What is your favorite shoulder forms for deer and why do you prefer a specific line? I have been out of deer work for some time and haven't kept up with all the new forms on the market.I am doing deer again and want to use forms that have excellent fit and anatomy.There are so many to choose from.The forms I used to prefer were the Jim Allred because of the nose detail and easy I-set.
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George said a Deer is a deer. I said NOT!
In my state alone I have seen the difference from hill deer that never see any grain, to the foot hill deer that can walk a few miles and pig out, to the Delta deer that have not been hunted in one area of the state very heavily.
Now I can take a McKenzie form and make a deer look like a deer, especially for the bigger grain feed deer.
Also can do the same using a Ben Mears form, Bens forms has the slender face like most of the local deer I get in. Shorter neck, generally a lighter bodied deer. and a lot lighter in the face than the grain feed deer.
On the other side of the coin, I have never seen any deer that looks like the "BRAIN RIDGE deer forms, but I see many people like them and the preset eyes.
MY suggestion is find a form you like and learn to use it!
They are simple for me to mount accurately.
I have ordered from numerous companies and throughout them all I have found that McKenzie forms work best for me. Besides, with the McKenzie Co. I know the exact day the shipment will come, I know it will be packaged appropriately so that the items contained within will not be damaged during shipping, and from my own personal experiences, they will take the extra time to answer any and all questions you may have concerning the products themselves or just finding that certain product that you've been looking for,---
when others may seem a bit too "busy".
The key indeed is what works best for you.
Teresa
The McKenzies don't look as lifelike as the Coombs forms to me. But McKenzie has more sizes and variety.
Matt Thompson's forms are great for southern whitetail.....Sean K.
I live in southern Illinois so the deer forms would have to be accurate for that area and I do mostly Nov/Dec. deer.
For those midwest deer I usually use the Meder and either lengthen the lip line if neceswsary or change out the head with a propper size McKenzie. OR the newer Buckeye forms. Depends on the maturity of the deer and also what I note when the deer comes in. And I also use many of the McKenzie lines , Sometimes Coombs,Mears,Thompson,Noonkester and the Bantly line from Van Dyke's It all depends on the individual Deer like people all deer are different in some way or another. Try out some of the forms and make note of the ones you like working with. Certain forms from certain companies seem easier to work with Than others. I have a list of forms that I like using and if I have a request in a certain pose And the size is workable I just go with what I like using from past expierences. Note: some forms especially sneak mounts from certain companies seem to have too short of a neck. Some have too much detail on a certain line etc. Some molds are getting old and the forms are either pulled too soon and have a slight warp or the seem is uneven, Bottom line;******Look at reference take notes and things will come much easier. I used to go crazy ordering forms. Now, after yrs of expierence in doing so I can usually know what form I will use without looking up sizes etc.
Bonnie, I live in southern Indiana and Mackenzie appeals best to me for this area's deer. IL deer aren't far off from our IN deer. I've also mounted several Northern KY deer on these forms and I like them alot for mid-western deer. Good Luck