wata news letter - Wyoming Association of Taxidermy Artists

WYOMING ASSOCIATION OF TAXIDERMY ARTISTS
Volume 1, issue 54
WATA
NEWS LETTER
Distributed 3 times per year: June—November and Pre convention
Our mission
The Wyoming Association of
Taxidermy Artists, a non-profit
organization, will help to increase public awareness of
quality taxidermy, raise the
standards of taxidermy through
its annual competition, increase
the knowledge of its members
through educational seminars
and form a camaraderie be-
WATA Officers
President—Lynn Stewart
307 455 3549
Vice President—Ray Avery
307 382 6601
Secretary—Scott Guenther
307 265 3285
Treasurer—Steve Marrou
307 638 9320
Directors
Dawayne Dewey
307 587 4863
Rusty Bell
307 660 7412
Jarrad Blair
307 340 0092
Susan Orcutt
307 367 2390
Doug Garner
307 287 5411
President’s Letter
Greetings!
Once again our convention and show was a great success. All of you should be congratulated for your hard work putting the convention together and creating
such dynamic mounts. Every year I wonder if the quality of work will be as good as the
last and each year it seems to get better. Many of the public visitors I talked to commented on the artistic creativity and quality of our artwork. So again congratulations to
all who participated.
Next years convention will be April 26-28 in Cody at the Holliday Inn. We had the convention there several years ago and it was a great success. Let's see if we can make
next years convention even better. With just over a year I hope everyone has their creative thinking caps on and will be ready with their best taxidermy artwork.
We recieved a Wyoming Game and Fish Commissioners License from Commissioner Mike Healy which was split with another group and 10% going to the Wildlife Heritage Foundation of Wyoming. The WHFW marketed the license and it sold for $8,500.00
of which we recieved $3,825.00. Thanks again to commissioner Heally and the WHFW.
We will apply again for a commissioners tag again next year.
Our youth education program was a success again this year with Boy Scout Troop
13 mounting another wolf under our supervision. This wolf will now find a permanent
home at the new Wyoming Game and Fish State Office visitor center in Cheyenne.
Our raffle was also a success and we sold about 700 of the 750 tickets available. Winners will be placed on the website. We are considering another raffle and if any
of you are interested in helping again please let me know. If you have any suggestions
on prizes we would appreciate it. Please remember every item must be shipable. Perhaps we could offer ten prizes instead of six.
Once again thank you all for supporting of our convention and helping our association. I
hope you all have an enjoyable summer.
Your WATA President
Lynn Stewart
Wyoming Association of Taxidermy Artists
Post Show Treasurer’s Report
Starting Balance: 11,158.62
Expences: $300 Cash for show
$61.95 Score sheets
$620.74 Wyoming Trophy and Engraving
$691.64 Wyoming Trophy and Engraving
$328.16 Western Printing (news Letters)
$740.00 Clark Sheibeis (Judge)
$1172.50 Dale Manning (Judge)
$1425.00 Manny Chavez (Judge)
$2533.13 Parkway Plaza
$40.00 Boxes for Ribbons
Deposits: $5939.00 Cash from show/Raffle
$1896.00 Checks from show/Raffle
$3825.00 Commissioners tag
It was good to see everyone again. For
those who were not at the business meeting I will once again be doing our WATA
news letter. As I’ve said many times before, I owe much of my success as a taxidermist to those of you so willing to share
your knowledge. With that in mind if you
have any tips or tricks of the trade you’d
like to share with other members in the
news letter please feel free to email, snail
mail or just give me a call.
Thanks!
Gene
Ending Balance: $14,905.50
Secretary’s Report
Howdy All,
We had another successful show and competition this year! Thanks to everyone who attended and helped out.
