2016 Taxidermy Project County Contest

April 18, 2016 - When you think of 4-H most think of a youth organization that provides opportunities with the livestock, horses, food, fashion, photography, shooting sports and leadership, just to name a few.  These projects are some of the banner programs that are offered but 4-H is more than that.  This year, Shelby County 4-H has kicked off a new project, Taxidermy.

The taxidermy project blends many skills together to make this project a success.  Patience might just be the most important one learned.  It takes lots of time, dedication and skill to harvest the animal from the wild and mount so that it still looks alive.  The tools of the trade are scalpels, needle and thread, caulk air paint gun, dermal tool, hide preservative, and of course polyurethane foam mounts.  The habitat can be made from drift wood, foam insulation, plaster of Paris and even bondo.

Shelby County Extension will be hosting a 4-H Taxidermy project contest, and project viewing open to the public.  The contest is scheduled for April 26, 2016 at the Center Community House Rock Building from 5:00pm – 7:00pm.  I would like to encourage the public to come and look at all awesome mounts ranging from raccoons to deer, 26 projects to be exact. The projects can be viewed starting at 7:00pm.

Subvmitted by Lane Dunn