Measuring Bears in the Field for Your Taxidermist

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Mountain Man
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Measuring Bears in the Field for Your Taxidermist

Unread postby Mountain Man » Tue Aug 24, 2010 2:14 am

If you know before your hunt that you will have a shoulder mount, ½ lifesize, full lifesize or rug mount done, you should get some measurements in the field or at camp from the bear carcass before and after skinning. The measurements will be a big help to your taxidermist.

The most important measurements are from the front corner of the eye to the tip of the nose, the circumference of the neck behind the ears, the length of the bear from the tip of the nose going over the top of the body along the spine to the base of the tail where it attaches to the body, and the circumference of the belly. The eye to nose measurement and an approximate belly circumference (this would be difficult to do once the guts have been removed) can be taken before skinning. The other measurements are best taken after skinning since those measurements will be used to order and alter the manikin so it can be made the same size that the skinned carcass was. Measurements over the fur are somewhat useful and are better than no measurements at all but carcass measurements are the most useful. A couple other measurements that are nice to have are the length and width of the head, the circumference of the chest, and the length of the leg bones.

At a minimum make sure to measure:
1. Front corner of eye to tip of nose
2. Circumference of neck behind ears
3. Length of bear from the tip of the nose, over the back along the spine to the base of the tail where it attaches to the body
4. Circumference of the belly.

Here is a link to the McKenzie Taxidermy Supply website showing where to take the standard measurements for a ½ lifesize or lifesize bear mount.

http://www.mckenziesp.com/Catalog35/full.asp?page=760

The reason to get as many good measurements as possible is that many ½ lifesize and lifesize bear manikins need to be altered (enlarged or reduced) to get a good fit for the skin so you get a mount that is the same size as the bear you killed. If a bear manikin has to be lengthened, many times taxis add a section to the middle of the manikin making it longer without proportionately enlarging the rest of the manikin – this results in a long skinny bear that looks like a wiener dog. I’ve seen this many times and it’s not pretty.

The best way to measure the eye to nose is with a caliper but a cloth or steel measuring tape will also work. All of the other measurements can be taken with a cloth measuring tape or a piece of string or rope can be used and the string or rope can then be measured.

Record your measurements on a piece of paper and put that piece of paper in a safe place until you get your bear to a taxidermist. The taxidermist will likely take their own measurements also but the info you give them will be a big help to the good taxidermists that rely heavily on measurements and produce realistic looking bear mounts.


dan
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Re: Measuring Bears in the Field for Your Taxidermist

Unread postby dan » Tue Aug 24, 2010 4:50 am

Good info... I think a lot of people just bring there taxidermist a hide and expect him to figure out the measurments. ( guess )
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Re: Measuring Bears in the Field for Your Taxidermist

Unread postby Singing Bridge » Tue Aug 24, 2010 8:03 am

I'll be taking the right measurements when I get my bear thanks to this, Mountain Man- very informative. 8-)
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Re: Measuring Bears in the Field for Your Taxidermist

Unread postby Hodag Hunter » Tue Aug 24, 2010 4:21 pm

As mentioned before....I skimped on previous mounts.

I have a wiener dog looking one. :oops: :?

Wish I would have researched more beforehand and coughed up a few extra bucks. Well worth it in the long run.
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Re: Measuring Bears in the Field for Your Taxidermist

Unread postby Mountain Man » Wed Aug 17, 2011 9:19 am

More important bear info if you plan to have one mounted.
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Re: Measuring Bears in the Field for Your Taxidermist

Unread postby dan » Wed Aug 17, 2011 10:10 am

I made this a sticky till after bear season...


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