I will be starting on my first ever competition mount soon. I was curious as to what position is best suited for a competition mount. I dont much care for full sneaks, was more looking towards a droop. This will be a 150 class mount, I want it to stand out. Also was thinking about maybe going with a pedistal mount.
Being that I have only been doing Taxidermy for 3 yrs and never been to a competition I am not sure of the do's and dont's.
I am sure this Question is in the archives, But for some reason I can not get the orange button to work on my computer.
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Regardless of the pose you decide on, a "winning" whitetail has a politically correct agenda that few want to even admit. ONE: the form must be altered and TWO: it must have an open mouth.
Forget the fact that 99.9% of the whitetails you ever see have either an open mouth or a contortionists posture, that's what the shows are being won with. I personally think the actual whitetail competitions aren't the prime entries any more because of just that. Many "whitetail people" have moved to the lifesize as well as small game animals for that reason.
Geographic location dictates a lot of the numbers that shows have and in Texas and the southern tier states, the whitetail is still king, but the real ribbons are being won in other categories in other locations. Just MY observations, however, and not intended to be read as fact. LOL
I entered the open division for the first time this year. I have only been doing taxidermy since 2001 and last year was my first time at a show. I decided to do a whitetail as my showpiece (actually I did a buck and doe). I only altered the forms slightly - making them look up more. I left the mouths closed and held my breath. I got my first blue ribbon and was even happier to find out that only very few blues were given. Just be positive and GO TO LEARN!
Keep It Simple S_____!
Seriously, Master the basics in your compatition level. That in it self can be tuffer than you think. Come away with your score sheet to take home and improve your art, don't worry about the color of the ribbon. After you master the basics then try to "WIN" the show by opening the mouth or altering the form. Just my 2 cents worth. I am still looking for my first blue ribbon after 4 or 5 shows but my work is still getting better.
Well, hopefully you will get something on your score sheet. The judge I just had didn't write a damn thing on mine and didn't bother to score it cause it was so bad. You have to go with a perfect cape with no flaws, make sure all of the anatomy is correct, nothing is drumming or shrunk, and with a good paint job. Basically you havde to have a perfect mount. James is right, they are tough, even at the ametuer level. Don't do anything complicated until your regular mount is perfect. They also use magnifying glasses, so watch out for any fine detail, including the ears!