As can be seen in the pictures above, Dan certainly plays as hard as he works. Many years of avid trophy hunting have certainly maximized his understanding of all North American big game. That hunting experience combined with his highly-refined artistic skills, have definitely established Dan as a great taxidermist, not only in this Kootenay region of British Columbia, but in the world!

Dan's foundational skills were originally established by working with a well-seasoned craftsman for nine years, after which Dan worked for another local taxidermist a few years more. His outstanding talent and popularity simply continued to excel, eventually leading him to establish "GlacierMtn Taxidermy" in Cranbrook, BC, on his own.

"FIRST PLACE IN WESTERN CANADA"

Dan had become especially recognized for his remarkable ability to capture the natural features, and captivating expressions of Canada's wild cats, which are recognized by seasoned taxidermists to be some of the most, if not the most difficult animals in the world to recreate. In the spring of 2006 Dan earned both "FIRST PLACE" in the Professional Division, plus the much coveted "PEOPLE'S CHOICE" awards for his cougar at the "WESTERN CANADIAN TAXIDERMY CHAMPIONSHIPS", in Kamloops, BC. He also earned a high-scoring "SECOND" with a mule deer buck in the same Professional Division. Since these were the only two examples that Dan brought with him, one has to admit that one can't achieve much better results, not only from the world-class judges, but also from the votes of two-days worth of spectators. That was awfully impressive considering that this was Dan's first competition, and he really didn't know the ropes. Dan really enjoyed himself, and certainly learned a few very valuable lessons from the world champions.

Here are a couple of photos from the 2006 Western Canadian Taxidermy Championships. The one on the left is of Dan with his double award-winning cougar, and the one on the right, is of Dan with two other very highly-respected, "World-Champion" taxidermists, (left, "Ken Walker, competitor", right, "Brian Dobson, judge").

"FIRST PLACE IN THE WORLD"

Dan's strive for excellence just couldn't stop there. He decided to compete in the "WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS" in "RENO, NEVADA" in the following spring of 2007. There were entries from all fifty states, (plus twenty-one other countries). He chose to contend in the most competitive division, (the Whitetail Professional Division), to see how he would do against the very best in the world. Well he did all that anyone could do, he won "FIRST PLACE" and became an instant celebrity in the taxidermy world. Dan landed up not only being the only Canadian to win first-place (in any category), it happened to be in the fiercest one (by far)! "Pretty awesome, eh?"

Here are a couple photos of one of the most impressive whitetail mounts that you'll ever see!

It really doesn't matter which North American game species Dan mounts, it always looks extremely natural, alert and ready to blink. He's always been one to seek the highest standards possible and just continues to excel as time goes on.

I encourage you to take the time to study the superb detail in Dan's habitat creations as you examine his larger taxidermy examples. (They are accessible through the "Trophy Talk" link below). Again, Dan's outstanding craftsmanship and tremendous attention to detail shine brightly, although pictures really can't produce all of the intricacies.

I have truly enjoyed watching Dan's craftsmanship develop over the years. His commitment to the art of taxidermy is definitely second to none. Simply put, he's a great guy with incredible talent, dedication and passion for his profession. I encourage you to take the time to judge and compare for yourselves. I truly believe that you will see the superiority that thousands of others, and I, already have.

Lionel Parent.