Master Division (World Title Division)
Rules and Regulations
1. Who May Compete: Anyone may enter this open division. However, this is the toughest level of regular competition at the World Taxidermy Championships® and is for the taxidermist who is prepared for stiff competition. Basically, the learning is over and he or she knows what is expected of a world-class mount. The Master Division competitors will be vying for Best in World honors and a possible sixteen World Champion titles.

Due to the fact that this is a single-ribbon division (First, Second and Third place), it is possible that a mount scoring over ninety may not receive an award/ribbon if the judges rate three other entries higher in the same category. Judges break any ties.

2. Judging: Judging in the Master Division will be very demanding. Mounts must be technically correct as well as artistically oriented and creative. Each entry will be judged separately and independently by three judges. The scores will be averaged to determine the final score of the entry.

3. Subcategory Awards: The three highest scores within a subcategory will win ribbons provided they score high enough to qualify.

4. World Titles: In the Master Division, there are sixteen possible Best in World titles which are selected from the sixteen Master Division categories. Beginning with the 2009 World Show, Second in World and Third in World will be recognized.

Each entry in the Master Division will be independently scored by three judges and the scores averaged together. Once first places are determined in the subcategories, a competition supervisor will gather all category judges (5 for most categories) to vote for eligible entries for Best in World titles. They will each cast a secret ballot for Best in World. The judges will be allowed to discuss and confer about the eligible entries before casting their ballots. If two entries receive equal votes the judges will be asked to vote again on those two entries only. The results will be kept secret and announced at the World Show Awards banquet.

Remember -- to win a Best in World title you must first have a First Place ribbon in a subcategory. You may want to consider competing in several of the subcategories to increase your chances of being considered in that final decision.

5. Multiple Entries: Although there is no limit to the number of entries a competitor may place in the competition, a competitor may not "sweep" a subcategory by winning more than one ribbon in an individual subcategory. Only his or her highest scoring mount will receive a placing in any given subcategory. It is possible for a competitor to win a ribbon in more than one subcategory within a category. Example: If a competitor entered a whitetail shoulder mount in each of the four subcategories of Category 3: Whitetail Deer Heads, he or she could theoretically win a ribbon in each subcategory.

6. Eligibility: This division is judged on an extremely high level, but anyone may enter except for the current WTC judges. Former Best in World winners are eligible to compete in the same Master Division categories in which they won in previous competition(s).

7. Individual Work and Reproduced Parts: All taxidermy procedures such as form preparation, sewing, mounting procedures, and finishing procedures must be done by the individual competitor and certified as such by his or her signature at the time of entering. Taxidermists can use tanned skins they have purchased, or have sent to a commercial fur dresser. Competitors can also use prefabricated habitat materials, but it must be emphasized that at this level of competition, it is advantageous to complete as many of the elements of the composition as possible to achieve the highest score.

All exposed or viewable artificial parts of Master Division entries must be original and made by the competitor. This would include duck bills, duck feet, artificial noses, mouth tissue, mouth parts, etc. Commercial items allowed are earliners (including earliners with inner ears reproduced), eyes, mannikins, and artificial turkey heads. At entry time, you will be asked to fill out a questionnaire concerning individual work which the judges will have to review.

8. Habitat: When you register an entry, you will be asked to declare information about your entry's habitat, such as if the habitat materials were made or purchased by you, and if the habitat was designed and composed by you or a second party. Creating a habitat scene or building an artistic exhibit case can add points to your final score. For instance, if two entries were technically even and one had an excellent habitat scene while the other was on a plain panel, the award would go to the mount with the excellent habitat scene or special exhibit case. Be forewarned this can also work against you if the habitat or case is of poor quality.

