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2019 NYS Taxidermy Competition Award Winners

Congratulations to our competing UTNY members!

The United Taxidermists of New York presented more than 50 special awards and Best of Category designations at the 2019 UTNY competition and convention. Awards are determined based on individual scores, judges’ choice, and voting by other taxidermists and the UNTY board.

You can learn more about the annual competition and convention or review UTNY’s rules and entry criteria for upcoming competitions. 

Special recognition for the McKenzie Distinguished Service Award

The United Taxidermists of New York board members voted to award Jerry St. Pierre, director, with the 2019 McKenzie Distinguished Service Award.

Two men looking at a black buck mount

Masters Division

Below is a summary of 2019 special awards and Best of Category winners among competitors with pieces in the Masters division.

Brian Noody

Black Buck

  • ⭐ Breakthrough Award
    Judges' choice for 2019 overall best of show
  • Best of Category: Gameheads
    Highest scoring among 1st place gameheads, Masters division
  • PRO-ONE Award
    Judges’ choice for the best mount using PRO-ONE hide paste or tan
  • Safari Club Adirondack-Catskill Chapter Non-North American Award
    Highest-scoring non-North American big game mount in the Professional or Masters divisions
  • UTNY Taxidermists' Choice Gamehead Award
    Taxidermists' votes
  • Wasco Award
    Judges' choice for most artistic entry overall
  • The Wildlife Gallery Best Gamehead Award
    Highest score among all gamehead entries

Black bear taxidermy looking at a swimming beaver

Paul Nelson

Black Bear

  • Best All Around Taxidermist
    Highest scoring entry across divisions
  • Best of Category: Large Mammals
    Highest scoring among 1st place large mammals, Masters division
  • Safari Club Adirondack-Catskill Chapter North American Award
    Highest scoring North American big game mount in the Professional or Masters divisions
  • UTNY Best of Show Award: Masters division
    Judge's choice from divisional Best of Category winners
  • Walnut Hollow Country Award for Best Mammal
    Highest scoring mammal across all divisions
  • Woody Award for Excellence in Taxidermy
    Judges' choice, all divisions

White-cheeked pintail bird taxidermy on a branch

Josh Saville

White-Cheeked Pintail (Waterfowl)

  • Best of Category: Waterfowl
    Highest scoring among 1st place waterfowl, Masters division
  • Jack Wilson Award
    Highest-scoring waterfowl in the Masters division
  • McKenzie Taxidermists' Choice Best Bird Award
    Taxidermists' vote across all divisions
  • Walnut Hollow Country Award for Best Bird
    Highest scoring bird across all divisions

Pine Miller taxidermy animal climbing a branch

Don Miller

Pine Marten

  • Best of Category: Small Mammals
    Highest scoring among 1st place small mammals, Masters division
  • Warren Hardendorf Memorial Award
    Judge's choice of best small mammal in the Masters division

Scott Crawford

Whitetail Deer

  • McKenzie Taxidermists' Choice Best Whitetail Award
    Taxidermists' vote across all divisions
  • UTNY Joseph Bruchac Memorial Award
    Judges' choice of the best whitetail deer in the Masters division

Lady Amherst's pheasant taxidermy on a branch

Bernie Seitz

Lady Amherst's Pheasant (Upland bird)

  • UTNY Pheasant Forever Award
    Judge's choice of the best pheasant in the Professional or Masters divisions

European starling taxidermy sitting on a branch

Joe Havel

European Starling (Non-gamebird)

  • UTNY Best Non-Gamebird Award
    Highest score among non-gamebirds in the Professional and Masters divisions

Fisher taxidermy sitting on a woodland habitat

Don Miller

Fisher (Habitat entry)

  • UTNY Habitat Award
    Best habitat determined by UTNY

King eider duck taxidermy sitting on artificial water

Steve Hackett

King Eider

  • Ducks Unlimited Award
    Judge's choice for best waterfowl habitat
  • Van Dyke Award
    Judges' choice for the most creative entry in the Professional or Masters divisions

Three taxidermy ducks in a habitat with nesting area

Scott Furgeson

Wood Ducks

  • UTA Artisan Award
    Taxidermists' choice for most artistic entry across all divisions

Harlequin duck taxidermy

Scott Furgeson

Harlequin duck

  • UTNY Distinguished Taxidermist Award (includes wood duck pieces)

    Highest total score for three pieces in the Masters division

Professional Division

Below is a summary of 2019 special awards and Best of Category winners among competitors with pieces in the Professional division.

