I was looking at Category's for the 2007 World Competition and I was wondering if anyone has ever entered a Panda Bear and if so what category would it be under -- Just curious for the upcoming competition . . .
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Is it a REAL panda? If you're mounting it lifesize, it goes in Lifesize Big Game Mammal I'd assume. If you're doing a shoulder mount, it would go there. The species has nothing to do with the category but rather the size. The only "panda" that I know of was entered by Ken Walker some years back but it was a reproduction and was entered in that category. BTW, I'm still surprised at the number of people who still think that reproduction was a real Panda.
(Just a note. If it is a real one, I'm assuming you have all the permits for it as they may be needed. I know the one that died at the Smithsonian couldn't be mounted because it was still the property of the Chinese government who refused to allow it to be.)
Actually George,the last one that died was US property as it was a gift to R.Nixon.All Existing pandas in zoos now are only leased to the US for a million dollars a year which must be paid in advance in 10 year increments. The Smithsonian panda was not allowed to be mounted because of protests by Bunny Huggers. A real shame.
Yes, turning it to worm food was a much better option than mounting it to be used in an educational forum to instruct kids on habitat preservation, overcrowding, game management etc.
And George, I know the panda was a repo, but the Irish Elk was real.
My wife Connie and I are priviledged to be friends with Ken and his wife. We say the elk inside the shipping trailer and I was able to sneak in and see it put back together. I was doing the Super Seminar but I wanted to see the mounts. I finally got away long enough to go inside the hotel and I went right to the Irish Elk. We were standing there admiring the work when two farm boys walked up.
1st Farm boy: "Man, look at the size of that thang. Wonder where he got that?"
2nd Farm boy: "Boy, don't you know nuthin? That's one of them deer they raise on a game farm."
I only met Ken once briefly in a crowd and congratulated him on the piece. I distinctly remember standing in the crowd, somewhat awestruck at the elk, listening to people ask "is that real"? Now that's a complement.
I also remember back in 97 I think, seeing what I thought was a giant jaguar riding in back of an open pickup or trailer. I was in the restaurant at the Crowne. I told the guy with me, wow I can't wait to see that up close, I wonder how he got that thing in the country, they are like super protected. Sure enough it was Ken with a repro Sabre Toothed Tiger.
Hugh