9. Freeze Dry: There is no freeze dry category in the Masters Division -- only in the Professional Division. Except for freeze-dried turkey heads, freeze dry preservation of flesh may not be entered in this competition. Specifically, all parts of the specimen must be conventionally mounted or completely skinned, including the head, prepared, and then mounted over a mannikin prior to any freeze dry preservation to reduce shrinkage. The use of freeze-dried turkey heads, produced by freeze-dry wholesalers or reproduction specialists, will be allowed in the Master Division competition. A competitor can purchase, or have a wholesaler mount a freeze-dried or reproduced turkey head to be used in the World Competition. The following information will be noted on our questionnaire for judges to consider in their evaluation of the entry: 1. The head was prepared, completed, mounted, and/or replicated by the person who mounted this entry; 2. This is a commercially prepared head, either freeze dried or reproduced by a second party, but finished and painted by the person who mounted this entry; 3. This is a commercially prepared head, either freeze dried or reproduced, that was finished and painted by a second party.

10. Compositions with Multiple Mounts: If a composition has more than one mount, there are several ways to enter it. Each mount of the composition can be entered in its established category, or only one selected mount can be entered. If two or more of the mounts cross categories, it can be entered as one entry in the Mixed Group category, or as two or more entries in the appropriate categories.

11. Artificial Heads and Fins: Any fish with an artificial head and/or fins, but incorporating the skin, will go into one of the skin-mount categories.

12. Awards: Best of Show: A World Taxidermy Championships medallion and a Recognition Plaque will be awarded for the best entry in the Master Division (Best of Show). The Best of Show award will be chosen by all judges by secret ballot from the Best in World winners. Second and Third in World winners will receive a ribbon.

Best in World: World Taxidermy Championships medallions and Recognition Plaques will be awarded to entries judged as "Best in World." There will be sixteen possible "Best in World" titles for the Master Division categories listed below.

In some cases, the judges may not award a Best in World in a particular category if they do not feel there is an entry deserving of the award. This decision will be made at the discretion of the judges and may not necessarily reflect or be based upon the numerical score of the entry.

Although the Master Division is a single ribbon competition, an entry still must score high enough to be worthy of a ribbon. In some cases, the First, Second and Third place winners may all score in the 90s. However, if a category has one mount scoring in the 90s and another mount scoring in the 70s and no other entries scoring this high, then there will be a First and Third place awarded (the Second place will not be awarded). This is done to ensure that the competition standards are met and to prevent someone from simply entering a category, being the only competitor in the category, and winning a ribbon regardless of the quality of the mount. Single ribbons will be awarded for First, Second and Third Place winners within the following categories:

