I run an exotic animal hunting ranch and also have started doing taxidermy. I have a week old blackbuck baby that its mother didn't give him its first milk and we couldn't ever get it to eat, He died and is now in the freezer. My question.. how would I go anout mounting it? do they make forms for them or would i have to make a form for it. Blackbuck babies are larger then deers and the heads are different... i have no idea where to start... please help!?!?!?!
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Roy,
I have never seen a commercial form for your blackbuck. You will have to mount using an alternate method.
Probably the most common today would be to do a carcass cast and then make your own body.American Taxidermist just had an article on this in the Jan/Feb, and Mar/Apr issues. (basically--you skin the critter, pose the carcass, then wire and freeze it in position. then mold it in plaster or silicon, and make a foam body from your mold.)
There are older methods that might work better for you.
Here's one----
You'll mount on a wrapped body, using the leg bones and a foam head.
first make a mold of the face. slick down the face with vaseline, and make a plaster mold.(place the head in a small bucket, and pour thinned plaster around it up to the back of the jaw and ears, don't pour too deep, because you still have to pull the head out). when the plaster kicks off, go ahead and remove the head. Don't wait until it sets completely, because the heat from the plaster could cause hair slippage.let this mold dry while you skin the critter.
Take plenty of measurements, then start skinning using a dorsal cut. sever the legs at the hips and shoulder joints, and clean the bones. turn the legs completely, making a short incision if necessary to turn them down to the toes, but don't separate the skin from the leg bone.
once your bones are reasonably clean, flesh the skin(it shouldn't take much), then wash the skin and coat with dry preserve.I don't recommend tumbling because of the leg bones, but you could dry by placing the skin in a bag of tumble mix and carefully shaking it.
next, you need to make your body, wrap with excelsior using the carcass as your guide, then wire and wrap the legs "duck style". rebuilding the muscle with clay.
take your face mold and fill with foam to make a head. wire this head and the legs to your excelsior body and wrap or fill any areas that might need it.(like the neck).
I think you can figure out the rest.If you have more questions, just ask.
Good Luck
Dave