addresses in commercial mail routing systems. It is also very easy to give any address, then go to the post office and put in an address change forwarding the mail for a particular person to a P/O box. Ids can be acquired very easily.
Selecting a shill takes time though. One must have a firm background as a hunter in order to understand much about game and many of the things hunters naturally know about taxidermy. I am not worried about any fines the PGC may Try to levy. As willful fraud with malicious intent is no issue here. Fraud with investigative intent is of little concern to the courts. Besides this has cost far more than a $500.00 bonus, $50.00 test fee, and some travel expenses. I had to pay my shill daily wages. as well as a taxidermist to let the shill watch him work for 3 days so the shill would have a good understanding of the taxidermy process. Trust Me I did not select a dummy for the position.
There are a few reasons I have done this. One is someone challenged my ability to do so. The second Is for people like Ernie. Here is a man that has practiced taxidermy for years. and has produced acceptable commercial work in another state. Now I do not know if he has or will pass the test. It is possible that he may have. And is overreacting to his personal take on how he did on it. However, If he passes the written portion concerning the game laws. but fails because of the examiners OPINION of his quality of workmanship. Than that is just wrong. Test ones knowledge of the game laws, test the knowledge of disposal of chemicals, and animal matter. But ones ability to earn a living should NEVER be determined bay the aesthetic value of ones work.
AN electrician is tested on his knowledge of his trade as it pertains to safety. Not on how pretty his wiring job is.
Pa. Would like us to believe that they are concerned for the consumer. but the truth of the matter is that the state has allowed parties with other interest to influence the way their test is run. There is no foundation for testing ones anatomical accuracy of a taxidermy mount. We all know that 90% of taxidermy business comes from referrals. If a taxidermists work is so bad that his customers bad mouth him. Than he will not get many referrals, and will soon be out of business. Although some taxidermist may deviate from correct anatomy they still produce a very attractive mount. Some of the deviations may be found more desirable to the viewer of their work. By mandating anatomical correctness in taxidermy mounts. The state is depriving the people of the fresh artistic impressionism of the individual artist. Are all mounts in the commonwealth to be carbon copies of one another? Is that what Pa. is striving for? I am not saying that Pa. does not have fine taxidermist. I have been to shows and seen some fantastic work. however creativity should not be limited to the habitat or pose of a mount. I looked at a deer mount in the shop of a taxidermist that was entitled spotlight buck. at first glance I felt the eyes were far to open. and it brought to mind the old bug eyed mounts of the 30s. as I looked the mount over I realized that the taxidermist was trying to achieve a look of total surprise and possibly shock on the deer. the more I looked, the more the overall look came together. Now, I as well as every taxidermist know that deer eyes show little real expression but the taxidermist achieved his goal and I understood the feelings he was trying to portray. In Pa. such creativity would be outlawed. And should not be.
A stand needs to be taken to bring to light the value of Pa. testing. In its present form. maybe the examiners look upon the work presented to them as entry level taxidermy work. And base their judgment with that in mind. But the simple fact of the matter is there is no Reason in today's world for ANYONE'S livelihood to be dependent on SOMEONE ELSE'S OPINION of the quality of their work. I have herd It said that even the examiners know that the test is not perfect. But it is the best they have. Yet NO ONE will work toward getting it changed. those who fail simply grumble about it, then retake the test Time and time again. Or give up. Those that pass don't care. they don't care that they have been forced to reproduce someone else's work. That their individuality has been surrendered to a law that is unconstitutional. They are just so happy to be done with it. Then they fall into the better than thaw mode and sit idly by wile the rest of the beginners become victimized by a seriously flawed system.
