See the Best Taxidermy Seminar Lineup Ever Assembled!
One of the major highlights of the World Taxidermy Championships is the seminar program. Through the years, many outstanding taxidermists have shared their techniques for the first time at the WTC Seminars. The world-class instructors for this year’s lineup represent some of the best seminar instructors ever assembled for one event, with some making their North American debut. There will be four separate seminar areas in the University Plaza Hotel, which will allow participants a choice during each seminar session.
2022 WTC Seminar Coordinator: Jim Kimball
Tuesday Evening WTC Seminar
May 3, 2022
Seminar #1
5:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. — Tuesday, May 3, Kansas Room, University Plaza Hotel
Wes Mote: Mounting a Competition Whitetail Deer
Going beyond the basics of traditional and conventional whitetail taxidermy, Wes will show how to add flow and movement into every piece, utilizing knowledge of anatomy while breaking mechanical bad habits. He will demonstrate methods of individualizing each animal according to its own bone structure and illustrate how to incorporate movement, flow, and realism to customize each piece, from commercial to top level competition. In this seminar he will also be discussing the differences of materials he uses in his studio to save time on every day work while still capturing a competition look.
Wednesday Morning WTC Seminars
May 4, 2022
Seminar #2
9:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. — Wednesday, May 4, Kansas Room, University Plaza Hotel
Eric Carter: Molding and Casting Antlers
Learn molding, casting, and coloring techniques that you can use in your shop for antler and horn repairs. Erich will also show methods of building antler reproductions. With over 30 years of molding and casting experience, Erich’s methods will give you the tools you need to add more income to your shop.
Seminar #3
9:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. — Wednesday, May 4, Illinois Room, University Plaza Hotel
Tim Gorenchan: Fish Mounting
In addition to winning National and North American Championships, Tim has won two consecutive World Titles in coldwater fish. We’ve all heard the phrase, “Reference, reference, reference.” In this seminar, World Champion Tim Gorenchan will utilize the score sheet to teach you how to read reference and improve your competition scores. This seminar will focus on fish, but may open your eyes to the level of study necessary to improve your scores in all categories.
Seminar #4
9:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. — Wednesday, May 4, Oklahoma Room, University Plaza Hotel
Page Nethercutt. Mounting Waterfowl
Page has been competing and winning taxidermy competitions for the past 25 years, including many Best of Show honors. More importantly, he has been a successful commercial
taxidermist for even longer. Page will be prepared to mount a favorite waterfowl species and says he will let the class select the position, flight or standing, for this seminar. He will discuss both commercial and competition techniques and will entertain your questions. Page’s personality and experience makes for a very entertaining seminar.
Wednesday Afternoon WTC Seminars
May 4, 2022
Seminar #5
1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. — Wednesday, May 4, Kansas Room, University Plaza Hotel
Tom Weickum Caribou Shoulder Mount
Tom is a past Best in World Champion for Gameheads with many Master first place ribbons to his credits and one of the industry’s top taxidermy sculptors. He will mount a caribou (shoulder mount) in this three-hour seminar. This is also a seminar to get the answers for handling and curing velveted antlers which is common for this popular game animal. Tom has mounted just about every big game animal hunted on Earth and he will have an answer for any questions you might have.
Seminar #6
1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. — Wednesday, May 4, Illinois Room, University Plaza Hotel
Kerby Ross: Reptile Taxidermy: Rattlesnake
Kerby has written and produced feature articles for BREAKTHROUGH and has captured many awards for his reptile taxidermy. His reproduction work is one of his specialties. In this seminar his subject will be a rattlesnake and he will show and discuss how to set the eyes and prep the reproduction before applying color. Kerby will be painting the reproduction rattlesnake using pan pastels and acrylic paints. He is an excellent instructor and his many years of experience will offer insight and answers to any questions you have about reptile taxidermy.
