I've never entered a competition and am not really happy about spending the money to do so. But it seems as if though the hunters cater to the ribbon winners in my area, so I'm gonna do it. I have a dandy 150 class buck I just mounted, that looks great. My question is does it help to have a habitat scene or something different behind the deer head. This is not a pedistal, but it just seems all the 1st place winners in catalogs have habitat scenes. Any thoughts? Also this is my 4th year of business but first time competeing, do you recommend professional or amature category?
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I just asked the same question a week ago. I'm in the same situation. They say the novice category doesn't judge hard enough to learn anything.
Hi Doug, this is my 4th year also. It sounds like you are grudgingly going just for a ribbon to bring in more business. And if you do not ribbon?
Go to learn to improve from the critique given by the judge.
The people you see in magazines with blue ribbons are in the higher divisions and have competed for some time and have learned what the judges are looking for, and what they want. Therefore, you had better go with an open mind for learning. If you get a ribbon in the pros that is good, even if it is a third place ribbon it will show that your work is good enough to compete at that level.
Habitat is not needed in the pro division, but you are trying to catch the judges eye, and you can put so much time and effort into the habitat and have a low scoring deer ( ask me I know, ) that the habitat will be for not. If you want one, keep it simple and have it compliment the mount. When you get in the higher up levels, a habitat is expected as part of the display, but not needed in the novice or pro division. I saw seconds on simple shoulder mounts in the pro division a few weeks ago, just hanging on the wall.
In our competition in the open,(professional) division, habitat is not considered in the mount, just the deer. The last two winning heads in the division were wall mounts, and there were other 1st place pedestal mounts with habitats, but they did not get best of category. Good luck competing, it is an eye opening and humbling experience.