Living in Pa, working in the area of Guns and Archery, I have seen alot of Taxidermy work...(Local) some is pure artwork. I am a beginner, but I can tell the difference between quality work and not so good work. When I am told by strangers that a piece that I have done looks much more realistic than a local licensed taxidermist, and I feel I still need to improve prior to taking the test? Hey, I don't claim to know what goes on at those things but it seems like a cash cow to me. I want to get my license someday, hence the "no chance name", I just don't get it. Test me all day on the legalities, but let my customers decide the quality. By the way, if I cannot do work for my friends legally and cannot afford to attend a school or buy specimens, how do I get experience?...my own stuff? I wish I had all day to hunt and fish and you only get so many tags. License? sure you should know the law, but even the best Taxidermists disagree on some of the finer points, being from Pa. I guess you would have to figure out what they prefer to test succesfully. Please understand my point, this is not meant to take anything from the examiners, they are giving thier time and opinion which is more than likely worth the $50 and more..it just seems filled with "CASH COW". What if I carve fish? Carve decoys? Anatomy and painting seem to be important there...why no license? Let the public decide if my work is worth thier money...as long as I do it legally. If my work is substandard, it will only take so long for me to disappear. Welcome to the communistwealth.
I not only have done work for NJ residence I have done work in the past for Professional people From PA, NY, KY, VT, MD, DE, AL, VA And also Fl So MY ? For you is should they all be included in you out of line statement?
In reading your response to some criticism, you did indeed get very critical yourself in your wording. Far more critical than Ernie's post. This was displayed with your use if CAPITAL LETTERING. (Shouting)
In disassembling your post it does appear that you do have some issues and bias with out of state people as I hear in your words that state
"you should really rethink your choice of a career and definitely keep your "happy customers" in NJ."
I would think a person that is in charge of a test like this would handle himself more professionally. Respectfully Mike Bamrick
I recieved a letter today from the game commission stating i passed the state licensing exam. I too, was sure i would fail,the critques
i recieved were extremely thorough, maybe intimidating to a point, for myself a beginner. I also realized they were indeed true after comming home and restudying my reference materials. I would also like to mention that the things i did well on, were also mentioned.Ive read
so many negative things about the exam that i was ready to throw in the towl before i ever took it! Ive practiced this art for less than a yr. and for the most part home schooled. I might add ive done this on a shoe string budget, beg borrowing and just about anything i could do to get specimens and materials for practice. The most helpful thing i did was join the pta. The members i met were extremely helpful to me. I would like to thank Scott Lengle of wildfowl taxidermy and jason krause of krauses taxidermy who came to my home and critiqued my work along the way, your pointers obviou
sly were good sound advice. Paul Czarnecki who answered all my posts on the pta website and who also gave me good direction, and also to Marcus Zimmerman who taught me what good deer eyes are, what a difference an eye makes and to the many many people on this web site who offer their advice and experiences free of charge,also to WASCO for making it all possible. thanks all
hat's off to you Paul K I guess there is still hope!
I can honestly say that Paul Czarnecki Is one of the best taxidermist in the nation. And I do admire the work and accompishments he has acchieved. On all the other posts I said this also. And I also stated that I will take the critiquing to heart and will use what I have learned on all future mounts. Is or is this not what this is all supposed to be about? It all comes down to the way I felt on that 5 hr ride home. Again I stated that I knew I did not bring my best work . I also said I had no excuses. I just wished there was a way for the secrets of the test to be open so I could have brought pieces that included all the things Paul And Ty and the other examiners were looking for. I have read many times that you look at the testing as if the work was entry level Taxidermy. And therefor at this point,I can sleep at night. And maybe I felt the pressures of what has been going on in my life. Excluding my birds And I did get my $50 worth from you Paul. On the Bird Critiques And now am able to place the wings on a standing bird correctly. As simple as it may seem inserting the wires at the correct angle. From the top and not the side worked well. the first thing I have done since I returned home is mounted one of my personal hen mallards And with the information you gave me I can say my duck looks much better than any previous standing bird I have ever done. And I didn't use a coat hanger for the feet I used 12 guage wire and stapled the wire to the underside of the piece of driftwood and it is much more sturdier then the previous. Thank you for that. I also used copper wire for the neck wire and this helped out when I posed the bird. And have more of an S shape as far as the head and neck go. I did disagree with some of the oppinions Ty had on the gray fox. And you and Ty may disagree whith the way I felt and that is your right As well as the way I felt was mine. Again If I offended you or any one I am truly sorry and ask your forgivness. No more mud slinging. I do indeed look foward in Joining the PTA and learning all I can to better my work. After all it is the strongest State association for taxidermist in America. My gripe was not with the critiques it was just the way it seemed done. Than when I read your post you did seem to justify what I felt. And Paul you were right about the duck I broke the neck on the way home.LOL
