Taxidermy Judges? New career path?

[trof]

CBS Sunday Morning just had a segment on a taxidermy competition.

"To combat the grim image the industry exudes, taxidermists call it wildlife artistry — the animals realistic in every detail and set in natural habitats.

Contestants attend seminars, take educational field trips, and shop for new, improved body parts. There are whole plastic manikins ready to be wrapped in skins.

With all of this training and new technology, competition is keen and judges brutally exacting.

To win, the wildlife artistry must be perfect, inside and out."
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/10/15/sunday/main2089999.shtml

One judge had a flashlight, looking up a stuffed mountain lion's nose.
"See how the septum and nostrils look moist? Just like in real life."

An old hand at taxidermy said "Hell, I never had no judge lookin' up a animal's nose before. This is ridiculous."

Wonder if it's too late in life for me to go to taxidermy judge's school?
:eyes:

[brook]

1. CBS Sunday Morning's

one of my favorite programs - because they do this kind of odd ball stuff. As for taxidermy, it sorta died out for awhile. When I was prepping 'Lost Boys', I had to buy enough tools, forms, etc. to recreate a taxidermy 'room' for Grandpa. Bought out a guy who was closing up shop here. For later shows, I found someone in Michigan who was still active and could supply stuffed critters to order.

"Hello. Can you Fed-Ex me about 10 white ducks? They need to be sitting and I need them in Honolulu by Thursday."