Every twenty years or so, a revolutionary new design comes along in taxidermy mannikins which alters the way all future mounts are constructed. With the latest offering of bird mannikins from legendary bird expert Shane Smith of Alabama, we may be witnessing this revolution in the way the taxidermists will mount birds for the next century. Shane’s mannikins allow much greater freedom of posing after the bird is put together, solve common anatomy problems, and save the taxidermist time. The techniques for assembly are slightly different from traditional bird taxidermy methods, so Shane has prepared two instructional video tutorials which are presented here for the first time.

Shane Smith is a World Champion taxidermist and has won high acclaim for his mastery of dramatic poses in mounts. His exceptional bird anatomical knowledge and experience have positioned him well to create a new design of bird body which allows for the full range of movement with the wings, legs and neck. Shane and his employees have been using this system for several years in their high-volume studio, where they have found that these new mannikins provide a much better quality finished product while shaving as much as 20 to 30 minutes off their production time.

So what is so different about these mannikins? There are five main areas of innovation.

The Legs
Shane wanted to create a method where the legs could be fully rotated after mounting to front, back, tucked, or spread wide. Current mannikin attachment points did not provide for hardly any range of motion and the rotation point was always in the wrong place, creating incorrect anatomy on some leg positions. Shane’s mannikins feature a hip rotation point instead of the common knee rotation point, allowing for full range of motion, extension, tuck or spread, depending upon the pose desired. With the hip locked into place, the legs can be freely manipulated in all directions while maintaining complete anatomical accuracy for skeletal and skin placement.

The Wings
The wings are wired into a shoulder lock point which allows complete movement in all directions. For flying birds, this means you can manipulate the wings into the most extreme positions you desire, while still keeping all the feathers and points in the right place, with the scapulars laying flat. The flight web tendon is also anchored to the mannikin which makes the feathers behave properly no matter how radical the wing is opened, closed, or cupped. For the standing mannikins, a different wing locking system allows for perfect wings every time and as they easily tuck into the side pockets with precision.

The Neck
The neck cavity on these mannikins is much deeper than anything ever offered before, which lets the taxidermist explore the full range of movement of waterfowl necks, from the lowest landing pose to highest flushing take-off. New molding technology lets the neck slot to be manufactured as it should be, rather than a shallow slot for ease of de-molding. Once your bird is assembled, taxidermists can enjoy the art of posing their bird in any unique position they can imagine.

The Body Shape
On the flying bird bodies, Shane has added width to the shoulders and reduced the depth of the chest. This creates a much more realistic shape for flying birds with their wings outstretched. On the standing mannikins, narrower shoulders and a fuller chest gives the accurate full-bellied look for walking and preening poses. The side pockets on the mannikin have also been deepened to create a perfect wing fit and help all the feather groups align correctly with a minimum of taxiing.

The Tail
All of Shane’s bird bodies also include a newly designed tail area with a clearly indicated tail slot. This slot can be cut out with a knife in seconds and the cleaned tail quills will set into the slot with caulk for a prefect tail feather alignment every time.

Introductory Video

It is much easier to see the benefits of these mannikins in action than from a still photograph or description. In the following short video, Shane introduces his bird body line and explains some of the features and benefits.

Flying Bird Tutorial

Using Shane Smith’s flying bird bodies requires a somewhat different technique on trimming bones and wiring in order to take full advantage of the beneficial features of this system. The following comprehensive video tutorial provides all of the instruction you need to produce beautiful, dramatic flying waterfowl mounts.

Standing Bird Tutorial

Shane’s standing birds are designed completely different from the flying versions, and require different bone cuts and different wiring. The following video shows everything you need to know to achieve excellent results with this new system.

Shane had this to say about his new mannikin line: “After wrapping bodies and altering manikins for years and knowing the importance of proper anatomy, grooming and craftsmanship in a quality mount, I came to know some of the pitfalls we all encounter. It is difficult for most to ‘interpret’ what is going on underneath a bird’s plumage. As an instructor I found it can be difficult for all but the very best to make a bird look good. This is why I am now offering a new line of bird forms. The system I use includes all the basics but adds the rarely used ‘Emotion and Attitude’ of the bird.”

“Many of the sizes available in this new series work for other species. It is OK to mount a redhead on a form that will also fit a Greater Scaup or Surf Scoter. It is important to use what ‘works’ for that particular bird. The skin must work for the bird no matter the length or width of the carcass-body mass and fat content is different in all birds. It is most important to have the skin work on the manikin. My forms are proven for efficiency, speed, and accuracy resulting in consistent results across the board.”

