In competition, how much, if any does the habitat affect the scoring?
Return to Bird Taxidermy Category Menu
In the beginner/novice/professional divisions, you do not need a habitat. The mount is what is judged. If you want a habitat to go with your mount, keep it simple, it should compliment the mount and not overpower it. However, you do want to catch the judge's eye.
Now in the masters on up divisions, the habitat is expected as part of the mount/display.
Don't know where Mr. T has competed, but every competition I've entered, professional category included, mentioned the inclusion of habitat as part of the mount....wow, how boring a show would it be to have all the professional mounts standing alone on a board...Now I've seen "too much" habitat in a mount that really took away from the mount, but a duck on a piece of board isn't going to score as well as one on a rock, etc... It can be an artistic way of enhancing the overall piece, not overshadowing it however. Just like in "nature", you can see a duck at the park standing on a concrete sidewalk...then see the same bird standing near the shore of the pond with mud and duckweed and grasses...
A habitat cannot increase the score given to your mount. HOWEVER, it CAN lower the score of your mount if it's done improperly. A few years back we had a beautiful October buck eating morning glory flowers over it's head. The judge reduced the score by one point contending that morning glories are spring flowers and inappropriate for an October deer.
It is a necessary part in the display process. You don't need habitat but you do need to find a way to help "show" and accent the taxidermy you wish judged. Bases should emphasise the speciman and not overpower the overall piece(a little goes a long way). Each judge is different but Without a doubt you want the judge to remember your piece and the display/habitat if done right will help them do just that. Visually well done pieces have more hours in the display than the actual speciman in many cases. In short habitat isn't nearly as important to the overall impact as the artistic presentation. Use of color, visual lines, texture and other factors all go into a well desighned piece. Hopefully some others will elaborate more on this either here or in a Breakthrough article. Artistic presentaions don't just earn more blue ribbons they fetch the sweeter green ones as well.
How you present an entry can be important. Never more important than the mount itself. The habitat is not judged unless you ask for it to be judged. That is when it can help or hurt your overall score. Human Nature will tell you if you use sound artistic principles and keep it simple it can't do anything but make your mount easier to look at. There are places on the regular score sheet where a good habitat can get you another couple of points. Up to six points
This year the NTA will have a commercial Division. These will be mounts with little or no habitat. A Pheasant standing on a rock or piece of driftwood would be acceptable. A one sided fish on the wall is OK. Pedistals or discouraged. However, Every attempt should be made to make the mount look life-like. That is how they will be judged from a stand back view without flashlights. Mounts with lots of habitat or that are too large (mammals Excepted)will be directed to the Open Division. Call for any questions
909-886-8640