2012 Ohio Taxidermy Championships
Rules of Competition
Rules of Competition
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NEWSLETTER | CALENDAR | E-MAIL OTA | 2012 OTA CONVENTION | LINKS
1. Every precaution will be made to secure the entries. All entries are at owner’s risk. Though security will be provided, The Ohio Taxidermists Association (OTA) does not assume responsibility for any losses incurred. This includes, but is not limited to: fire, theft, accidents, personal injury and/or natural disasters.
2. The OTA reserves the right to restrict from open viewing any entry deemed inappropriate or detrimental to the image of taxidermy or hunting. All such entries will be scored privately and entrant will be furnished with the score.
3. Absentee participants must pay registration fees and all applicable entry fees.
4. The number of entries per category is unlimited; however you cannot enter the same category in two separate divisions except for the commercial division. Once you win two Best of Category ribbons, you must move up to the next division in that category. It takes a blue ribbon to win best of category.
5. Endangered/protected species need proper permits and paperwork WITH THE MOUNT to be entered. Birds of Prey and songbirds are permitted with proper paperwork. NO Exceptions.
6. The competition area may be closed during judging, except for the competition committee.
7. Any infraction of the rules will result in disqualification of the entry and forfeiture of any awards and entry fees.
8. Any competitor who exhibits behavior deemed abusive towards any Judge, committee member, or OTA member or family will result in disqualification of the entry and forfeiture of any awards and entry fees.
9. Questions arising from the OTA competition will be resolved by the competition committee. Their decision is final!
10. Reference pictures are allowed, limit three per entry.
11. No mount can be entered in the Ohio Taxidermy Championships/OTA Competition more than once.
12. Entries in cases must have removable tops and sides for judging.
13. Entries will be held for display for the duration of the show.
14. Any mount will be deemed ineligible if too many of the judging criteria are hidden from view or not included on the mount (i.e. single duck head coming out of a hole in a tree).
15. Any juvenile species (coyote or smaller) will be judged in the small mammal category.
16. Any names, photos or logos that may reveal a competitors entry must be omitted or covered securely.
17. Complaints shall be brought to the Competition Committee, NOT Judges. Re-judge fee is $50.
18. You must show your mount I.D. receipt to claim your mounts. DO NOT LOSE THIS RECEIPT! Entries may be made at posted times and cannot be removed before posted times. Any entry not claimed will be left unattended.
19. The above rules are a general overview of the competition rules. The OTA reserves the right to review and amend these rules at any time deemed necessary.
ELIGIBILITY
The Ohio Taxidermy Championships will be open to all OTA members in good standing. Awards progress by division.
JUDGING
1. Judges for the OTA will be selected by the OTA advisory board.
2. Each judge will score each entry separately on an approved competition score sheet. Entries will be given a score of 90-100 First Place; 80-89 Second Place; 70-79 Third Place; 60-69 Honorable mention.
3. No judge will be allowed to enter a mount in the competition. Judges family may enter, but not in the category the judge is judging.
SPECIAL AWARDS
The OTA will make every effort to have listed awards available at the show, HOWEVER we do not guarantee corporately sponsored awards will be given.
MASTERS STATE CHAMPION MEDALLIONS
Bird, Fish, Mammal, Gamehead, Whitetail, Reptile, Collective Artists
BEST OF SHOW TROPHIES PROFESSIONAL
Bird, Fish, Mammal, Gamehead, Whitetail, Reptile
BEST ALL AROUND
Competitor must enter FOUR pieces - 1 gamehead, 1 fish (or reptile) 1 life size mammal and 1 bird. Pieces will be judged collectively by all four judges. Scores do not apply.
WASCO AWARD
Most artistic entry picked by all the judges. Criteria: Exhibition of Taxidermy, creativity, artistic merit.
BREAKTHROUGH AWARD
Judges Choice Best of Show
PRESIDENT’S CHOICE
Chosen by OTA President. Scores do not apply. 2012 entry Flying waterfowl
POLYTRANSPAR AWARD
Judges Choice fish using Polytranspar Paint.
BEST HABITAT
Chosen by judges
BEST AMATEUR ENTRY
Chosen by judges
HILTON EPPLEY AWARD
Highest scoring mount on a Hilton Eppley Award
McKENZIE TAXIDERMISTS CHOICE
Bird, fish, life size mammal and whitetail voted on by attending taxidermists.
PEOPLE’S CHOICE
Bird, fish, life size mammal, gamehead and reptile voted on by all convention attendees.
LADIES CHOICE
Voted on by female attendees only.
