Craig taxidermists tops in class

If you want your trophy mounted, Craig has a great calling card.

For the second straight year, Craig hosted the Colorado State Taxidermy Championships at the Moffat County Fairgrounds Pavilion, with several local shops taking top honors.

Mark Zimmerman, of Bullseye Taxidermy, took three first-place finishes in the Masters division, while Scott Moore, of Mountain Man Taxidermy, had three second-place finishes in the Professional division.

While the categories in the show cover animals of all sizes, including fish and birds, it was no big surprise that Zimmerman and Moore made their mark with shoulder mounts of Moffat County elk. “We definitely get a lot of practice on them,” Moore says.

Zimmerman’s first-place finishes came in the Masters division gamehead categories for elk, antelope and mule deer. Moore also had an elk and mule deer place, and a second pedestal elk earned him another second. “I’m happy with how I did,” Moore says. “I learned a lot, which is always the main thing.”

With beautiful taxidermy work on display, including a life-size brown bear and springbok (an African antelope gazelle), along with such Colorado mounts as bobcats and mountain lions, the show offered a glimpse at some of the best taxidermy work being done today, with many of its stars hailing from Moffat County.

“With four local taxidermists, as well as great ones nearby in Steamboat, Montrose and other areas, Craig is about as good a location for the show as you can get,” Moore says.

—Nate Waggenspack