Seminar #7
3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. — Wednesday, May 4, Illinois Room, University Plaza Hotel
Paul Cales: Tanning for Taxidermists
Tanning and proper skin preservation is critical in producing quality taxidermy. Paul is a two-time World Champion for whitetail deer. He is also the owner and product producer for PRO-1 Performance Chemicals. He will show and explain his prep and tanning procedures and
offer his professional advice on all aspects of tanning for taxidermy. His seminars are very informative for anyone interested in doing in-shop tanning.
Seminar #8
1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. — Wednesday, May 4, Oklahoma Room, University Plaza Hotel
Scenes-N-Nature: Habitats
In one hour, Scenes-n-Nature® will teach you all the techniques for building a custom base
that perfectly fits your mount, whether it’s a small bobcat or a massive grizzly bear. Watch how to easily form and color rocks and tree limbs for a one-of-a-kind competition piece or custom customer mount. Learn the techniques to replicate antler velvet and create
colorfast moss with our revolutionary habitat-building products. Let Scenes-n-Nature take your work to the next level!
Seminar #9
2:45 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. — Thursday, May 4, Oklahoma Room, University Plaza Hotel
Tony Psaila: Taxidermy Positioning Systems
Tony has many years of experience in the business of taxidermy. He grew up and learned working in his family’s studio in Australia. He then moved to South Africa where he started his own studio and school. He invented and developed the Taxidermy Positioning System and custom mounting stands which he has brought to the USA. He will demonstrate the advantages and uses of these systems and how they will speed up your work and improve stability for both working on your mounts and displaying them.
Seminar #10
4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. — Thursday, May 4, Outdoor Area To Be Announced
Jacob Clark: Pressure Washing a Turkey Skin
Jacob Clark, from Pleasant Plains, Arkansas, will demonstrate the pressure-washing process he has developed over the past 20 years to prepare a turkey for mounting. In his seminar, he will explain how to clean a turkey skin from fleshing to washing to drying using this quick and efficient method. The result of this process will be a reduction in fleshing time and a thoroughly cleaned skin, which is essential for producing the best looking turkey mount for your customers.
Thursday Morning WTC Seminars
May 2, 2022
Seminar #11
8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. — Thursday, May 5, Oklahoma Room, University Plaza Hotel
Jonathan Wright: Part 1: Mounting a Standing Pheasant
Jonathan is doing a two-part seminar on mounting a standing pheasant (morning seminar) and designing and composing a base habitat for the mount (evening seminar). Jonathan is a former Best in World winner for game birds in 2013 and has also won two Second in World and two Third in World titles for his world-class bird taxidermy. He loves to show and teach others his methods and discuss the many years of knowledge he has gained in studying and mounting the game birds of North America.
Seminar #12
8:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. — Thursday, May 5, Kansas Room, University Plaza Hotel
James Newport and Mark Hernandez: Part 1: Custom Deer Form Alterations for a Whitetail Deer
James and Mark are both award-winning professional taxidermists. James has two Second in World awards and a Third in World title in mammal categories, Mark has won many top awards
including Master first place and a Best in Texas award for whitetail at the highly competitive Texas Taxidermy Association show. In Part 1 they will discuss composition and as a team show how to custom-alter a whitetail pedestal form focusing on anatomical accuracy while still maintaining fiscally responsible techniques. James will show and discuss anatomy and how it changes with movement in a video presentation in this seminar you do not want to miss.
Seminar #13
8:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. — Thursday, May 5, Illinois Room, University Plaza Hotel
Russell Knight: The Business of Taxidermy
Russell Knight of Alaska started his own full service taxidermy business, working alone in one small bay at first, but since then he has expanded to 85,000 square feet with 19 employees. He will present proven methods of expanding and managing your business for maximum profitability and control, along with great ideas for successful marketing. Russell’s seminars are always entertaining and super informative.
Thursday Afternoon WTC Seminars
May 5, 2022
Seminar #14
1:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. — Thursday, May 5, Oklahoma Room, University Plaza Hotel
Jonathan Wright: Part 2: Standing Pheasant Habitat
Jonathan is a former Best in World winner for game birds in 2013 and has also won two Second in World and two Third in World titles for his world-class bird taxidermy. In this second seminar he will be composing a base habitat for the mount he did in the morning seminar. His work, both mounts and compositions, have gained high praise at many past World Shows.