Our 2011 business meeting was called to order at 11 A.M. on Friday April 8, 2011 by Lynn Stewart. First order of old
business were the reports from our winter meeting, Steve Marrou read the treasurer’s report. Dewayne Dewey made a
motion and Dale Locken 2nd. Scott Guenther then read the minutes from our winter meeting; Gene Galitz made a motion
and Dewayne Dewey 2nd. Lynn then asked if the association would be willing to donate $300 to the WWHF. Mike Healy
with the Wyoming Wildlife Heritage Foundation recently sold a commissioners tag in which WATA received $3700 for
being a part of. Gene Galitz made a motion and Dewayne Dewey 2nd. We then discussed the status of the issues with
game tags. It was mentioned we should look at getting someone to lobby or getting WYOGA involved. A meeting will
be held at a later date to discuss this issue. Next order of business was the election of officers. There was a majority vote
to keep Lynn Stewart as president for one more term, Scott Guenther as secretary for another term, however Gene Galitz
accepted to take over the newsletters. Now on to the new business: The first item for discussion was for a location to
have next years show. Casper, Cody, and Laramie were the three cities discussed, however Casper was not available the
month of April. Laramie was discussed but there were concerns of nobody in Laramie to do the leg work. So Cody was
chosen but a date and site are not set in concrete due to Easter weekend. Dale Locken made the motion for Cody and
Gene Galitz 2nd. Paul Klar from Montana then got up and spoke to everyone about the United Special Sportsman’s Alliance. He gave an overview of organization. Please read more about this in this newsletter. We then discussed continuing
our Boy Scout and youth education programs at our conventions. It was decided we will keep doing them and trying to
add different projects in. The topic of the Sports Show in Casper was brought up by Lynn Stewart and suggested having
a WATA booth, however the show is in September and it was decided that most taxidermists are to busy to attend that
time of the season. Lynn Stewart had then suggested that we keep the same judges for two years to help everyone improve. Lynn spoke with our judges and majority voted to bring them back. Gene Galitz then mentioned the thought of
doing a most improved award for competitors that were judged last year by the judges. Gene Galitz then made a motion
to adjourn and Doug Garner 2nd. Meeting adjourned at 11:50 A.M.
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Award Winners
Best Novice Piece
Brady Hrabovsky
Best of Category Masters Pronghorn and Taxidermist choice best
game head
Lee Bessler
C
a
l
y
n
Breakthrough Judges Choice Best of Show
Best of Category, Professional Game head
Gary Bessler
G
u
e
n
t
h
e
r
Rylee Guenther
Wyoming Game and Fish Commissioners
Award
Dubois Outifitters Assn. Most Outstanding Predator
Jeremy Lucas
Gene Galitz
WATA Taxidermists Choice
Steve Werbelow
More Award Winners
Scott Guenther
McKenzie Distinguished service award
Most Outstanding Custom Base
Judy Galitz
Wyoming Challenge
Best of category small mammals
David Hrabovsky
Starfish Award
Susan Damron
ABF Freighters Choice
Kevin Misner
Wasco and WYOGA Outstanding Game Head
Lynn Stewart
WSF Wyoming Chapter
Outstanding Wild Sheep
Gary Bessler
Mayors Choice
Joe Hargrave
NWTF
Best Upland Bird
Scott Guenther
More Award Winners
RMEF Most Outstanding Game Head
UTA/Competitors Choice
Joe Hargrave
Best Fresh Water Species
Duane Mittlieder
Eastmans Outstanding Mule Deer Award
Best of Category Masters Game Head
Mark Zimmerman
DU Outstanding waterfowl
group
Susan Orcutt
DU Outstanding upland
Susan Orcutt
Best of Category Professional Pronghorn
Parker Shoun
Taxidermists Choice
Best Fish
Doug Garner
DU Outstanding waterfowl single
Taxidermist choice Best Bird
David Hrabovsky
More Award Winners
Best of Category Masters Large Mammal and
Taxidermists Choice Best Large Mammal
Steve Werbelow
Jenny Stoll
Polytranspar Award
Judy Galitz
DU Outstanding Upland Game Bird
Brooke Stoll
It was good to see everyone again. For those
who were not at the business meeting I will
once again be doing our WATA news letter.
As I’ve said many times before, I owe much of
my success as a taxidermist to those of you so
willing to share your knowledge. With that in
mind if you have any tips or tricks of the trade
you’d like to share with other members in the
news letter please feel free to email, snail mail
or just give me a call.