DIRECTOR’S CHOICE
Voted on by the OTA BOD from all of the entries. OTA Board members not eligible
DIRECTOR’S AWARD
Best mount entered by a OTA board member by vote of OTA Board
ART LEDGER PHEASANT AWARD
Highest scoring pheasant.
STARFISH AWARD
Best Reproduction Fish
CATEGORIES AND BEST OF CATEGORY AWARDS
WARM WATER FISH (bass, pike, crappie, etc.)
COLD WATER FISH (trout, salmon, catfish, salt water)
REPRODUCTIONS (Commercial Replicas are allowed in the professional division. Masters MUST be original work.)
SMALL MAMMAL (coyote or smaller)
LARGE MAMMAL (bigger than a coyote)
WHITETAIL DEER CLOSED MOUTH
WHITETAIL DEER OPEN MOUTH (Any parting of the lips will be considered open mouth)
GAMEHEADS (other than whitetail)
WATER FOWL
UPLAND GAME BIRDS
NON-GAME BIRDS
REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS
FREEZE DRY (Freeze dry entries are not eligible for Best of Show or State Champion Medallions.)
HABITAT (Habitat category has special category ribbons. Habitats enter in the division of the mount.
NO LIVE PLANTS ARE PERMITTED IN HABITAT)
DIVISIONS
Entrants choose their division. However, the OTA reserves the right to elevate entries as seen fit.
JUNIOR - Multiple 1st, 2nd, 3rd & Honorable Mention ribbons. No best of category. Open to ages 16 and under. Age will be taken into consideration. Judging will be done by qualified individuals. Critiques will be given.
COMMERICAL - Multiple 1st, 2nd, 3rd & Honorable Mention ribbons. No best of category. Judging is done at a distance. Judging done by qualified individuals. No critiques will be given, only comment sheets.
AMATEUR - Multiple 1st, 2nd, 3rd & Honorable Mention ribbons. No best of category. The competition committee reserves the right to curve scores if necessary. Judging will be done by qualified individuals.
PROFESSIONAL - Multiple 1st, 2nd, 3rd & Honorable Mention ribbons. One Best of Category ribbon awarded per category. The competition committee reserves the right to curve scores if necessary. Critiques will be given.
MASTERS - Multiple 1st, 2nd, 3rd place ribbons. One Best of Category ribbon per category awarded. No curve will be applied. Only Masters will be eligible for STATE CHAMPIONSHIP MEDALLIONS. Critiques will be given.
COLLECTIVE ARTISTS- SINGLE 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place awards given. Mount can be done by 2 or MORE individuals. Judges will choose the winners from all the entries in the division.
© 2012 Ohio Taxidermists Association - revised 1/12
2. The OTA reserves the right to restrict from open viewing any entry deemed inappropriate or detrimental to the image of taxidermy or hunting. All such entries will be scored privately and entrant will be furnished with the score.
3. Absentee participants must pay registration fees and all applicable entry fees.
4. The number of entries per category is unlimited; however you cannot enter the same category in two separate divisions except for the commercial division. Once you win two Best of Category ribbons, you must move up to the next division in that category. It takes a blue ribbon to win best of category.
5. Endangered/protected species need proper permits and paperwork WITH THE MOUNT to be entered. Birds of Prey and songbirds are permitted with proper paperwork. NO Exceptions.
6. The competition area may be closed during judging, except for the competition committee.
7. Any infraction of the rules will result in disqualification of the entry and forfeiture of any awards and entry fees.
8. Any competitor who exhibits behavior deemed abusive towards any Judge, committee member, or OTA member or family will result in disqualification of the entry and forfeiture of any awards and entry fees.
9. Questions arising from the OTA competition will be resolved by the competition committee. Their decision is final!
10. Reference pictures are allowed, limit three per entry.
11. No mount can be entered in the Ohio Taxidermy Championships/OTA Competition more than once.
12. Entries in cases must have removable tops and sides for judging.
13. Entries will be held for display for the duration of the show.
14. Any mount will be deemed ineligible if too many of the judging criteria are hidden from view or not included on the mount (i.e. single duck head coming out of a hole in a tree).
15. Any juvenile species (coyote or smaller) will be judged in the small mammal category.
16. Any names, photos or logos that may reveal a competitors entry must be omitted or covered securely.
17. Complaints shall be brought to the Competition Committee, NOT Judges. Re-judge fee is $50.
18. You must show your mount I.D. receipt to claim your mounts. DO NOT LOSE THIS RECEIPT! Entries may be made at posted times and cannot be removed before posted times. Any entry not claimed will be left unattended.
19. The above rules are a general overview of the competition rules. The OTA reserves the right to review and amend these rules at any time deemed necessary.
ELIGIBILITY
The Ohio Taxidermy Championships will be open to all OTA members in good standing. Awards progress by division.