Seminar #15
1:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. — Thursday, May 5, Kansas Room, University Plaza Hotel
James Newport and Mark Hernandez: Part 2: Custom Deer Form Alterations for a Whitetail Deer
Using the custom altered form from their morning seminar, James and Mark will mount that whitetail discussing their methods for both commercial and competition mounts. They both offer years of experience and proven techniques for mounting America’s most popular gamehead. James and his wife Carla own Mesquite Creek Taxidermy Studio in Pearsall, TX. Mark is the lead taxidermist in the business that handles 1,500+ whitetail a year.
Seminar #16
1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. — Thursday, May 5, Illinois Room, University Plaza Hotel
Ron Kelly: Fish Painting: Largemouth Bass
Texas taxidermist Ron Kelly established his reputation as one of America’s top fish taxidermist back in the 1980s and 90s and continues to live up to that reputation. Ron loves to say he never quits learning and that is why he has so much to teach. When he paints a bass, skin-mount or repro, it looks like it just came out of the water. He is a true professional and always willing to help and answer any question you may have about fish taxidermy. Ron was quick to say that his and his son Josh’s techniques vary and you can see how they vary in the following seminar.
Seminar #17
2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. — Thursday, May 5, Illinois Room, University Plaza Hotel
Josh Kelly: Fish Painting: Red Drum
Red drums or “redfish” as they are commonly called, have become one of the most sought after saltwater gamefish species of the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic coast. Josh Kelly, son of Ron Kelly, is also from Texas, and an award-winning taxidermist with both a National and North American Championship to his credits. He will show you his techniques and paint choices for scale details and developing the red tones and gold/bronze highlights that make this fish one of the most colorful found in coastal saltwater. His painting process will adapt to and work for skin mounts, reproductions, and carvings.
Thursday Evening WTC Awards and Auction
May 5, 2022
5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. — Thursday, May 5, Convention Center, University Plaza Hotel
WTC Awards & Auction featuring FREE Beer and Hors D’oeuvres
Come enjoy free beer and hors d’oeuvres along with half-price cocktails for this special get-together in the Convention Center next door to the University Plaza Hotel. The AWARDS PRESENTATION will announce the winners for the following divisions:
• Novice & Youth Divisions
• Pre-Sculpted Competition: $1500 from Ohio Taxidermy Supply
• Carl E. Akeley Award: $1,000 from McKenzie/WASCO
• Interpretive Taxidermy: $1,500 from The Wildlife Gallery
The WTC AUCTION will be a fundraiser for the Competition Awards Fund.
• Hunts
• Fishing trips
• Industry donations (forms, eyes, products, and more)
Competition Viewing for WTC Registrants: Expo Center • Thursday 7:30–9:30 p.m.
Friday Morning WTC Seminars
May 6, 2022
Seminar #18
8:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. — Friday, May 6, Kansas Room, University Plaza Hotel
Carl Tregre and David Spiess: Mounting an Alligator
Carl Tregre of Swampland Taxidermy in Houma, Louisiana, and David Spiess in Greenwell Springs, LA, are full-time professional taxidermists for over 40 years in south Louisiana. They are both accomplished in all areas of taxidermy. They have many awards in all fields of work. In this seminar they will share their years of experience and techniques in large alligator taxidermy. They will show cleaning, tanning, mounting, and finishing. Also shown will be how to install a flexible alligator mouth insert (developed by David). This will be a must-see seminar!
Seminar #19
8:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. — Friday, May 6, Illinois Room, University Plaza Hotel
Kurt Ainsworth: Realistic Habitat Construction
Kurt is a full time professional taxidermist and successful competitor at both the World, state and regional shows for many years. He is well know for his taxidermy abilities and custom compositions and artistic work, especially habitat. In this seminar Kurt will show his technique for painting casted habitat parts using oil paints and other mediums. We will go over reference and how to interpret what is necessary to recreate natures beauty as observed in trees, cacti, and some grasses. He will show you how to make your habitat come alive.