Kevin Flaherty

Turkey

  • Best of Category: Turkey
    Highest scoring among 1st place turkeys, Professional division
  • Gunner's Taxidermists' Choice Best Turkey Award
    Taxidermists' vote
  • National Wild Turkey Federation Award
    Judge's choice for best turkey in the Professional or Masters division
  • UTNY Best of Show Award: Professional Division
    Judge's choice from divisional Best of Category winners
  • Walnut Hollow Country Award for Best Turkey
    Highest scoring turkey across all divisions

Snowshoe hare taxidermy

Kersten Hirsch

Snowshoe Hare

  • Best of Category: Small Mammals
    Highest scoring among 1st place small mammals, Professional division
  • Buckshot Tannery Pro Life-Size Mammal Award
    Highest scoring life-size mammal
  • Research Manikins Best Small Mammal Award
    Judge's choice among Professional division
  • Tru Bond Trappers Award
    Judge's choice for the best indigenous New York small mammal

Molly Roloson

Whitetail Deer

  • Best of Category: Whitetails
    Highest scoring among 1st place whitetails, Professional division
  • Walnut Hollow Country Award for Best Whitetail Deer
    Highest scoring whitetail across all divisions
  • Whitetails Unlimited Award
    Highest scoring whitetail, Professional division

Mountain goat taxidermy

Mike Staskowski

Mountain Goat

  • Best of Category: Large Mammals
    Highest scoring among 1st place large mammals, Professional division
  • McKenzine Taxidermists' Choice Best Large Mammal Award
    Taxidermists' vote across all divisions
  • Mounted in Alaska Award
    Judge's choice for best life-size large species or gamehead

Brant duck taxidermy

Robert Daniel

Brant (Waterfowl)

  • Best of Category: Waterfowl
    Highest scoring among 1st place waterfowl, Professional division
  • Larry Clingerman Award
    Highest scoring waterfowl in the Professional division

Tiger trout taxidermy fish

Mark Visneski

Tiger Trout

  • Polytranspar Award
    Judges’ choice for the best fish painted with Polytranspar paints

Rainbow trout with colorful lure

Mitch Black

Rainbow Trout

  • Lifetone Award
    Judges’ choice among fish painted with Lifetone Hydromist products
  • McKenzie Taxidermists' Choice Best Fish Award
    Taxidermists' vote across all divisions

Black bear

David King

Black Bear

  • Best of Category: Gameheads
    Highest scoring among 1st place gameheads, Professional division

Groundhog taxidermy

Mitchell Rubenstein

Groundhog

  • Matuska Competitor's Award (includes other pieces)

    Awarded for four of the highest-scoring entries in the Professional or Masters divisions

Fawn taxidermy on green grass with flowers

Mitchell Rubenstein

Fawn & Groundhog

  • UTNY Distinguished Taxidermist Award (includes other pieces)

    Highest total score for three pieces in the Amateur or Professional divisions

Amateur Division

Below is a summary of 2019 special awards and Best of Category winners among competitors with pieces in the Amateur division.

Black Bear taxidermy on a branch

Linda Bollmann

Black Bear

  • Best of Category: Gameheads
    Highest scoring among 1st place gameheads, Amateur division
  • UTNY Best of Show Award: Amateur Division
    Judge's choice from divisional Best of Category winners
  • West Wind Taxidermy Gamehead Award
    Highest-scoring gamehead in the Amateur division

Chad Olschewske

Whitetail Deer

  • Whitetails Unlimited Award
    Highest scoring whitetail, Amateur division

Jake Sojka

Bluegill

  • Walnut Hollow Country Award for Best Fish
    Highest scoring fish across all divisions

Grey fox taxidermy on grass habitat

Jake Sojka

Grey Fox

  • Best of Category: Small Mammals
    Highest scoring among 1st place small mammals, Amateur division
  • Research Manikins Best Small Mammal Award
    Judge's choice among Amateur division
  • West Wind Taxidermy Life-Size Award
    Highest-scoring small or large mammal in the Amateur division

Whitetail deer

Darrell Weaver

Whitetail Deer

  • Best of Category: Whitetails
    Highest scoring among 1st place whitetails, Amateur division

Youth Division

Below is a summary of 2019 special awards and Best of Category winners among competitors with pieces in the Youth division. Youth division entrants are 16 years of age or younger.

Colden Noody

Red Fox

    Best of Category: Gameheads
    Highest scoring among 1st place gameheads, Youth division

Whitetail deer taxidermy

Hunter Noody

Whitetail Deer

  • Best of Category: Whitetails
    Highest scoring among 1st place whitetails, Youth division
  • Whitetails Unlimited Award
    Highest scoring whitetail, Youth division

Parker Livernois

Porcupine

  • UTNY Best of Show Award: Youth Division
    Judge's choice from divisional Best of Category winners

Open category winners

Awards below were presented to 2019 competitors who were not required to enter their pieces at the divisional level.

Trout taxidermy on a habitat

Joe Havel

Trout

  • UTNY Dennis Mortenson’s President’s Challenge Award
    Best skin-mounted trout as determined by the UTNY president

Pencil sketch of a whitetail deer in a frame

Tony VanDitto

Wildlife Art

  • Best of Category: Wildlife Art
    Judge's determination of best wildlife art piece from 1st place entries

John Bollmann

Surf Scoter (Habitat)

  • Best of Category: Open Habitat
    Highest scoring habitat across divisions

Fisher taxidermy sitting on a branch

Tom Smith

Fisher

  • Sivko Fur Best of Show: Commercial Division
    Judge's choice from Commercial division blue ribbon winners

David Robinson

Dinosaur Re-creation

  • Best of Category: Wildlife Re-Creation
    Judge's choice among Wildlife Re-Creation blue ribbon winners