Can someone explain to me what qualifies a mount for competition. Does it have to be, like ... perfect hide, detail work, pose ? So what is it I'm working towards?
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You, IMHO and from what I have read are working to match nature. I will find out just how bad I am this year as it will be my first time to compete. Try to get the best specimen you can to start with then get as much reference and go to town. Good Luck
It is a secret. It is like getting an A+ on a test, but you do not know what the questions will be. I am no judge, but some things that they look for in the professional division, they may overlook in the novice division. Nevertheless, they mostly look at every detail to see if you did it right. They give you 100 points to start out with and deduct points for flaws. After my wife scores me, I end up with a zero. What you are working for is to find out what division you will be entered in. Youth, novice, professional, masters, open, whatever. Then show up and be brave. Make the mount to match reference pictures to the best of you're ability. You do not need a perfect cape, but the fewer repairs you make the nicer the mount.
Make sure the eyes are painted the correct color, ears are the same, hair patterns are correct, nose skin is positioned right, lips not shrunken, no drumming anywhere, no shrinkage around antler burrs, no sewing showing, repairs made correctly, everything that you can think of, make it the best you can, and just show up.
Overall cemetery of eyes, ears, lip hair even on both sides, eyelashes angled correctly, ear butts even and atomically positioned correctly, brisket placement, ears need to be nice and crisp, the pose of the manikin has nothing to do with the score, but a nice offset sweep is better than an upright if trying to impress a judge IMO. Nose and eye skin need painted correctly, no over spray or clay showing anywhere, no shrink or drumming, nostrils need to be deep and nicely done, watch that lower lip for shrinkage. The list is endless.
You should complete and strive and study for all your work as if you were doing it for the Lord himself as the client no matter what. Then you will see it improve greatly.
The only difference is the stuff that you cant see....
like the inner ear detail, the inner nose detail, how much grooming you do, how much time you spend finishing
The other stuff like making it look like, say for instance, a deer, is supposed to be done everytime, just not everybody does it. A deer eye is supposed to look like a deer eye regardless of if it is a competition piece or some kids first deer. Customers are only looking on the stuff they can see from across the room. Judges however like to crawl up inside and count boogers in the nose and see if there are any potatoes groing in the ears.