Roger Martin is one of the most gifted innovators in taxidermy. His creativity in developing new products that solve problems and open up new marketing possibilities for taxidermists is unequalled. Year after year he continues to amaze the industry with his original ideas that quickly become new standards. With the introduction of the McKenzie line of African ottomans, he has now merged taxidermy with fine furniture, opening up an entirely new market for taxidermists using existing or discarded trophy skins.

These ottoman kits create a great opportunity to utilize back skins to create a piece of fine furniture. If your client has been to Africa more than a few times, he probably has some additional tanned skins that he doesn’t know what to do with. These ottomans are an elegant solution for offering another way to display safari trophies, even in a trophy room with no additional wall space, and one which will be appreciated by all family members, hunters and interior decorators alike.

Roger has designed these ottomans to be easily assembled by taxidermists. They feature elegant large bun feet and a rich ebony-stained dark walnut molding which complements the color of any African skin. The specially manufactured foam cushion includes an innovative corner tucking slot which allows a taxidermist to easily create upholstery-quality corners without the need for specialized expensive upholstery tools. In fact, all you need is a stapler and a knife! The custom-designed foam cushion also includes an integrated full wooden framework for stapling the skin and anchoring decorative nails if desired.

Available in three sizes, these ottomans can be used on any sized skin. The large ottoman works well for zebra, blue wildebeest, kudu and giraffe, and requires a minimum skin size of 39″ x 51″. The medium size is ideal for red hartebeest size game, and needs a piece of skin at least 28″ x 34″. The small ottoman kit works for impala, blesbok, blackbuck, etc, and can be covered with a skin as small as 20″ x 20″.

Putting together an ottoman kit is a simple project that can be accomplished is a matter of hours. This can be a real money maker, as well as a way to utilize and sell any African skins that taxidermists may have gathering dust in their collections. Below is a short three-minute introductory video in which Roger explains the concept and benefits of these ottoman kits.

In the following half-hour video, Roger give a complete demonstration of all the steps necessary to assemble an ottoman kit, including his easy procedure for tucking the corners in the foam slots. By following the steps Roger shows in this video, you can easily convert any old tanned African skin that you might have lying around into a beautiful and functional piece of high-end furniture. Here is the procedure:

To order, or for more information on the African ottoman kits, you can find them on page 791 of McKenzie Catalog #40, or online at http://www.mckenziesp.com/African-Ottomans-C6064.aspx.

I was recently talking to a taxidermist friend of mine when I casually asked how he liked the new McKenzie Whitetail Savings Club. His answer surprised me. He told me that had not enrolled in the club yet, even though he was buying whitetail mannikins from McKenzie every month. He said he wasn’t even planning to join. He explained, “That’s only like a dollar off on each form. It’s hardly worth my time.”

I realized right then that he didn’t understand the full scope of the benefits of this new program. It is much more than just a dollar credit for each mannikin. Club members can easily save $100 in shipping charges, even with the purchase of as few as a dozen deer forms. In fact, quite a few taxidermists have already surpassed $100 in savings in the first two months of this year!

It costs nothing to join, requires no work or record keeping on your part, and automatically accumulates benefits for members without any additional effort. Signing up couldn’t be easier. You just tell your McKenzie sales representative that you want to participate and you’re in! That’s it! Points for all of the whitetail deer forms you have purchased so far in 2015 are added to your account, so you may find that you can start using the savings benefits immediately! There is no downside. You have nothing to lose and lots to gain.

Earn points for each whitetail deer shoulder form.

How does it work? After you join the club McKenzie keeps track of all the whitetail shoulder mount mannikins that you purchase during the 2015 calendar year. If you have previously purchased any whitetail forms in the first few months of 2015, they will be automatically added to your account as one point for every form you have bought since January. Every time you buy a whitetail deer mannikin, another point is added to your account. If you buy five mannikins, you get five points. If you buy twenty mannikins, you get twenty points.

These points accumulate throughout the year. Once you have reached the level of ten points (by purchasing any 10 whitetail deer shoulder mannikins in 2015), good things start to happen. You can choose to cash in any or all of your points at any time you like by converting them into “freight dollars,” which are used to reduce the shipping costs on orders.

Convert points to Freight Dollars to reduce shipping costs.

For instance, if you have bought 15 deer mannikins so far this year, you have accumulated 15 points. Whenever you like during 2015, you can use the 15 points to reduce the shipping charges on any McKenzie, VanDyke’s or WASCO order by $15.00 in whole dollar increments. So, if you have one order with shipping charges of $11.75, you could use 11 points and pay only 75 cents on the shipping, and you would still have 4 points in the bank to convert to future freight dollars. As you purchase more deer mannikins throughout the year, your points continue to accumulate, and you can draw on them at any time to reduce shipping charges.