Even if I rubbed you the wrong way I would one day like to take some bird classes. That is If I can work and make a living here in PA. And afford to do so. In the Art,
Ernie Kuhn
As this thread seems to be calming, I would just like to say that it has been quite interesting to read this from a customer's perspective. Ernie has done work, exceptional work, for my family, my friends and myself prior to his departure for PA. I do believe "ego" was an appropriate word used while describing Ernie as he was always so determined to give us quality products with every attention given to his work as it was in life. This same "ego" is also very likely to cause friction when discussing/critiquing work at your level, but it is this very dialogue that is great for all and in the end especially the customer. With some of the horrid work that I have had done by other taxidermists, I am glad that PA cares enough about this profession and its customers to ensure that standards of quality are met. I hope that all this clears and a great partnership develops in PA. Keep it positive! NJ Scott
Got the results in this afternoon. Even though I was exactly correct on my take on the exam I identified all the bird heads correctly and got only 3 answers wrong out of 25 thus receiving a score of 88% . My birds and mammals failed. Now I have no choice but to leave my family behind so I may complete my past NJ workload. And earn enough $ to get the hell out of the Communist state of PA. Bailey we need to talk. I have allready contacted the necessary parties to take the next step and we will one day see if the PA test is un-constitutional or not. Also the integrity ? and the statements and lies posted here bye Mr Czarnecki will also be tested. And the IP address of those others who posted un authored post here or on the other posts about the PA test will be identified and if they came from anyone from the PA board oh well they will be included.
It is just a shame you people as Paul said Haad the balls to do such a thing.. We will see how intelligent one can be when he has benn screwed ! See ya all soon Ernie
Just so happens the date on my paperwork is dated the day after I posted the first post a nother coincidence? I guess!
Ernie
although I do not totally agree with the testing I can say with sincerity that if you failed that exam you certainly did not show up with mounts that were fundamentally sound. Here is the secret you wish you had--fundamentally sound commercial quality work. I don't know you and have probably never seen any work you have completed but I do know that the exam really is no big deal if you are simply a skilled and knowledgable taxidermist. I do however know several of the examiners and I can tell you that they can and will correctly identify passable work. I failed the exam my first time around and looking back I can tell you I was not producing mounts that I would consider commercial. I chose a different path than you and worked on correcting the problem areas until I achieved a good commercial mount. I do agree with you on some substandard mounts being produced after testing. I have seen that here in my studio--but what can be done to correct that? You have a real problem with one test how would you react to re-testing every 5 years? I believe the current objective is to determine at the time of testing is that individual producing fundamentally sound commercial taxidermy. Once that individual is licensed that individual hopefully will have enough pride to want to continue down a quality path and not regress. I am sorry that your pride is hurt and it is unfortunate that you made the choice to leave your family but I would advise you to take those critiques to heart. You yourself stated that your work has improved since the exam. Mount the required specimans and re-take the test. I think if you do so you will see that the individuals that looked your mounts over may have helped you more than you imagine. I wish you good fortune in whatever your future holds be it in Pa or not.
Although I agree their should be testing on the laws of performing taxidermy in the state,such as record keeping,tagging the specimens,and whatever else it takes for the game comm. can keep track of whats going on,I totaly disagree on how the judging of the specimens are done. I never heard of anything so unconstitutional in my entire life| That would be the same as a pofessional meat cutter judging a potential deer processer to see wether or not they qualify to set up shop and try to make a few extra bucks for the up coming holiday. Oops| I forgot, you dont need a license to process deer in PA,"bad example". Point being, how can you possibly think that letting other taxidermist in this state judge someone elses work to see wether or not they get a license is totally wrong| Their judging their own competition for crying out loud| Like I said,I agree with testing on the laws you should know, but the rest of it got to go. Their is no other profession in this state that has a test you have to pass in order to start a business. You may have to obtain a business license from you local city or some kind of permit but that is it. And as far as the game comm. charging 100$ a year to stay licensed, believe me somebody getting fat,and I think the PTA should check into it to see wether or not these other states have to pay this much to their game comm..