John Stoll
Thanks!
Gene
Trevor Marrou
From the Seminars ...
John Will hosted a hands on seminar working
with Quick Rock. Several participants assisted in
building the rock base for the wolf the local Cub
Scout team would later mount during the show.
Dale Manning showed us some of his tricks to make quick
work of repairing holes in a bird skin.
During his seminar on carving accurate fish
bodies Clark Schreibeis showed us a sketch
on accurate fin placement.
Manny Chavez showed us how he builds details into the form.
This allows the hair patterns to flow properly.
Cub Scout Troop 13 from Casper
Mounting a wolf
They did a great job!
Howdy WATA members! I am excited to be a part of the USSA for Wyoming. I will be the state representative and will need volunteers to help find outfitters, meat processors and taxidermists all through the state. If you can get involved and help even a little
please contact me. Scott Guenther
With the help of our all volunteer staff and caring donors, our charity has
granted over 6,600 FREE hunting and fishing wish trips across the country
(38 states) to children and veterans with a multitude of serious illnesses.
United Special Sportsman’s Alliance (USSA) founded in 2000 is an IRS
recognized 501(c) (3) nonprofit charity. We are the largest hunting and
fishing charity in the country. Without support from caring people, many of
these kids and veterans would never get the chance to experience what so
many of us take for granted. The USSA remains 100% volunteer based and
committed to sharing the outdoor hunting and fishing experience with as many
children and families as possible. We remain committed to bringing hope and
happiness into the lives of those who endure the difficulty of serious,
chronic and life-threatening illnesses.
This is the story about the little girl in the photo.
*At an early age Jessica was tragically diagnosed with a non-treatable
disease. She already had a passion for the outdoors, and she began watching
a lot of hunting shows. She explained to me that she loves hunting and that
her dream was to get a bigger whitetail deer than her dad!
The American Adventures Ranch which is located in West-central Wisconsin had
the answer to Jessica’s wish. Owner, Rick Vojitk had donated dream hunts for
three year for kids through the United Special Sportsman’s Alliance.
On this special hunt, Jessica’s guide would be her dad, Chris. Chris,
Jessica’s “Nanna” (grandmother) and myself got set up on the day of the hunt
in a tower blind around 2pm. The temperature was cool and windy, but that
didn’t keep the deer from venturing out to forage on this special day. It
was an incredible sight… there were two bucks in the field in front of us,
and coming from the left side of the blind there were several trophy bucks
crossing the lane into the field.
As Jessica, her dad and her Nanna looked through the binoculars; it was easy
to see the anticipation rising in Jessica!
Just as the sun started to set, a 13 point trophy whitetail came out into
the middle lane of the field. The big buck began to walk down the lane and
off our hearts were beating with excitement. Chris sat the Jarrett riffle up
on the ledge of the blind, and Jessica took aim through the scope. As soon
as she had the buck in the crosshairs, the gun went off.
The big deer buckled, it didn’t run far before dropping to the field.
Jessica got some quick, big hugs from her dad and her Nanna as they told her
how proud they were of her.
It was a meaningful time in many ways. The experience was just one more
example of fellowship and sharing through an outdoor adventure. It is an
unforgettable memory for challenged young hunters, and for all of those who
take part.
We are all very thankful to the Rick Vojtik family and the American
Adventures Ranch. The special mount will be given to Jessica by her father
Chris who is a professional taxidermist by trade. May God bless all of them!
*If you can help please contact:
Scott Guenther
307-265-3285
gunnerstaxidermy@bresnan.net
Thank You!!
Take your taxidermy to a new level
Join W.A.T. A Today!
Name:__________________________________________________
Shop Name:______________________________________________
Address:_________________________________________________
City_________________ State_________________ Zip__________
Annual membership $25.00
Life membership $300.00
Send to: Steve Marrou
3505 Cheyenne St. Unit C
Cheyenne, WY
For Current WATA Members see the
member page on the site!
Thank You!
Gene Galitz
333 Cascade
Lander, WY 82520