I AM INTERESTED IN TAKING THE PA TAXIDERMY EXAM SOON. IS IT NECESSARY TO HAVE SOME TYPE OF SCHOOLING OR APPRENTICE WORK TO TAKE THE TEST? I HAVE LEARNED THE ART HANDS ON, VIDEOS AND I THINK I AM DOING PRETTY GOOD, HOWEVER I WANT TO KNOW IF I NEED TO FURTHER MY EDUCATION BEFORE I TAKE THE TEST. ANY HELP?
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Mike not sure about the PA testing. But the first thing you need to learn, is stop posting a question in all caps.
Coyote
Chance always prefers the prepaired mind. Learn to spell taxidermy lingo and key words. If your from Pennsylvania, go back and finish 7th grade, then try 8th, and so on. And just as Coyote suggested, do not type in large caps, its a bad habbit. :-)
no, schooling is not a mandate nor is an apprentiship, although they may be beneficial. however you will need to provide your own work as an example of your ability, you will be asked to perform some sort of taxidermy procedure in front of the examiners as well as a written test. contrary to what you may be told, the test is not impossible , present the examining board with your best work and be prepared for a thorough critique. a good place to find out more would be the pta. web site. there is a forum where you can ask questions and get more imfo. i would also contact the pa. game comm.and get a copy of the latest taxidermy hand book. also join the pta. you will find many people willing to share their knowledge with you. best of luck
Mike,If you know any local taxidermists,ask them.The greater majority of taxidermists are much kinder and helpful than the two who posted answers before me. If you need assistance in locating a few taxidermists in Pa., call Cindy Crain at NTA headquarters,she is always incredibly helpful. NTA headquarters' phone number is 985-641-9463.
I hope you got as good of a laugh as I did at Johnson's reply. Talk about someone who needs to go back to school. Johnson, I think it's the 3rd grade you need to revisit to learn about contractions,you're not "your" and habit not "habbit"! You are telling Mike to learn to spell?
A bit harsh on your responses..
School is not required but it certainly helps if you're new to the field, I personally would think it would be very hard to learn from videos and books alone, maybe that's just me though..My spouse went to Northwood and passed the test right out of school with no other previous experience, the mounts were far from perfect but they passed, so don't think you have to be a master of the art to pass, contrary to what you might hear, the test is very basic. If school is not an option for you, try attending seminars and conventions..I believe there will be some small regional comps coming up in Sept. I know there is one in Pymatuming at that time anyway...Check the Pa site under Associations at the top of the page..
Good luck
TJ
I wasn't trying to be sarcatic, And I was being nice when I told Mike not to post a question in all caps. It's just common sense, and a whole lot easier to read. I hope that was kind enough for you.
Coyote
Apparently Johnson didn't finish 7th grade. Before you criticize others you need to proof your responses. "If your from Pennsylvania, go back and finish 7th" should be If you're from Pennsylvania. I am glad to see that Mike got some useful information from others. That is what this website is supposed to be about anyway.
I hope this is easier to read. To all who gave the info I was looking for, THANK YOU! To anyone else well I did go through 6th & 7th grade & that was where I was taught to be nice to others. I'm sorry to see you were taught ignorance instead!
I apologize to all, especially to Mike. Hey Mike, I wish you the best! I was making fun of people from Pennsylvania not finishing school. I did graduate from high school, but spelln wasn't 1 of my's four ta's. Plus, I didn't use the spell check in my post. Egg on my face, anyone have salt to go with my crow? Good luck Mike in your Taxidermy adventures! Johnson