I have taken up taxidermy as a hobby and have not done to many mounts.The one's I have done have been for friends and family only. One good friend got a twelve point whitetail this season. It measured 160 1/8. He killed it during gun season, but it had been shot earlier with a bow, right in back of the neck, and had the arrow sticking out of him still. I think it had been there awhile by the looks of it (and smell!). When I went to measure it, it was 7 1/2 eye to nose but only 16 1/2 up high by the ears and 17 1/2 inches down about 3 inches from the ears. I am not seeing any mannikins with those dimensions. Is the neck small because of deteriation, or just a wierd deer? Or should I measure it another way or something?
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The deer was obviously suffering, but it's skin "remembers" how big it once was. When you shave it thin, it'll more than likely stretch back to that original size and fit your form.
Northeast Pa. deer are notorious for having meaurements like that. I killed an 8 pt this season that measured 7 1/4 x 15 and weighed 110 pounds. Hard to say if an arrow stuck in the neck would cause the entire neck to shrink. Without seeing the body size and knowing the weight I would not order a form bigger than it's measurements based on the assumption that I thought it was probably bigger a month or so earlier. As I've had to say to hard heads before, "It is what it is".
Thanks for the response Jim. I have been reading the archives for at least a year and a half and never have posted before. I didn't know if anyone would even respond. The deer was weighed after field dressing and I was told it weighed 247 pounds. It looked like a big bodied deer to me. We live in southwest Ohio and most of are deer have larger than average bodies I would say. This deer was taken in an adjacent county to were the Beatty buck was taken. Which was the worldest largest whitetail taken for I believe about a year, until someone in Iowa I believe got a bigger one this season. About all of the deer I have done have kind of had the same problem though. My Dad got a really nice eight pointer this past season. It looked huge! But it measure 7 1/2 eye to nose and 18 and 18 1/2 three inches down from the ears. I could have gotten the right neck measurements with a 7 1/4 mannikin but I wasn't sure about doing that. So I ordered one with a little bigger neck measurements and reshaped it. It turned out pretty good, it's just alot more work. Who makes pre-rut mannikins? I have never seen them. That may be the way to go. Thanks.
I would have ordered a form just as you did. 247 pounds,holy crap what a hog. Geez that's more than twice the size of our deer. When ordering a form with a 18 1/2 inch neck no way are the shoulders and brisket going to be big enough for a deer that big. For a deer that had a dressed weight of 247 I'd probably go with a 20 maybe 22 inch neck to get the body size and reshape the neck. Extra work but for a trophy of that size it will be worth it. Before you get your panties in a knot George remember I said I wouldn't go with a bigger form unless I knew how big of a deer it actually was.
you'll find them there. Also, competitor's choice forms from Matuska Taxidermy Supply in Iowa.