13. Master Division Categories. (16 Best in World titles, possible)

Category 1. Medium/Small Lifesize Mammals (smaller than 50 lbs. [coyote/peccary])
      1. Small mammals: less than 10 pounds
      2. Medium mammals: greater than 10 pounds
      3. Small mammals group
Note: Juvenile mammals will compete in a subcategory of comparable size. Example: a newborn whitetail deer would compete against small mammals, whereas a 2-month-old whitetail deer might compete against medium mammals. The Competition Chairman will make all final decisions on which subcategory a juvenile animal would be entered.
Category 2. Large Mammals (larger than 50 lbs. [cougar/deer])
      4. Large mammals (long/thick hair)
      5. Large mammals (short/thin hair)
      6. Large mammals group
Category 3. Whitetail Deer Heads
      7. Whitetails long/thick hair, open mouth
      8. Whitetails long/thick hair, closed mouth
      9. Whitetails short/thin hair, open mouth
      10. Whitetails short/thin hair, closed mouth
Category 4. Medium-Small Gameheads (mule deer/wildebeest and smaller)
      11. Small gameheads (coyote and smaller)
      12. Medium gameheads (deer, bear, sheep)
      13. Half-lifesize gameheads
      14. Gameheads, group
Category 5. Large Gameheads (caribou/waterbuck size and larger)
      15. Large gameheads (long/thick hair)
      16. Large gameheads (short/thin hair)
      17. Half-lifesize large gameheads
      18. Gameheads, group
Category 6. Game Birds
      19. Pheasants
      20. Grouse
      21. Quail
      22. Migratory game birds (doves, rails, coots, cranes)
      23. Game birds, group
Category 7. Non-Game Birds
      24. Small birds (magpie and smaller)
      25. Large birds (crow, rook and larger)
      26. Raptors and owls (birds of prey)
      27. Non-game birds, group
Category 8. Turkeys
      28. Turkeys, strutting
      29. Turkeys, open wings
      30. Turkeys, standing
      31. Turkeys, group
Category 9. Waterfowl
      32. Diving ducks (mergansers, stiff tails)
      33. Puddle ducks
      34. Geese and swans
      35. Waterfowl group
Category 10. Warm Water Fish (skin mounts)
      36. Sunfish, perch, walleye, crappie, other bass
      37. Other, 12 inches or smaller
      38. Other, larger than 12 inches
      39. Saltwater
      40. Group
Category 11. Cold Water Fish (skin mounts)
      41. Trout, salmon, char
      42. Pike, muskellunge, pickerel
      43. Other, 12 inches or smaller
      44. Other, larger than 12 inches
      45. Group
Category 12. Largemouth Bass (skin mounts)
      46. Largemouth bass (single)
      47. Largemouth bass (group)
Category 13. Reptiles, Amphibian, Other (skin mounts)
      48. Reptiles, amphibian, other (single)
      49. Reptiles, amphibian, other (group)
Note: Any reptile incorporating any part of its skin or shell will go into one of the above subcategories.
Category 14. Reproductions
      50. Fish
      51. Reptiles and amphibians
      52. Mammal
      53. Group
      54. Miscellaneous
Category 15. Re-Creations
      55. Mammals
      56. Birds
      57. Re-Creation Group
Note: Re-creations, for the purpose of this category, are defined as renderings which include NO natural parts of the animal portrayed. A re-creation can use natural parts, provided the parts are not from the species being portrayed. For instance, a re-creation eagle could be constructed using turkey feathers, or a cow hide could be used to simulate African game. For extinct species, copies (reproductions) of skulls, bones, teeth, tusk, antlers, or horns may be used to reconstruct the creation, or can be used as part of the re-creation. Reproductions of horns and antlers are not allowed in this Master Division category. They should be entered in the Professional Division under Re-Creations/Replicas.
Category 16. Mixed Group
(Note: There will be a rule change for this category at the 2011 WTC. For 2009, the current rule description will be allowed. The original intent for this category was to create entries that interact different animal classes, such as mammals, with birds, or with fish, or with reptiles. When the bird and lifesize mammal categories were expanded for World Titles, it resulted in the current rules for mixed groups to allow, as an example, a non-game bird and a game bird. The new rules for 2011 will not allow for this.
      58. A combination of two or more different categories.
Note: Mixed Group is a combination of two or more different categories (whitetail deer, game heads, lifesize mammals, bird, fish, reptiles/amphibians, re-creations or reproduction classes). Examples: for a bass chasing a frog, the piece must be entered in Mixed Group if both are to be judged, but a mountain lion attacking a mule deer would have to be entered in Lifesize Mammal Group. If a piece contains one coyote and one quail, you can enter the coyote for judging in the Lifesize Mammal Category and the quail for judging in the Bird Category. If you wish to have only the coyote judged, you may do so and enter it into the Lifesize Mammal Category. If you wish both mounts to be judged together, they must be entered into the Mixed Group Category. You must specify your wishes at the time of entry.
Competitors are not allowed to change into this division after they have already entered the piece into one of the single categories. Example: if you have a bass chasing a frog and have entered this piece into the Fish Category, you cannot come back later and change to Mixed Group.
Mixed Group pieces will be scored as follows: The appropriate score sheet will be used to judge each species accordingly. These score sheets will then be averaged to give a final score. Example: in the case of two coyotes chasing a quail, a single score sheet will be used to judge both coyotes and one score sheet will be used to judge the quail. The two score sheets (1 mammals and 1 bird) will be averaged together.

Interpretations of all rulings or regulations (and any rules not provided for) will be decided by the World Taxidermy Championships® Regulatory Committee. If you have a specific question regarding the competition, contact Regulatory Committee Chairman, Skip Skidmore at Brigham Young University, 290 M.L. Bean Museum, Provo, UT 84602. Telephone: 801-422-4621.