Without question some of the most popular articles we have ever published were turkey procedure articles by World Champion Cally Morris. (Articles on his procedures have appeared in Issues 66, 67, 68, 75, 80, and 81.) Cally’s unique streamline process for mounting turkeys in all attitudes was a game changer in mounting one of North America’s favorite and most difficult to mount game birds. Cally has been planning and working toward the introduction of his new line of turkey forms, The World Slam Series. These new forms introduce improvements in the design and usage of his turkey forms and associated products. Cally has also established a school for instruction in all areas of taxidermy with some of the top names in the taxidermy industry. We are extremely happy to present in this issue Cally’s article on mounting a flying turkey using his new line of turkey forms. These forms are made specifically for flight and are made specific as to a left or right direction of flight. The difference in the flight to the right and flight to the left is the lower wing ball socket is angled down slightly and the upper wing ball socket is angled slightly upward to accommodate wing angle setting close to the wall. Cally’s full procedure for mounting a flying turkey is shown in detail using over 100 photos and captioned instructions from this talented World Champion. Cally has improved what was once considered by many as the best turkey forms on the market. Now he is going to show all of use the best way to mount on them.

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Just a few months back I had a client who told me his exciting fish-catching story as we negotiated the plan for doing his mount. He expressed that excitement of his trophy marlin and how it jumped and thrashed while close to the boat at the end of the battle. He went on to tell me about the mouth and gills and all these observation details as they revived the beast while it swam alongside the slow-moving boat. It was during that conversation that I knew I could create for him a special mount and sealed the deal, negotiating the job if I altered my casting. I have a mold that was a perfect size and length but the mouth was only slightly open and the gills were closed. I wanted to do the mount to bring back to life the details he remembered of the wide open mouth and gills, so alterations on that cast were the only solution.

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I am sure that I am no different than most hunters in the fact that I learned the basics of still-hunting, stalking, and early hunting instincts while hunting squirrels. My uncle “Swede” was my teacher soon after he and my dad bought me a single-barrel 410 when I was 6 or 7 years old. They taught me safety first, then how to hold and shoot that trusted shotgun. I remember like yesterday the day I shot my first gray squirrel with that first gun—which I still have.

I learned quickly that it was a gun for gray squirrels and not fox squirrels, which were bigger and would climb the tallest pine trees if they spotted you first. Eventually, fox squirrels became my favorite game to hunt by my early teens using a new 16-gauge shotgun I was given for Christmas.

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From 2017 to 2019, an impressive presentation in the Berlin Museum of Natural History informed visitors about the current situation of one of the most endangered bird groups in the world.

On 500 square meters the unique exhibition showed all 19 macaw species for the first time in the world. Besides more than 45 new specimens of the 17 recent species, the exhibition also showed the two extinct species Cuban macaw (Ara tricolor) and glaucous macaw (Anodorhynchus glaucus) from the museum’s historical collections. All new specimens originate from captive breeding and had been collected over years of contact with various breeders and zoos, including two exhibits of one of the rarest parrots in the world - the Spix’s macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii).

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Please allow me to begin by saying that I personally have made the majority of these mistakes and poor judgments that will be discussed in this article. The points made herein do not come from a point of condescension, but from a point of self-reflection. The opinions here are mine and I think they are something that should help others, the realization of each certainly helped me. In general, I feel the taxidermy industry has developed the stigma of being a part-time or hobby industry. Even some professionals who have long been employed in taxidermy strongly believe we cannot earn higher wages. The two major root causes are the lack of professionalism and the amount of time in which we are “clocked out.” First of all, let’s address the elephant in the room, pun intended. Professionalism is possibly our industry’s biggest weakness and that, coupled with actual hours spent producing a tangible product, are factors affecting our pay scale. The sections below will visit different factors affecting a typical studio; I will discuss our shortcomings and some solutions.

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