Reeling in a big catch

Mike Koenig of Carrington started his taxidermy career as a hobby, and said of the intervening years since, "[It's] grown into much more than that."

Twenty-three years into that first plunge into the art of trophy wildlife presentation, one outstanding entry of Koenig's work has been honored as the top of its kind in the state.

At the North Dakota Taxidermists Association's (NDTA) 39th annual competition held March 7-10 in Bismarck, his reproduction perch took home the state championship plaques and ribbons in the masters division for that category.

He also won the award last year for a different reproduction fish.

"Competing at the master level is for the advanced taxidermist, where the highest level of excellence is expected," Koenig explained. "This category is for those who aim to be the most technically correct, artistically oriented, and at a very high creative level."

He started his taxidermy pursuits back in 2001, and he has been competing in the highest skill classification for at least 11 years now, by his estimation.

Koenig says there are five different divisions of competition, which include commercial, youth, novice, professional and masters.

Some of the categories of taxidermy include whitetail deer, large and small mammals, waterfowl, upland birds and fish, he said.

There were a total of 99 entries this year, noted Koenig, with last year's 110 being the largest contest enrollment in NDTA history.

He plans to compete in the masters division of the World Taxidermy and Fish Carving Championships, which will be held August 6-10, 2024, in Coralville, Iowa.

Koenig's mount, along with his other competition winners, will be on display at his personal business showroom.

He is married to his wife, Shaunette, who owns and operates Central City Concepts. They have two children, Gracie and Tyson.

Koenig has been a member of the NDTA since 2008, and served 10 years on the board of directors. Four of those years were spent as the state association's president.