So that is one of the main benefits, similar to a cash-back program on some credit cards, where you are essentially getting back 1-1/2 to 2 percent on any whitetail mannikin from McKenzie. But there is a second benefit which has a much greater value!

Earn free shipping (up to $100.00) on a single order.

Once you sign up as a member, McKenzie will not only calculate how many whitetail deer mannikins you are buying in 2015, they will also go back in time and compute exactly how many whitetail forms you purchased last year in 2014. Then, once you reach the minimum of 10 deer heads to activate your benefits, and when you surpass the number of deer heads you bought last year, you will get FREE shipping on your next order, up to a value of $100.00!

All you have to do to get up to $100.00 worth of free shipping on a single order is to buy one more deer head in 2015 than you bought in 2014! That’s pretty easy to do with the thousands and thousands of deer mannikins to choose from among the huge selection offered within the 1926 pages of merchandise from McKenzie, Van Dyke’s & Jonas, and WASCO catalogs.

Then on your next order, go ahead and splurge! Get that 25 pounds of clay and gallon of gloss you have been putting off. Treat yourself to some large pre-finished habitat bases or try out a new Wall Habitat®. Whether shipped by UPS, USPS, FedEx or freight line, the McKenzie Whitetail Savings Club will pay for up to $100.00 of the shipping costs on that single order.

And here is the best part: after you get your free shipping, you still have all of your accumulated points intact to convert into freight dollars during the remainder of 2015! The $100.00 free shipping is awarded over and above your points. It is simply an added incentive offered to customers who can surpass their previous year’s purchases on deer forms.

For example, if in 2014 you bought 11 shoulder mount deer forms from McKenzie, all you have to do is buy 12 deer heads in 2015, and your next order get the free shipping up to $100.00! (And you still have your 12 points that you can convert to Freight Dollars any time you choose later in 2015.)

But wait, there’s more!

Members also receive another great unadvertised benefit! Each month, McKenzie conducts a random drawing among the names of the members in the Whitetail Savings Club. The winner of this random drawing also receives free shipping on their next order (up to $100.00). If you are a member of the club, you’ve got a good shot at winning one of the 12 random drawings which will be held in 2015.

So, as I told my friend from the first line of this blog, what are you waiting for? The next time you call McKenzie, tell your friendly customer service rep that you want to join the Whitetail Savings Club. You’ve got nothing to lose, and if you end up purchasing at least 10 deer heads this year, everything to gain! You won’t even have to keep up with anything. Just ask McKenzie any time during the year and they will let you know your current accumulated points, Freight Dollars, and how close you are to your yearly goal for the free shipping bonus.

Whitetail deer shoulder mannikins are the only types of forms offered for this program. Since whitetail shoulder mounts are the bread-and-butter of most taxidermy shops, McKenzie wanted to create a program that could benefit the majority of taxidermy shops in the US. McKenzie is known for the most innovative and customer-pleasing whitetail deer forms in the world, and this program not only covers the majestic McKenzie deer series sculpted by Denny Behn, but also deer lines by Joe Meder, Ben Mears, Matt Thompson, Buckeye Mannikins, Jody Green, Don Holt, Scott Lennard, Tommy Hall, Tony Rusiecki, Aaron Connelly, John Schmidt, Jonas Supply, Rick Carter, Gene Smith, Sallie Dahmes, Larry Blomquist, “Bones” Johnson, Mike Noonkester, and John Rinehart. These sculptors have created over 3,000 different whitetail mannikins to choose from!

The full details of the McKenzie Whitetail Savings Club can be found on the McKenzie website here: http://www.mckenziesp.com/Webpage.aspx?WebpageId=1223&CategoryId=2610. The benefits and requirements are spelled out fully on this page, which are also included below.

The McKenzie Whitetail Savings Club

Whitetail forms have been at the core of McKenzie Supply since the first forms were produced over 40 years ago. In keeping with this tradition, we are excited to introduce our Whitetail Savings Club. In summary, the more whitetail forms you buy, the more you save on freight! After becoming a member, you will earn points for every whitetail shoulder form you purchase. Once you have accumulated 10 points, they will be converted to freight dollars and are redeemable towards your freight costs. To make things even better, there are opportunities to earn free freight on orders as well. The complete details of the plan can be viewed below.

How Do I Join?

• You must join by calling us Toll-Free (1-800-279-7985) or emailing our customer service team (taxidermy@mckenziesp.com). Membership is not automatic.

How do I earn points?

• Once a member, points are earned on a calendar year basis as follows:

• One point is earned for every whitetail shoulder form purchased.

