To my taxidermy family, join me in paying tribute to our fellow taxidermist and co-worker, Phil Helms who passed away August 14, 2022. Phil was born on January 7, 1959. He leaves behind his wife Sheila, daughter Brook, son Nicolas, and new baby granddaughter, Kinsley Rae. Phil was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer early in 2021 and fought hard through difficult treatments.

The historical city of Springfield, Missouri, was again the location of the 2022 World Taxidermy and Fish Carving Championships®. Many of you reading this account were there, and for those who could not attend, I here offer you my thoughts and a recap. Two big WTC events had been held there, in 2015 and 2019, before the infamous Covid-19 outbreak that brought our world to a near standstill. During the week of the show, May 3-7, the weather was unusually chilly and occasionally rainy, but the quest for a Best in World title in taxidermy and fish carving was heating up, and as entries flowed in Tuesday, it appeared the judging would be as demanding as any show in the past.

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In this preparation protocol, we describe the practical approach to the preparation process of an Aldabra giant tortoise. The main focus is the particular difficulties of preparing specimens of this species. Firstly, the heavy weight of the animal requires a stable construction and handling considerations during the working process. Secondly, the requirements for tanning a reptile skin of this size are demanding. The structures that are highly visible under the skin must be properly represented, and this is only possible with tension-free skin conservation. After careful consideration, a cast was used as a head. Overall, the construction is built using a baseline grid, which serves as an orientation guide throughout the entire process in a forward oriented and comprehensive manner. In the painting process, the focus was to create a great depth effect. This project began December 2019 and was finished January 2021,

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Last issue we began this new article series on mounting an American alligator. That article introduced the two taxidermists who made this series of articles possible along with their procedures for skinning and fleshing with a pressure washer. It did not cover the procedure for properly cleaning the head because it is recommended to remove the head when skinning this reptile and freezing the head for the process shown in this article. This part of properly preparing and mounting a gator or creating a flat rug with an open-mouth head is critical for producing a professional piece of taxidermy that will be permanent and display a realistic product your customer will be proud to display.

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Not that it’s worth anything, but from time to time I will be asked for my advice from some aspiring young person about the prospect of him taking up taxidermy as a hobby or, I shudder to say, as a career choice. Some skinny-jean clad pup will come up to me and ask, “Yo, Gramps, what does it take to become a ‘critter stuffer?’ It don’t look that complicated, plus, if someone as old as you can still do it, how hard could it be?” The thing about smart alecks is they never see the whole picture.

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