On my birthday in August every year I get an interesting one-page printout from my insurance agent. It shows the prices of items on my birth year (1948) compared to average prices for the current year. Many items are compared with price increases from a dozen eggs, a loaf of bread, a CokaCola, on up to a pickup truck and the average home cost from then to now. Yes, it’s an eye-opener and a head-shaker, but certainly not a big surprise. Especially since I get the update every year and our buying habits keeps us aware of rising costs. Inflation is a fact of life and it affects everything we use and consume.  We all see and know what has happened because of inflation over the years, but the last few years have been earth-shaking. We have only had three price increases during our 33 years of producing the most informative taxidermy magazine in the world.

New Subscription Prices begin with the Spring Issue #153 after our publication of winter Issue #152, which will be mailed in March of 2024. You are now reading our Fall Issue #151. Also, the single issue price is now $$15.00.

Beginning April 1, 2024, the new subscription rate for the USA will be as follows:

1-Year Subscription $44.00

2-Year Subscription $78.00

Canada and Mexico, Australia, New Zealand subscription increase as follows:

1-Year Subscription $88.00

2-Year Subscription $160.00

For countries in Europe and Africa we recommend ordering from our European distributors listed here (left) each issue.

Increases in postal costs, printing (mainly paper costs), and production/office costs are the main reasons for this increase. The only other options were going to a lesser weight and quality of paper and reducing the page count of Breakthrough. The beauty, quality, and usefulness of our publication means too much to us and our subscribers to do that. Consider this a subscription for two years at the new price of $78.00, 8 issues equals to only $9.75 per issue. Where else can you buy the super reference, how-to articles, paint schedules, competition news and photo coverage, remarkable motivation, and supply sources all in one place for under $10.00!

Before deciding to offer a World Title for habitats, I gave a lot of consideration into the importance that habitats have played for moving into our modern era of taxidermy. My first thought was that habitats have had a strong position in taxidermy for well over a hundred years. Look back at our historic museums with dioramas full of natural looking habitats during the end and after the turn of the 19th century. Framed and glass-dome displays were part of home decor in Europe in the late 1800s and early 1900s, and that practice was soon adopted in the USA. The large commercial studios in the United States used habitats with their taxidermy starting in the early 1900s, especially with the growth and popularity of African safaris. When the renaissance of today’s modern taxidermy took off after the 1960s, the use of habitats in taxidermy compositions blossomed into the gamerooms and unbelievable competition pieces we see today.

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I start this second article by continuing our focus on the head exterior and mouth interior, which are two of the most viewed areas of any competition or commercial mount. I will also highlight craftsmanship as well as one of the major areas of evaluation on the scoresheet, and one of the biggest areas for improvement for nearly all taxidermists, that being the pelvic and pectoral fin attachments and associated musculature.

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Long-tailed ducks (Clangula hyemalis), formerly known as old squaws, are medium-sized sea ducks that breed in the tundra and taiga regions of the arctic, and winters along the northern coastlines of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. It is the only member of the genus Clangula.

“Old Squaw” was the name given by Native Americans, due to their loud and abundant vocalizations. From a distance a flock of these beautiful birds sounded like a bunch of Native American women chattering away. Old squaw ducks are one of the deepest diving ducks, and can dive as deep as 60 meters (200 feet) to forage for food. They feed primarily on aquatic invertebrates, including insects and crustaceans. They also eat some oysters, clams, fish, fish eggs, and plant matter.

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This issue we are beginning a series of habitat articles by Kurt Ainsworth from Independence, Kentucky. Kurt grew up and started his career in taxidermy in Michigan, so he is very familiar with northern habitats of snow, and ice. He has traveled, hunted, and fished extensively in North America and Africa. Kurt offered to do a series of articles on many of his procedures for recreating and enhancing habitats.  Pictured are creations by Kurt Ainsworth, Kent Allard, Tim Patton, David Vestal, Crystal Halfhill, Paul Burczycki, Jim Hess, Seth Clark, Ron Biondolino, Chad Miller, Kevin Neidigh, and Crystal Van Ommen Versdaakdonk.

To renew or subscribe, visit www.breakthroughmagazine.com, or call (985) 345-7266 or 800-783-7266.