• Each point is worth one freight dollar in 2015. A minimum of 10 points must be earned before points can be converted to freight dollars.

• After accumulating 10 points they will be converted to freight dollars and are redeemable towards the freight cost of your next order (see “How do I use points?” below).

• After your first 10 points have been converted to freight dollars, points will then be converted in $1.00 increments.

• Returns and exchanges will affect this total.

• Points are earned on a calendar year basis and must be used during 2015.

• Rewards may vary each year. For 2015, points are redeemable towards freight dollars.

How do I use points?

• You will decide when you would like to use your points after earning the first 10. Our system will track your point total which will be reflected on your invoice. You will always know how many points you have. This total will also be available by calling our customer service team.

• If you would like to use your points they will be applied in whole dollar amounts automatically. For example, if you have 10 points and the freight is $9.58; nine freight dollars will be applied, and the balance of .58 will be paid with the same payment method used for merchandise. This example would result in a balance of 1 freight dollar on your account to be applied at a later time.

On May 21, 2014, the town of Clarendon, New York celebrated the 150th birthday of its most famous resident, Carl Akeley. Over 150 people attended the event hosted by Melissa Ierlan from the Clarendon Historical Society. Known as “the father of modern taxidermy,” Carl E. Akeley is the most revered master of his art. Nearly all modern taxidermy methods can be traced back to his innovations and inventions from a century ago.

Special guest speakers at the gala included taxidermy historian and past NTA President John Janelli of New Jersey, famed wildlife attorney Mike Oropallo of New York, and Akeley biographer Jay Kirk who authored the book “Kingdom Under Glass.” Presentations were made to the historical society, with John Janelli providing a copy of one of Akeley’s death masks from the gorilla “the Old Man of Mikeno” given by The Conservation Force and John J. Jackson III. Mike Oropallo, a partner in a Syracuse Law Firm, Hiscock & Barclay and contributor to Breakthrough Magazine was on hand to present the Historical Society with a letter written by the Blomquists along with a gold World Taxidermy Championships® medallion featuring Akeley on one side at age 19 and Jumbo the elephant on the other. It was a great evening, honoring Clarendon’s most famous son. Accounts of the celebration can be found online at Orleans Hub, The Daily News, and The Rochester Democrat & Chronicle.

During Akeley’s fifth expedition to the African continent, he developed a fever and died on November 18, 1926 in the Belgian Congo. He was buried atop Mount Mikeno in his beloved Africa. Surprisingly, other than a historic marker indicating his birthplace in Clarendon, there is no monument or memorial to this important industry patriarch. John Janelli had been thinking about this for years, even inviting me to accompany him to the grave in Africa for the 75th anniversary of Akeley’s death back in 2001. This lack of a physical place where one could honor and pay respects to this pioneer of our industry simmered for years in the back of John’s consciousness.

John told me that he had always dreamed of putting a memorial stone for Carl Akeley somewhere in the USA. To this effort, he tried, and was turned down when he asked to erect a monument in Young’s Cemetery in Oyster Bay, New York, where Theodore Roosevelt is buried, as Teddy Roosevelt and Carl Akeley were the closest of friends, and accompanied each other on African safaris. But John had never thought of Clarendon for a memorial location until last year.

When John met Melissa Ierlan of the Clarendon Historical Society last year, they made an immediate connection. In Melissa, John discovered a kindred spirit who also wanted to see Akeley’s memory preserved for all time. By a fortunate stroke of luck, the beautiful Hillside Cemetery in Clarendon was named to National Register of Historic Places in 2013, and Melissa Ierlan, the Clarendon town historian and president of the Historical Society, located the perfect spot within the cemetery for the monument on a tear-shaped grassy island at the end of a gravel road. Here, in Akeley’s hometown, would be the permanent memorial that John had envisioned for so many years.

Moving forward, John contacted me about pinning a post to the top of the Taxidermy Net Forums to solicit donations to make this dream a reality. The costs for the proposed monument would be about $8,000. John figured if he could get 80 taxidermists, suppliers, associations and enthusiasts to contribute $100 each, the goal would be easily made.

All donors of $100.00 and more will have their names individually etched on a series of walkway bricks that will lead from the curb to the stone itself, in appreciation for their gifts that made this exclusive memorial project for Carl E. Akeley become a reality.

Here is John’s original post about the Carl E. Akeley Memorial Stone Monument from last September:

Carl E. Akeley Memorial Stone Monument

Submitted by John Janelli
Nowhere in the world is there a memorial tribute placed in honor of Carl E. Akeley exclusively from our industry and profession of taxidermy. After meeting with the wonderful people of the Clarendon Historical Society, a beautiful place has been most graciously set aside in the Clarendon Cemetery, the very town of New York state where Carl Akeley was born and later became immersed in a career that would change not only his life but our very own industry forever.

