Breakthrough Magazine Learn Taxidermy Magazine Trade Journal

Breakthrough Magazine Learn Taxidermy Magazine Trade Journal Breakthrough is the premier taxidermy magazine, and goes to thousands of professional and beginner taxidermists all over the world.

Breakthrough is also the sponsor of the World Taxidermy & Fish Carving Championships®.

SUMMER 2025 ISSUE #158Cover Artist: Brian Olson–Platteville, WisconsinThe beautiful whitetail doe on our cover was moun...
10/10/2025

SUMMER 2025 ISSUE #158
Cover Artist: Brian Olson–Platteville, Wisconsin
The beautiful whitetail doe on our cover was mounted by Wisconsin taxidermist, Brian Olson. Brian also produced a superb article for us in this issue (see pages 14-28) documenting his procedures for mounting his Best in World mule deer entered at the 2024 World Taxidermy Championships®. In August of 2025 he continued his winning ways, capturing three North American Championships, as you will see in our coverage of the NTA show on pages 40-46. The whitetail doe on our cover captured one of those North American Championships for Long Hair Open Mouth Whitetail Deer.
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SUMMER 2025 ISSUE #158GALLERY: MASTER OF MASTERS, 2024 WTC–Coralville, IowaLeopard Dean Schulte–Coalville, UT, 1stBobca...
10/10/2025

SUMMER 2025 ISSUE #158
GALLERY: MASTER OF MASTERS, 2024 WTC–Coralville, Iowa
Leopard Dean Schulte–Coalville, UT, 1st
Bobcats Brian Hendricks–Scottville, MI, 2nd
Ring-Necked Pheasant Kent Reedy–Dixon, IA, 3rd
Whitetail Deer Clint Rickey–Dodgeville, WI
English Sparrow Randy Holler–Hettinger, ND
Donkey Foal Rebecca Wilcher–Ashdown, AR
2 Magpies and Crow Glen Browning–Surrey, Canada
African Leopard Daniel Meng–Selby, SD
Budgerigar Gary Pegg–Melbourne, Australia
Blue-Winged Mountain Tanager Christel Van Ommen-Verdaasdonk Schijndel, Netherlands
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SUMMER 2025 ISSUE #158FAREWELL, BUT NOT THE END, by Larry BlomquistKathy and I have reached a sales agreement with a pa...
10/10/2025

SUMMER 2025 ISSUE #158
FAREWELL, BUT NOT THE END, by Larry Blomquist
Kathy and I have reached a sales agreement with a party we know personally and trust. We have no doubts they will continue the traditions of taxidermy’s leading publication and the world’s largest taxidermy trade show. In this agreement we will continue as producers of the magazine for one more year in order to work with the new owners with our production methods. We will also be advisors in producing the next World Taxidermy and Fish Carving Championships® which will likely be in April of 2027. The owners will continue with the same show format and rules that have been successful for 41 years, so you can now begin planning for that next big event.
TO SUBSCRIBE OR RENEW, visit www.breakthroughmagazine.com or call (985) 345-7266.

SUMMER 2025 ISSUE #158QUEST FOR THE GOLD (mule deer), by Brian OlsonSeveral years ago a friend sent me a picture of a b...
10/10/2025

SUMMER 2025 ISSUE #158
QUEST FOR THE GOLD (mule deer), by Brian Olson
Several years ago a friend sent me a picture of a bedded whitetail deer scratching his back with his antlers. I thought this would make a great competition mount as it was different and very interesting. I kept this thought in mind for when the right opportunity ever came along.
I had a successful mule deer hunt in Colorado so I immediately decided this deer would be the mount I could use for the half life-sized mount scratching his back with his antlers. I decided I would use that composition for a mount at the next World Show in 2024. Using this mule deer would mean I would now compete in the World Title Master Division Gamehead category. The antlers were perfect (I thought at that time) and the deer was in very good condition with hardly any scars or ear tears and it was mine to keep. Later, after a major part of my original form was being sculpted, my decision about the deer’s attitude would change, which I will discuss later in this article.
TO SUBSCRIBE OR RENEW, visit www.breakthroughmagazine.com or call (985) 345-7266.

