04/13/2026
Spent the weekend doing something a little out of my comfort zone. I signed up to compete in this year's Michigan Taxidermy Association competition at Soaring Eagle Casino. I have never really been interested in competing in this event, but have been continuously told how it would improve my skills. Well I am all about improving my skill to give my customers the best product out of my shop possible. So I decided give it a go and I'm very pleased that I did.
Being my first year competing I ended up entering two whitetail mounts in the commercial division. Both mounts took home first place ribbons with excellent feed back and notes, along with tips and suggestions to improve on.
Also this weekend Kourtney Marx Wells entered her skull she beaded camouflage in thr skeletal articulations division and was voted best in that category. I am so proud of her
All in all it was an amazing time full of seminars and knowledge and I truly did learn alot to enhance my skills. I was told by multiple judges and previous award winners how good my mounts looked and that I should have entered them in the professional division. I also was told by a judge after he found out that the blind eye buck mount was mine. That the judges were gathered around it talking about how good of job I did on the blind eye. All of this has really gave me confidence in my skills and i can't wait to come up with ideas and enter in professional division next year. @
