Ken Howard currently resides in Colorado and has spent the last 45 years as a full spectrum taxidermist/artist that is as comfortable with a dove as a life-size elephant, and has had a lifelong passion for wildfowl artistry.
Ken’s simple philosophy that he would want his work to “sit perfectly in place at an art gallery” produce pieces that have a natural blend of artistic elements, principals, texture, balance, flow, and combine classic sculptural inspirations… this approach has, very humbly, led to multiple Wascos, People"s Choice, Artisan, State Champion, National Champion, Provenzano, Best of Categories, Presidents Awards, etc... Ken finds the most enjoyment in sharing the experiences of this lifetime passion with others.

We are pleased to announce Kurt Ainsworth as our Mammal Judge for the 2026 show. Kurt has won numerous "Best of Category" awards in mammals, whitetail deer, and habitat. He has    won 11 Wasco's, 4 Artisan's, 3rd in the World's    (twice),  2nd in World's, as well as being a National Champion. If you have not met the legend yet, be sure  to come to the show this year and absorb his numerous years of knowledge!!

Well first off- Hi! I’m Frank and honored to be judging your show this year. Folks always ask for a bio of me and that’s hard to talk about - at least it is for me, but here it goes...

I’ve won multiple State, National, North American, 3time world champion. I've also won many other awards as Wasco,  Breakthrough, van Dykes, best all around.

My main concern in judging is to aid you in getting better in your work. Scores are just that, a meaningless number but  you need a  high number to win these awards. I’m more   concerned about anatomy than base work - that’s first and most important.

Hi my name is Todd Ekstrom, I've been a full time taxidermist since 2011, I've been a Habitat B.O.C and Best in State winner in Michigan. I've had several other awards including a Van Dyke, B.O.C Small mammal, Best Presentation of a Whitetail; twice, 3-time Best Fur Bearer, People's Choice Best Fish, and a few others.

I'm currently serving as VP of the Michigan Taxidermist Association. Taxidermy has become more than a job to me, and Habitat has become a passion for me. It's typically my favorite part of doing a piece . I love the completeness it brings in bringing a specimen to level beyond being just a mount.

Looking forward to seeing your entries and doing my best to help you increase your ability to make more money in your shops. My seminar will cover attaching different mediums properly and building a habitat to donate to the AIT looking forward to meeting you all. 

We are pleased to announce Hilton Eppley as our gamehead and whitetail judge for the 2025 show. Hilton has been sculpting for nearly 50 years including being a sculptor for Buckeye Manikins when they first opened their business. Hilton went back to sculpting his own line of forms and owns and operates Hilton Eppley Forms L.L.C. in central Ohio.
He has won numerous awards for his taxidermy work along the way including NTA Joseph Bruchac Memorial Award Judges’ Choice for Best Whitetail Deer, NTA North American Champion and Best in the World. He is a Lifetime member and certified Judge of the NTA.
Besides sculpting new lines of whitetail, Hilton collects antique fishing lures and hunts for early settler artifacts. He also operates a top notch Whitetail hunting guide service and is a competitive tournament bass fisherman.
Watch for big things coming out from “Team Eppley”