Dwayne Bercier

Birthplace: I was born and raised in the North Valley in Albuquerque, NM
Current home: Albuquerque, NM
Marital status: Single
Children and ages: Cameron (6 yrs old) and Louis (9  yrs old). Both live with me full time
The last good movie I saw: Diary Of A Wimpy Kid. I have two young boys so I see a lot of kid’s movies anymore.
Favorite meal: All New Mexican Dishes.  I love both red and green Chile on everything.
Favorite Performers: Clint Eastwood, Charles Bronson, Robert Dinero, Robert Redford, John Wayne. I grew up watching a lot of westerns when I was a kid with my father.
Personal hero: I have more than one hero. My Parents and Grandparents. My Grandfather was from Roy, Grandmother from Rancho de Taos, mother was from Dawson and my father was from Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation in North Dakota. All four taught me what I know today.
People always think I’m… Not sure what people think about me, I never ask them. I hope they think of me as good friend and someone that will always be there for them.

Nobody knows I’m…a Mechanical Engineer in the Semi conductor industry. I served in the US Army right out of high school and then came back home to get my degree in Engineering at the University of New Mexico.  Moved to California right after graduating to start my career in the semi conductor industry which allowed me to travel to various places within the US and other countries. Prior to moving back to New Mexico, which has always been true to my heart, I lived in the UK for a year and a half outside of Manchester, England.

If I could do it over, I’d… have bought LOTS of land here in NM when I was younger.

I’d give anything to meet…my great grandparents and see what kind of people they were and listen to the stories of what they went through when growing up. I was fortunate enough to know my Great Grandmother from my mother’s side until I was 17. And boy did she tell some interesting stories.

My dream hunt or trip is… Redstag and Tar in New Zealand. Argentina waterfowl hunt. Alaska Brown Bear, African Hunt, Costa Rica fishing, Too many to list…..

Most humbling experience: I’ve gone through a lot of humbling experiences in my life but the hardest one was when my wife of 7 years just got up and left the boys and me to pursue her own interests after being in a good marriage. It taught me that nothing should ever be taken for granted, but also to never give up and be strong.

The three words that best describe me: Dedicated, honest and open minded

I believe in… honesty, kindness and strong family values. I was brought up within a family that is very close with each other along with others outside the family and always willing to help others.

My goal is…to be the best at what I do and to raise my children to follow the same morals I was taught from my parents and grandparents. Hoping those values that I have taught them will guide them through their life as they grow older.

What is your favorite caliber… 7mm and 12 gauge (Benelli mainly)

Most memorable hunting experience… All of them have been very memorable. I have met people from all over on every hunting trip inside and outside the US. I have found that all hunters have a lot in common and are very friendly people that share similar values. They have all become very good friends for life.

What are some of the places I’ve had the chance to hunt/ fish? Alaska for Caribou, Mexico for Coues, Oscillated Turkey and Tarpon. California and Scotland.

What does taxidermy mean to me…It is a good source of forgetting all my stress and is very relaxing. I have always believed taxidermy is an art form when properly done right. Now that I’ve been a member of the NMTA, I know it is an art from what I have seen and experienced from all the talented artists that belong to this organization. I actually feel special to even be part of such a group and hope to get to the level that all of them are at. I grew up around taxidermy with my father displaying it in his home. My father was the one that got me into taxidermy when I was a teenager as he was a self taught taxidermist in his time. He mounted everything from mammals, to fish, to birds, to even bullfrogs dressed up as mariachis. I tried my hand at taxidermy in high school and then in College but gave it up for some time after I graduated. Taking it back up years later after moving back to New Mexico in 2000 is when I started to take it serious in 2004 and to this day want to perfect my skills and learn as much about it as I can to get to that higher level, mainly for myself.  Like I mentioned, to me taxidermy is an art and not just a way of preserving an animal to hang on ones wall.