The title of this
article is very apt. The ability of a skilled taxidermist can turn a
special moment on the hill into a permanent memory proudly displayed in
the home.
Simple Motto:
Terry and David
Jacobs have a simple motto. A taxidermy mount must provide “permanence
and realism.” The materials used must last the rigours of time, and the
mount accurately reflect the traits of its species. The life may have
gone from the animal but the core element of its majesty should still
remain. To this end taxidermy is both a craft and an art form, because
the taxidermist is trying to go back in time and bring to life again the
animal that was taken by the hunter. It’s interesting that taxidermists
need to know as mu
ch
about New Zealand game species than any zoologist, as they have to
accurately create posture, expression, shape, eye colour, and life in
the mount.
Chamois are one of the most popular taxidermy specimens in New Zealand.
Described as “the pretty boy of the alps”, their small size, delicate
features and striking facial markings endear them to hunters everywhere.
Their cunning, and habit of living high in challenging alpine fringe
country make them a worthy quarry. Only found in the South Island,
they have a winter and a summer coat. The appearance changes with
the seasons. The summer coat is almost orange red (like a red
deer) with a distinctive dark black dorsal strip, but as winter
approaches the winter hair grows into a transitional “salt and pepper”
colour of light fawn progressively getting longer, turning into a shinny
jet black in winter with a long dorsal hair with white tipped end.
By the end of June the winter coat is starting to deteriorate turning
more brown and patchy grey where the hair is broken from feeding through
the snow and travelling through thick scrub.
Capes: From the end of
August onwards most capes are in poor condition, and do not make for an
attractive mount. The summer coat starts to develop in September but it
will not reach its brilliant orange again until it has shed the entire
winter coat. The two accompanying photos show a summer buck, and
a winter doe.
The following description is how the
Jacobs describe chamois on their website, and in the definition you can
see what the taxidermist is trying to re-create. Terry has had lots of
practice, and in his career to date has worked on over 1500 animals.”
Native to central and southern Europe the Chamois is the most graceful,
lively and entertaining of our game animals. There is grace in every
line of Chamois form; the seasonal colour patterns and curved horns make
for an attractive trophy. Ever watchful, they have keen eyesight and
tend to look at you downward over their noses. It is this expression
that creates the unique Chamois look.”
The Jacobs name is synonymous with
taxidermy in New Zealand and goes back four generations to 1920. In 1970
third generation Terry decided to enter business on his own account.
He
established the company of Terry Jacobs Limited early that year and
brought to bear all of his experience and talents, which had been honed
over the previous two decades. He revolutionised the whole industry by
setting new standards, which have now come to be accepted as a national
benchmark for taxidermy in New Zealand. In 1974, to underscore the new
company's presence, he took three gold and two silver medals out of the
five classes available to taxidermists at the New Zealand Exhibition of
Hunting. David Jacobs, Terry and Eileen's youngest son, worked from an
early age as a part time taxidermist in his father's studio. It was
while visiting overseas the many hunting and taxidermy friends his
family had made over the years that he decided to embark on a career in
taxidermy, and today plays a big part in the renamed company The
Taxidermist Ltd. (Contact address:
www.taxidermy.co.nz
E-mail
enquiries@taxidermy.co.nz
ph 03 338 4266)
The Hunt: The first step in any taxidermy quest is the hunt. In
January of this year I was invited on a recreational trip with three
friends James, Ken and Andrew. We would be hunting a private sheep and
cattle station, which ran down to the Clarence River of Marlborough. The
station had a scattered population of red deer, goats, pigs, and
chamois, but was huge in size so scattered was the optimum word. Finding
animals would be hard. The great thing about hunting though is that you
never know when lady luck might decide to tap you on
the
shoulder. On the trip in we took a 4WD vehicle, and a quad bike, with
the bike leading the way so that the passenger could keep an eye out for
interesting looking specks in the distance. We drove in late on the
Friday, and found ourselves nearly at the hut at about 8pm. I was the
quad game spotter, but all I could do was marvel at the scenery. This is
big country, and remember Molesworth Station, which is in this general
area, is 360,000 odd acres in size. On the last saddle before dropping
down to the river we all stopped to stretch our legs. While the other
three glassed the distant gullies I decided to climb a bit higher for a
photograph.
While doing this I heard the sound of stones rolling on an adjacent
scree face. I ducked down and scanned it with my glasses but the noise
was just below my line of sight. I told my companions what I had heard
but didn’t get a lot of positive support there so decided to go and have
a look. Rounding the corner, a fawn brown animal suddenly burst out of
some scrub and took off up the face. I could see it was a mature chamois
and quickly chambered a round. It paused for a moment so I fired, and it
took off in a lurching run, which signified a hit. It was still going
pretty well however so I was pleased to see my second running shot
tumble it over into the flax bushes. The other guys joined me and we
sidled across to where the animal lay. When I pulled his head clear I
was amazed to find that not only was he a buck, but that he was a
monster one at that. The Holy Grail for chamois is a 10-inch head, and
this boy stretched the tape to 10 and a half inches (27 cm). The horns
were widely spaced, jet-black, and the bases had a girth just less than
4 inches (10 cm) each. He was a cracker, and destined for the Jacobs’
studio.
It is at this point
that a lot of hunters can strike a problem, as head skinning a trophy
animal is not something we do often. Luckily for me James is a hunting
guide so he stepped in and made it look easy. The following key tips
were supplied by the Jacobs, and are things you need to know. Contact
them if you wish more detailed instructions.
First, a few Dos.
(1)
Prevention is better than cure, so think
twice, cut once. (2) Trophy preparation takes priority to butchering the
animal (3) After making incisions always cut outwards, and upwards (4)
Remove all meat and fat from the skin (5) For a shoulder mount leave
plenty of skin on the cape. Cut well behind the shoulders, and just
above the knees. (6) Cut a y into antler bases, though with chamois cut
a u so as to avoid the glands. (7) Use common salt (non-iodized) on your
cape and don’t skimp on the amount, and salt both sides of bullet holes.
(7) If unsure about skinning the head, leave it; just sever at the base
of the head and freeze, (8) Let capes cool before wrapping away into
daypack or freezing (9) When freezing capes label clearly and double bag
to prevent “freezer burn”.
Second, A Few Don’ts
(1)
Don’t cut the throat (2) Don’t wrap the
cape around the head (3) Don’t drag or pull your trophy along before
caping it (4) Don’t put a freshly skinned cape in a plastic bag, allow
it to cool first (5) Don’t wash the cape or handle it with hands that
have gutted the animal. Water and gut fluid will promote “hair slip”.
The two accompanying sketches provided by the Jacobs helps explain the
steps needed to be taken in the case of a shoulder mount.
The big buck was the
star of our trip, but the adventure didn’t end there. Andrew went out
the next day and shot a massive bodied 10-point stag, and James got a
fat grey sow. On arrival back in Christchurch I immediately took the
head and cape to the Jacobs for a full shoulder mount. David inspected
the horns and by counting the growth rings estimated his age at ten.
Imagine how many times over the last decade this old boy had eluded
hunters. In part two I will focus on the taxidermy process, and with the
help of the Jacobs describe how this tremendous trophy become lifelike
once again.
Greg Morton:
NZ Outdoor 2007
Contact:
fairchase@paradise.net.nz