JUDGING
1. Judges for the OTA will be selected by the OTA advisory board.
2. Each judge will score each entry separately on an approved competition score sheet. Entries will be given a score of 90-100 First Place; 80-89 Second Place; 70-79 Third Place; 60-69 Honorable mention.
3. No judge will be allowed to enter a mount in the competition. Judges family may enter, but not in the category the judge is judging.
SPECIAL AWARDS
The OTA will make every effort to have listed awards available at the show, HOWEVER we do not guarantee corporately sponsored awards will be given.
MASTERS STATE CHAMPION MEDALLIONS
Bird, Fish, Mammal, Gamehead, Whitetail, Reptile, Collective Artists
BEST OF SHOW TROPHIES PROFESSIONAL
Bird, Fish, Mammal, Gamehead, Whitetail, Reptile
BEST ALL AROUND
Competitor must enter FOUR pieces - 1 gamehead, 1 fish (or reptile) 1 life size mammal and 1 bird. Pieces will be judged collectively by all four judges. Scores do not apply.
WASCO AWARD
Most artistic entry picked by all the judges. Criteria: Exhibition of Taxidermy, creativity, artistic merit.
BREAKTHROUGH AWARD
Judges Choice Best of Show
PRESIDENT’S CHOICE
Chosen by OTA President. Scores do not apply. 2012 entry Flying waterfowl
POLYTRANSPAR AWARD
Judges Choice fish using Polytranspar Paint.
BEST HABITAT
Chosen by judges
BEST AMATEUR ENTRY
Chosen by judges
HILTON EPPLEY AWARD
Highest scoring mount on a Hilton Eppley Award
McKENZIE TAXIDERMISTS CHOICE
Bird, fish, life size mammal and whitetail voted on by attending taxidermists.
PEOPLE’S CHOICE
Bird, fish, life size mammal, gamehead and reptile voted on by all convention attendees.
LADIES CHOICE
Voted on by female attendees only.
DIRECTOR’S CHOICE
Voted on by the OTA BOD from all of the entries. OTA Board members not eligible
DIRECTOR’S AWARD
Best mount entered by a OTA board member by vote of OTA Board
ART LEDGER PHEASANT AWARD
Highest scoring pheasant.
STARFISH AWARD
Best Reproduction Fish
CATEGORIES AND BEST OF CATEGORY AWARDS
WARM WATER FISH (bass, pike, crappie, etc.)
COLD WATER FISH (trout, salmon, catfish, salt water)
REPRODUCTIONS (Commercial Replicas are allowed in the professional division. Masters MUST be original work.)
SMALL MAMMAL (coyote or smaller)
LARGE MAMMAL (bigger than a coyote)
WHITETAIL DEER CLOSED MOUTH
WHITETAIL DEER OPEN MOUTH (Any parting of the lips will be considered open mouth)
GAMEHEADS (other than whitetail)
WATER FOWL
UPLAND GAME BIRDS
NON-GAME BIRDS
REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS
FREEZE DRY (Freeze dry entries are not eligible for Best of Show or State Champion Medallions.)
HABITAT (Habitat category has special category ribbons. Habitats enter in the division of the mount.
NO LIVE PLANTS ARE PERMITTED IN HABITAT)
DIVISIONS
Entrants choose their division. However, the OTA reserves the right to elevate entries as seen fit.
JUNIOR - Multiple 1st, 2nd, 3rd & Honorable Mention ribbons. No best of category. Open to ages 16 and under. Age will be taken into consideration. Judging will be done by qualified individuals. Critiques will be given.
COMMERICAL - Multiple 1st, 2nd, 3rd & Honorable Mention ribbons. No best of category. Judging is done at a distance. Judging done by qualified individuals. No critiques will be given, only comment sheets.
AMATEUR - Multiple 1st, 2nd, 3rd & Honorable Mention ribbons. No best of category. The competition committee reserves the right to curve scores if necessary. Judging will be done by qualified individuals.
PROFESSIONAL - Multiple 1st, 2nd, 3rd & Honorable Mention ribbons. One Best of Category ribbon awarded per category. The competition committee reserves the right to curve scores if necessary. Critiques will be given.
MASTERS - Multiple 1st, 2nd, 3rd place ribbons. One Best of Category ribbon per category awarded. No curve will be applied. Only Masters will be eligible for STATE CHAMPIONSHIP MEDALLIONS. Critiques will be given.
COLLECTIVE ARTISTS- SINGLE 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place awards given. Mount can be done by 2 or MORE individuals. Judges will choose the winners from all the entries in the division.
© 2012 Ohio Taxidermists Association - revised 1/12
