The majority of this mounting process will follow the methods employed by David Spiess (American Wildlife Studio in Greenwell Springs, Louisiana) who still mounts a lot of gators. David’s older friend and mentor Carl Tregre (Swampland Taxidermy, Houma, Louisiana) is slowly tapering down his business, but Carl admits taxidermy will always be a part of his life—there is a time when you need to slow down. David told me many of his techniques are from the experienced advice from Carl Tregre, plus learning a few tricks on his own.

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In the last issue, king eiders were featured in our reference study of the eider species. This issue’s reference will feature common eiders and spectacled eiders, two species of eiders under the genus Somateria, same as king eiders. The other eider species is Steller’s eiders, which have their own genus, Polysticta.

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Jeff Brain’s Brook Trout Paint schedule was a classic. It was first published in our Issue #65 in 2001 and that issue is very near selling out because of this paint schedule. The schedule has been redesigned and all new reference added, but Jeff’s process is as current as it was in 2001. “The male brook trout shown in this paint schedule was a 23-inch, 7-pound specimen. It was caught through the ice in mid-February, 120 miles north of Toronto, Ontario. When I first saw this specimen in my studio, I felt that the body shape and head features of this fish would make it a good competition piece.”

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The deadline for the Taxidermy Hall of Fame nominees for the 2023 induction year has been extended to January 31, 2023. The induction ceremony takes place every two years on odd number years. The Taxidermy Hall of Fame board get a lot of inquires asking what are the requirements and what needs to be done to do to make a nomination for the THOF… well, here is what you do. http://taxidermyhalloffame.org  

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The first thing I think of when I hear “eider” is a king eider, which I sense almost has a cult following by some waterfowl hunters and taxidermists. These two groups have devoted followers and collectors of their king eiders, their favorite waterfowl. Eiders are one of a few species of ducks available to North American hunters that I have never hunted or killed. Not because I wouldn’t have loved to have had them in my list of successful hunts, but the latter two-thirds of my lifelong love of pursuing game has been for the hoofed mammals, which I also believe is a sort of cult following. During my observations of both hunters and taxidermists, I have noted that the admirers of the eider genus, especially king eiders, have an obsession that I admire and regret that I was not a part of.

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