Tony,
I have seen your name listed as one of the top bird judges in the country. Would you be willing to give me a little advice on my first comp. duck mount? What are the main things that you knock points off for? What are some common mistakes to avoid? Any other advice that you think is helpful is also appreciated. Thanks!
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It seems that the most important thing to judges is the Anotomy of your bird get all of that correct and you should do fine
Naturalness of form ( the birds not the mannikin) Accuracy of eye set and shapes through out the mount. Use of colors , but shapes and anatomical accuracy are high on the list. When I look at a competition piece, I look for good parts of it not just things to tear it down. A judge can take a beautiful mount and beat it down with little things he doesn't like. I recommend using lot's of reference and not depending on memory. Start with a good specimen. Don't take a bad bird and try to make it good. These are things I learned from the best in the business. I'm still learning also. I've been doing taxidermy for 42 years and My mind is open to new ideas and ways to achieve excellence. Have an open mind and learn from everywhere you can.