Joe Meder forms with eppley earliners

I was wondering since the Joe Meder forms do not have any cut out area what so ever, should i router the form to position eppleys buttless earliner? I do not think i will have to by looking at how much sticks out. I think as long as i put the ear against the form and build the butts up i will be fine. Thanks

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This is where a cleaned skull would help you.

In learning taxidermy and comparing forms verse the real thing. I am finding many forms are a good bit off. I recently adopted a fawn that survived a leg amputation in a hay field. I am seeing many forms have the ear but mislocated. Then I happened upon a cleaned skull at a flea market, still ear butts are mislocated on many forms. Now I am looking closely at cats and fox and coyotes.

So building a reference library should include skulls and many drawings on live photos, for location of ears, eyes, nose etc.

Take a knife

and cut a tapered hole where the ear butts meet the head. It will allow you to recess the ear liner butt into the form so you get proper depth and a better bond for the clay. I don't think routering or such is necessary. The interior part of the ear needs to be recessed into the side of the head slightly with the Eppley liners IMHO. I do this on all my deer and elk forms.