SUMMER 2025 ISSUE #158PART 2: MOLDING, CASTING BISON HORNS, by Erich Carter1. Welcome back to my 2 articles on molding ...
10/10/2025

SUMMER 2025 ISSUE #158
PART 2: MOLDING, CASTING BISON HORNS, by Erich Carter
1. Welcome back to my 2 articles on molding and casting bison horns. If you did not read my first article on how to mold bison horns, you really should go back and pick up that issue (Spring Issue #157) as this process will help with many of your other casting projects.
TO SUBSCRIBE OR RENEW, visit www.breakthroughmagazine.com or call (985) 345-7266.

SUMMER 2025 ISSUE #158PICTURED: NTA 2025 N.A+NAT.CHAMPS Peoria, Illinois54th Convention and CompetitionEmbassy Suites b...
10/10/2025

SUMMER 2025 ISSUE #158
PICTURED: NTA 2025 N.A+NAT.CHAMPS Peoria, Illinois
54th Convention and Competition
Embassy Suites by Hilton • East Peoria Riverfront Hotel & Conference Center
August 4–16, 2025 • East Peoria, Illinois

2025 NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPIONS
Waterfowl Gold Alyssa Godwin - Green-winged Teal
Turkeys Gold Cole Cruickshank - Eastern Wild Turkey
Warmwater Fish Silver Cory Foth - Spotted Gar
Gold Dan Helmer - Largemouth Bass
Reptiles Gold Kent Allard - Prairie Rattlesnake
Reproductions Other Gold Cory Foth - Woodhouse Toad
Sm. LS Mammals Silver Abel Everage - Bobcat
Gold Ashley Eve - Northern Koala
Med. LS Mammals Gold Lance Van Dusen - Javelina
Large LS Mammals Gold Lance Van Dusen - Nyala
Large Gameheads Silver Scott Brassfield - Axis Deer
Gold Justin Frick - Pronghorn Antelope
Mule Deer Gold Brian Olson - Mule Deer
LHCM Whitetails Bronze Patrick Betts - Whitetail Deer
Silver Kevin Crane - Whitetail Deer
Gold Scott Brassfield - WT Deer
SHCM Whitetails Gold Clint Rickey - Whitetail Deer
LHOM Whitetails Bronze Mike Brignac - Whitetail Deer
LHOM Whitetails Silver Nathan Kelsey - Whitetail Deer
LHOM Whitetails Gold Brian Olson - Whitetail Deer
SHOM Whitetails Gold Brian Olson - Whitetail Deer
Birds No winners
Recreations No winners
Reproduction Fish No winners

2025 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS
Waterfowl Bronze Tyler Whisner Wood Duck
Silver Anthony Wells Cinnamon Teal
Gold Austin Godwin Pintail
Turkeys Silver Mike Putnam Merrimam’s Turkey
Gold Taylor Harmon Eastern Wild Turkey
Warmwater Fish Gold Laverne Miller Bluegill
Med. Mammals Gold Jeremy Simon Bobcat
Large Mammals Silver James Dykstra Black Bear
Gold Jeremy Simon Mountain Lion
Small Gameheads Gold Whitney Steward Bobcat
Large Gameheads Gold Manuel Reiner Black Bear
Mule Deer Bronze Sean McKinney Mule Deer
Silver Crystal Smith Mule Deer
Gold Erin Silcox Mule Deer
LHCM Whitetail Deer Gold Cole Mears Whitetail Deer
SHCM Whitetail Deer Bronze Everette Alderman WT Deer
Silver Tommy Pulatie Whitetail Deer
Gold Joe Morin Whitetail Deer
LHOM Whitetail Deer Silver Steve Lucarelli Whitetail Deer
Gold Butch Irwin Whitetail Deer
SHOM Whitetail Deer Silver Ty Gorham Whitetail Deer
Gold Cole Mears Whitetail Deer
Birds no winners
Reptiles no winners
Reproduction Fish no winners
Small Mammals no winners
TO SUBSCRIBE OR RENEW, visit www.breakthroughmagazine.com or call (985) 345-7266.