Seminar #20
8:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. — Friday, May 6, Oklahoma Room, University Plaza Hotel
Cally Morris: Part 1: Turkey Taxidermy.
Cally is recognized as one of the world’s most knowledgeable avian taxidermists. Back when there was only one Best in World title for birds, Cally won Best in World with a turkey. Since then he has developed mounting systems that make turkeys a welcomed task for all taxidermists. Cally will be doing a morning and afternoon seminar mounting two fighting turkeys for an eye-catching composition. Cally will also offer experienced advice on how a commercial taxidermist can make money and what it takes for a competitor to win ribbons.
Friday Afternoon WTC Seminars
May 6, 2022
Seminar #21
2:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. — Friday, May 6, Kansas Room, University Plaza Hotel
Tyler Erickson: Painting a Reproduction Walleye
For the past several years Tyler Erickson’s name has appeared many times in listings of top awards for fish taxidermy. Reproduction fish became his speciality and in 2015 he won Second in World Reproduction, then in 2017 he climbed to the top of that difficult ladder and won Best in World Reproduction. His painting abilities compliment his high quality reproductions and he will show his techniques and methods for painting a walleye reproduction in this seminar. This is a great seminar for both fish taxidermists and carvers since repros and carvings require the same techniques. Tyler will also give advice for adapting his methods for skin mounts.
Seminar #22
2:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. — Friday, May 6, Kansas Room, University Plaza Hotel
Jerry Huffaker: Easier and Faster Habitats
Jerry Huffaker has been a full-time taxidermist for 35 years with over 5000 game heads and lifesize mounts being produced in his small studio. Building high quality habitats quickly in a cost effective way has always been very difficult. “Through trial and error, help from many friends and a lot of experimentation, I’ve put together a system that I think will help you build your habitats, small to large, faster and cheaper. I am looking forward to seeing everyone at the show!”
Seminar #23
2:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. — Friday, May 6, Oklahoma Room, University Plaza Hotel
Cally Morris: Part 2: Turkey Taxidermy.
In this afternoon seminar Cally Morris will mount the second turkey to complete the fighting composition. Cally’s mounting system and techniques produce a fantastic commercial mount that looks good enough for a competition. If time allows he will discuss and show his custom bases specific for turkeys.
Friday Night Awards Banquet
May 6, 2022
Special Event
6:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. — Friday, May 6, University Plaza Hotel Convention Center
2022 World Taxidermy & Fish Carving Championships® Awards Banquet and Presentation
Be there to witness $31,000 in cash awarded to winning taxidermists and fish carvers from all over the world! A unique musical presentation of taxidermy in film clips will keep you entertained during dinner as the excitement “mounts” to see who will win the big cash awards this year. We are very happy to announce the Master of Ceremony for the 2022 award program will again be Alaskan taxidermist Russell 
Knight, star of the History Channel series “Mounted in Alaska.” Russell’s quick wit and savvy will make for a very entertaining evening.
It is also our pleasure to announce that the seventh World Show Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to taxidermist, artist, and sculptor Wendy Christensen of Wisconsin. Wendy’s contributions to the taxidermy industry are many and far-reaching. Our award presentation will highlight her story.
This is the most prestigious awards ceremony in the world for the taxidermy industry. Proper attire is strongly recommended.
Banquet Seating: There will be ten seats to each table, each at $45.00. We will place you at the first available table. You will not be able to choose the table, however, you CAN choose who sits with you — IF you buy those people’s seats when you buy yours. Your tickets will be all numbered to correspond with a table number and will be in your packet to give out. Tables will have prominent numbers and we will have the banquet staff ready to help you find your table and take up the tickets. Feel free to call us if you have any questions: 800-783-7266.
Cocktails 6:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m. • Dinner 7:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m. • Awards Show 8:00 p.m.–11:00 p.m.
Tickets $48.00 available at the WTC registration desk.