Vaal Reedbuck Taxidermy Pictures

[Diamondhitch]

With a busy schedule and no days off I finally found some time at Christmas to do a little taxidermy (between renovations that is )
I have really been looking forward to getting this little guy on the wall. He still needs a bath and some grooming but Im just glad to have him this far along lol.

 

[gizmo]

Awesome! Vahl Reedbuck?

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Wow that sure seem like a huge Vaalie!

 

[bluey]

nicely done, hitch

 

[James.Grage]

nice work and a very nice trophy

 

[Diamondhitch]

Thanks guys and yes he very easily made Roland & Ward

 

[billc]

Not only is that one monster of a vaalie that is one of the best mounts of one I have seen. You should be very proud of taking him and of the work you did to get him looking that good on the wall.

 

[AB2506]

Nice work. Please show some pictures of your other mounts.

 

[adgunner]

Very nice Vaalie, nicely done!

 

[Royal27]

That's a heck of an animal and a heck of a mount!

 

[Diamondhitch]

Thanks again guys

Not only is that one monster of a vaalie that is one of the best mounts of one I have seen. You should be very proud of taking him and of the work you did to get him looking that good on the wall.

I was actually surprised to see how many mistakes were made on commercial Vaal Rhebok manikins. I didn't get them all fixed but did get the biggest ones, the others are more subtle. The head position on the manikins comes with the jawline parallel to the ground, none of my reference showed this. I have him with his chin at about he upper limit of what reference showed, most reference showed even lower but horns looked best at this level to me. The nose on the form was similar to NA game but reference showed it should actually slope backward quite steeply, I could have sloped it back even more to really get it perfect. The chin and lower jaw are also a little too full as well. If I ever do another it should be even better but I still cant complain about this one. I am really enjoying doing these African critters, especially the unusual ones, they really make you rethink everything you thought you knew about anatomy.

 

[BRICKBURN]

Thanks guys and yes he very easily made Roland & Ward

No Sh*t!..

Nice trophy and the taxidermist did not screw up your trophy.

Good job.

 

[BRICKBURN]

Derek, you are going to have to help me with this anatomy comparison you are up to.

 

[BRICKBURN]

 

[Diamondhitch]

Derek, you are going to have to help me with this anatomy comparison you are up to.

LOL, Im not saying things are way off, just not perfect. If I had a side shot of his head I could show it a little better. If you look at the nose in your second photo you can see the shine on the nostril wing, the front point of this is about level with the top of the nostril opening. this is the point where the nose rolls over sharply and angles up and back to the rear of the nose pad, it starts about the top of the nostril opening and if you look closely it angles backward from the bottom most portion of the nose to this same point but at a much steeper angle. My mounts nose has the correct angle on the lower portion but does not roll over until it is slightly above the nostril as seen by the glare on his nose making the top of the nose pad more bulbous in appearance, again a side shot would show this better. the manikin as supplied was not even close and had to be rasped down significantly to get it where I mounted it and a bit more to get it right.
In your same side photo the distance from the back corner of the mouth is about 1/8" shorter than the distance on my mount throwing out the ratio above/below the mouth and changing the overall look slightly. Again not make it or break it, fact is very few would be able to identify either mistake but after studying many pics of both live and dead vaalies prior to and while mounting this guy they stick out to me like a sore thumb. In no way am I unhappy with him, I just recognize that I did a good job and not a perfect one.

 

[Diamondhitch]

The other interesting thing I noted (interesting to me anyway) is the color of the eye lids and nose pad. They are black, very few animals have any more than a tiny amount of black if any on them. What appears to be black is normally a very dark brown but not Vaalies, they are black as the ace of spades.

 

[BRICKBURN]

When pointed out and you study the small details they always stick out to you.

"I have a Whitetail buck that is "listening for worms". The cape did not fit the form that was ordered. Instead of changing it they just stretched the cape and the ears point downward. Thus he can listen for worms.
I see it every time.


What I hate about most Vaalie manikins is they make the end of the nose look like a huge light bulb, starting about an inch back from the actual hairless portion.

Next one you get you can change the last little details and make it perfect.

 

[Diamondhitch]

Next one you get you can change the last little details and make it perfect.

Hmmm next one.... I like your thinking

 

[billc]

You may get a few next ones to do. May have alot of guys wanting you to mount some for them. It is hands down the best vaalie I have seen. I have not looked at many but yours is awesome.

 

[Diamondhitch]

You may get a few next ones to do. May have alot of guys wanting you to mount some for them. It is hands down the best vaalie I have seen. I have not looked at many but yours is awesome.

Thanks, but working 320 days a year keeps my personal mount "to do" pile growing faster than I can keep up with as is, no time for anyone elses mounts.