Ed Piaskowski Whitetail Gallery

Edward J. Piaskowski, 77, of Jackson Township in Ohio, passed away Thursday, August 7, 2014. Universally liked and respected by his peers, Ed was the embodiment of a gentleman. He was a rare combination of extreme talent, yet humble to a fault. Ed was born on April 6, 1937 in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania, the son of Enoch and Nellie (Borcufsky) Piaskowski. He was a devout Catholic. Ed retired from Babcock & Wilcox where he was an engineer for over 40 years and received the “Engineering Honors Award”. Ed enjoyed playing clarinet and saxophone in many different bands in Pennsylvania and Ohio. He was a member of the Ohio Taxidermist Association and the National Taxidermists Association, he won the Best in World Whitetail Deer award at the World Taxidermy Championships® in 2009. His hobbies included taxidermy, fishing, hunting and spending time with his family.

I looked through my photo files and found only two of Ed’s whitetail mounts that I had photographed, but the additional close ups and alternate views of these beautiful mounts had never been published before. I thought that Ed’s friends and fans should have a chance to see some additional angles on his stunning taxidermy work.

Ed’s whitetail deer eating an acorn off a stump won the prestigious Best In World Whitetail award the 2009 World Taxidermy Championships® held in St. Charles, Missouri.

Ed was presented with the World Championship title by Joe Meder at the 2009 WTC awards banquet.

The fall habitat helped Ed win the Van Dyke’s creativity award at the 2009 National Taxidermists Association convention.

A close-up of the face reveals Ed’s attention to detail, helping him to win the 2009 North American Champion award for open-mouth whitetails.

The mouth work and tongue were exceptionally well-done.

A rare front-on view shows the attitude and expression of the head.

Looking from below, up into the nostrils, provides a different perspective.

Ed posed for this impromptu portrait as the mounts were brought into the competition area.

In addition to the many other honors bestowed upon Ed, he was named “Taxidermist of the Year” for 2009 based upon this mount.

A chipmunk peeking out from under the log added to the narrative story of the piece.

The deer appeared to be stealing the chipmunk’s lunch.

Ed was proud of the engineering he had constructed in this display. A hidden hinge allowed the deer mount to rotate independently from the habitat base. In this view, you can see that the mouth has moved away from the acorn.

This deer entry was also the recipient of the prestigious Joseph Bruchac Memorial Award.

Along with the many other awards from the 2009 NTA convention, this mount also won Second Place in the Challenge of the Art of Taxidermy competition. One of the most honored whitetail deer mounts in many years, this shoulder mount won almost every major award for whitetails in 2009.

Ed was proud to be named the “Taxidermist of the Year” for 2009.

He also received the Joseph Bruchac Memorial Award, which is the top whitetail deer award at the Nationals.

Posing with all of his awards after the 2009 NTA Awards Banquet, Ed Piaskowski was a happy man.

But before a competitor is eligible to win a North American Champion title, they must first have won a National Champion title. Ed Piaskowski won his National Champion title in 2003 at the NTA convention in Louisville, Kentucky with this impressive pedestal shoulder mount deer.

Ed is pictured here after the 2003 awards banquet with his National Champion Whitetail Pedestal award.

The hand-made artificial tree stood over six feet tall.

Ed depicted the deer rubbing the tree.

Close-up views of the face display Ed’s finesse for finishing, and his talent for taxidermy. A great man, he will be missed by all whose paths he has crossed.