SUMMER 2025 ISSUE #158SCHWARZ STUDIO FOR SALE, by Larry BlomquistBack in 1978 I became friends with Paul Schwarz Jr., o...
10/10/2025

SUMMER 2025 ISSUE #158
SCHWARZ STUDIO FOR SALE, by Larry Blomquist
Back in 1978 I became friends with Paul Schwarz Jr., one of the founding members of the NTA, which started in Missouri. He and I first met at a National Taxidermists Association convention in 1976 and we served on the NTA board together for three years. His father Frank Schwarz started the family studio in 1878. The Schwarz Studio is the oldest taxidermy studio in the United States. In 1994 we published an article on this famous family and institution located in St. Louis, Missouri. The studio is now for sale. News of this sale came when we were contacted by St. Louis realtor David Wright back in August, so I went into our archives thinking that now would be a good time to run that article again from Issue 38, 31 years ago. History never changes with time and this story of the Schwarz family and their historic studio is one young and old generations should hear again. This 31-year-old article, with a few updates and new photos we have acquired, will follow this introduction.
TO SUBSCRIBE OR RENEW, visit www.breakthroughmagazine.com or call (985) 345-7266.

SUMMER 2025 ISSUE #158OBITUARY: Ed ThompsonIt is with great sorrow that we announce the passing of Burke Edward “Eddie”...
10/10/2025

SUMMER 2025 ISSUE #158
OBITUARY: Ed Thompson
It is with great sorrow that we announce the passing of Burke Edward “Eddie” Thompson, Jr. He passed peacefully surrounded by his loving family on June 25, 2025, at the age of 85. He will be greatly missed by his family and friends.
TO SUBSCRIBE OR RENEW, visit www.breakthroughmagazine.com or call (985) 345-7266.

SUMMER 2025 ISSUE #158STARTING FROM SCRATCH, PART 5, by Mark WalkerInformation has never been as accessible as it is no...
10/10/2025

SUMMER 2025 ISSUE #158
STARTING FROM SCRATCH, PART 5, by Mark Walker
Information has never been as accessible as it is now, and this will continue in ways we can’t imagine. People are always looking for the newest and latest information in any field where they work or have an interest in. Taxidermists are no different, and the fact that you are reading this article in Breakthrough attests to this. As we all started our journey into taxidermy, I started with a passion for the craft, and it appeared that taxidermy was moving into the world of art. To do that, we first learned and mastered the craft, then took the step into the art. We all wanted to gain knowledge and then to perfect this knowledge into the practical craft. What we needed was to gain knowledge; it’s essential to first distinguish between information and knowledge.
TO SUBSCRIBE OR RENEW, visit www.breakthroughmagazine.com or call (985) 345-7266.

SUMMER 2025 ISSUE #158MOUNTAIN QUAIL REFERENCE, PART 5, by Larry BlomquistMountain quail are the largest quail species ...
10/10/2025

SUMMER 2025 ISSUE #158
MOUNTAIN QUAIL REFERENCE, PART 5, by Larry Blomquist
Mountain quail are the largest quail species found in the United States. The bird’s average length is 26–28 cm (10–11 in), with a wingspan of 35–40 cm (14–16 in). Mountain quail have a unique characteristic of two straight feathers that arch over the back. These birds are easily recognized by their top knots, which are shorter in females. They have a brown face and heavily white-barred underside. Females display greater brown coloring on their dorsal side, a paler red on their undersides, and wider white barring on the flank than their male counterparts. Mountain quails lose the multi-color primary coverts on their wings as they age, and by 15 months old will only have solid-colored coverts. The mountain quail’s long head plume gives a clue to its attitude. When the plume is angled backward, the bird is typically relaxed, feeding, or resting. When the plume sticks straight up, the bird is agitated or alert.
TO SUBSCRIBE OR RENEW, visit www.breakthroughmagazine.com or call (985) 345-7266.

SUMMER 2025 ISSUE #158SCALED QUAIL REFERENCE, PART 6, by Larry BlomquistScaled quail, also commonly called blue quail o...
10/10/2025

SUMMER 2025 ISSUE #158
SCALED QUAIL REFERENCE, PART 6, by Larry Blomquist
Scaled quail, also commonly called blue quail or cotton tops, are a species of the New World quail family. They are bluish-gray birds found in the arid regions of the Southwestern United States to Central Mexico. These birds are named for the scaly appearance of their breasts and back feathers. Along with their scaly markings, the birds are easily identified by their white crests that resembles tufts of cotton. Adults are pale brownish with elegant dark scaling on the underparts. Their heads are plain brown with white accents on the crest. Their backs are bluish gray and their wings are brown stippled with buff white stripes. Juveniles are similar but have shorter crests, and the upper wing has a more ornate pattern.
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