ALTERATIONS

WHEN YOU STUDY live animals in their natural surroundings, it is truly amazing the range of motion of which they are capable. The range of motion of a whitetail deer neck is amazing. A whitetail can have neck movements and positions ranging from full extension (full-sneak) to contracted (semisneak). Although whitetail suppliers do their best to offer every angulation and movement combination, it is virtually impossible to have a premade mannikin for every angle, movement, and size combination. Therefore, it up to us taxidermist to understand how to properly and quickly alter mannikins to accommodate various movements and poses.

Back in January of this year, I was having a talk with Dan Gartner, a taxidermist friend of mine from Madison, Wisconsin. Dan and I were talking about a form alteration technique he had envisioned yet never tried. Dan explained to me that he believed that is was possible to create a system of alteration that enables a taxidermist to quickly alter a mannikin into any position, while maintaining accurate dimensional proportioning ...

...Continued in the Summer 2005 Issue of Breakthrough.

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