The SCI Convention's level of taxidermy, in quality and number of examples, is unbeatable.
Everyone who's anyone in the hunting biz knows taxidermy skills are coveted. How else are we going to be able to retain and remember the amazing animals we've harvested?
Preserving a hunt with high-quality taxidermy has become the go-to method, and there's no better proof of that fact than the Safasri Club International's annual Convention, held this year in Reno, Nevada.
It was the 48th edition of the SCI Convention, and the collection of taxidermy on display has grown every year. In 2020, it was enough to make owners of the most extensive trophy rooms jealous.
Here are just 15 examples, each with their own unique characteristics and high-class production.
1. American Bison
2. Don't Mess With the King
3. World Record Rocky Mountain Bighorn
4. Big Bull Elk
5. A Standoff Over a Fish
6. High Peak Chamois
7. Leopard vs. Hyenas
8. Whitetail Squad
9. Who's Got the Upper Hand?
10. More Points Than Meet the Eye
11. Moment of Attack
12. The Tallest Mount in the Whole Show
13. Big Cat
14. Aussie Water Buffalo
15. Angry Mountain Lion
If you don't have anything of this level on display in your own home, there's no reason to be discouraged. The SCI Convention exhibited the best of the best, and many of them represented once-in-a-lifetime harvests.
Our favorites are the scenes that combine more than one species, like the javelina and rattlesnake or lion and cape buffalo. Those take extreme skill, and certainly cost a pretty penny, too.
Ultimately, it's up to the individual to determine if a taxidermy mount is for them and their hunt. But once you get it into your house, finding a spot to put it becomes important.
Make the decisions wisely, and be proud of the mounts you collect over the years. They're often the only tangible, long-lasting memories we're able to preserve.
NEXT: GUN DOG HALL OF FAME: THE 20 BEST HUNTING BREEDS TO HIT THE FIELD
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