In Part 1 Mike Kirkhart related a great story of his friend and client’s memorable fishing trip fishing trip in Tennessee when Larry Jones caught his 45-inch, 40-pound striped bass. Mike quickly thought this is the perfect time to start a new series of articles he has been wanting to do, that he calls, “From the Water to the Walls.” Mike’s right-hand man is his son Buddy, and Buddy is a master at building, preparing, and finishing the renowned line of fish forms made by New Wave taxidermy. In Part 2, Mike and Buddy will take you through the final steps they use in the New Wave studio in preparing a fish reproduction for the painting process. To renew or subscribe, telephone us at 800-783-7266 or visit our website.

It’s not uncommon for small business owners to think they can retire on the sale of their businesses. After all, you’ve invested your entire life into your business; it only stands to reason that it should be worth something when you’re ready to cash out. But most small business owners only have a vague idea of what their businesses are worth. That’s understandable because there are so many variables that need to be considered before arriving at a fair and equitable price. To renew or subscribe, telephone us at 800-783-7266 or visit our website.

 EUROPEAN TAXIDERMY CHAMPIONSHIPS

The folks at Breakthrough attended the European Taxidermy Championships in Salzburg, Austria this past February 2018. We featured some of the many brilliant ribbon-winners. To renew or subscribe, telephone us at 800-783-7266 or visit our website.

 RING-NECKED PHEASANTS

I am sure sometime a study has been made describing the most revered and hunted gamebirds. Maybe wild turkeys would be listed, and certainly ducks would be high on the list. How about quail, then maybe doves, and don’t forget the many types of grouse… When it comes to one species, however, ring-necked pheasants must be in the top three, especially if you consider a single species. In taxidermy my guess would be ducks, pheasants, then turkeys in that order, with thousands of each mounted each year. To renew or subscribe, telephone us at 800-783-7266 or visit our website.

Three-D technology has 3 main applications: 1) scanning of real-world items; 2) sculpting of items in the digital world; 3) printing of items that are scanned or sculpted. While you must have an understanding of mechanics and machinery to work the software, even the most advanced 3D technician will tell you that you must first and most importantly understand the principles of both engineering and sculpture before embarking down the path of 3D. This is why I believe that taxidermists and wildlife artists will be able to use these tools very effectively.

With that said, I’d like to present three case studies from my work, all with varying degrees of success. None of these examples are perfect, but I learned something from each and am hoping to pass on my experiences to you.

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