Western States Taxidermy Championships-Carving Competition

Out of four 2nd place ribbons my Black Crappie took two of them in Open Division. The bluegill and catfish got third. Working my way up slowly through ribbons and points to Masters Division. Some guys have been at this for a lifetime. I feel honored to be among them. Still learning.

Review, Revise, Refine

I decided I didn't like the eye on the bluegill on the last display. I'm working on refining this one fish in advance of the show on the 17th--starting over.

Uploading Cats

The first catfish pictured with the lure, I carved for my granddaughter. It has the lure I designed and created enshrined as well as the fish she caught. She requested to catch a catfish in a place and with a setup I had never been successful catching catfish with and she caught one--that made me a believer in the power of a little girl's wish. It's a gift for her 5th birthday.

The second catfish, I designed for the show in Sacramento on the 17th. Keep your fingers crossed!

Black Crappie from Crappie Photos

It's always better to have good photos to work from, but I did my best with what I had. Went to visit Sulphur Creek Nature Center and took a gander at their live Black Crappie. All in all, I'm pretty pleased with how they turned out. What do you think?