A local stone cutter was contacted and with the help of Ken Edwards and Clarendon historian, Melissa Ierlan, a mock photo of the proposed stone and its design is here for you to see today. Made of black African granite, of which there are only two quarries in all of Africa to obtain, its dimensions are four feet high and eight inches thick cut to resemble the continent of Africa. On the stone will be “From Clarendon To The Congo – (Akeley’s timeless quote;) “Death Wins! Bravo! But I Laugh In His Face As He Noses Me Out At The Wire” along with the date of his birth; May 19, 1864 and the date he died, November 17, 1926.

The total cost of the project will be approximately $8,000.00 depending on current rates for crating and shipping along with exact design and wording fees in the stone itself.

If only 80 taxidermists, taxidermy schools, suppliers, tanners, manufacturers, state and national organizations would collectively contribute just $100.00, the entire amount for the Akeley Memorial Stone would be quickly realized in a very short time. This is not to say that any other smaller and or larger donations would be refused. They are in fact encouraged as well. All donors of $100.00 and more will have their names honorably and individually etched on a series of walkway bricks that will lead from the curb to the stone itself, for their gifts that made this exclusive memorial project for Carl E. Akeley become a reality.

Checks are to be made payable and mailed to: The Clarendon Historical Society (a 501-C3 tax deductible entity). Foot note your check – Akeley Memorial Stone.

The Clarendon Historical Society
P.O. Box 124
16385 Church St.
Clarendon, NY 14429

The Clarendon Historical Society can also accept donations via PayPal. The account is:
clarendon_hs@yahoo.com

The donor list will be updated as pledges are made and funds come in.

John continually updates the donor list on this post as new donations are made, with everyone’s name who has donated $100 or more. Right now, it reads like a “who’s who” of the taxidermy industry, but as of the current date, we are only halfway to our goal. More people need to open up their hearts (and wallets) and get involved in this worthwhile endeavor. Where else can you donate a relatively small amount of money to be a part of something that will outlive every one of us?

The current list of donors can be seen in the original Forum post here: http://www.taxidermy.net/forum/index.php/topic,373271.0.html

The Clarendon Historical Society is already planning Akeley’s 151st birthday celebration for this coming May. It would be a wonderful achievement if the taxidermy industry responded in force and reached the fundraising goal by then. We are all here today, linked by a common interest, doing what we are doing in no small part to the efforts of this great man over 100 years ago. Let us honor his memory with a permanent symbol that signifies the importance he deserves.

Here is Melissa Ierlan’s message about this project:

Carl Akeley Memorial Stone Project

The Historical Society of Clarendon, NY – the birth place and home of Carl Ethan Akeley, is proud to announce its plans to have an official memorial stone erected in our town cemetery in honor of Mr. Akeley; taxidermist, innovator, sculptor, author and conservationist. The stone itself, black African granite, is currently being hewn from one of only a few quarries in all of Africa. When finished it will bear the shape of the African continent of which Akeley devoted so much of his life to preserve, protect and portray through taxidermy. The projected cost of this memorial is $8,000.00 not including installation expenses.

We would like to invite all subscribers of Taxidermy.Net, to please consider making a donation to help make this monumental gesture a reality. Nowhere in America is there a fitting tribute to such a remarkable genius that solely comes from the taxidermy industry at large, until now. A special fund and most convenient ways of making your contribution to help preserve Carl Akeley’s legacy in Clarendon, NY is now intact and ready to accept your tax deductible gift. From quarry to ground will take approximately six months to complete. A time and date will accordingly be set for the tentative ceremony and observances. All donors will receive a laminated memorial card “From Clarendon to the Congo” along with an invitation to the services upon completion schedule.

Taxidermists, supply companies, tanneries, state, national and international organizations will all be acknowledged regardless of the amount of donations that are anticipated. Respective updates will be made as time unfolds.

Thank you,
Melissa Ierlan
Clarendon Historical Society
Akeley Memorial Stone Project

Despite our best efforts to hold on to the past, time marches on relentlessly. As 2014 comes to a close, we pause to pay tribute and reflect on the family, friends and colleagues that we lost during the year. In my family, the circle of life in 2014 was bittersweet. I lost my only sister suddenly to a heart attack in May, yet saw the arrival of two precious new granddaughters in January and November.

The losses to the taxidermy community were bittersweet as well. The departed’s absence from our lives will be felt for years to come, but their work, their art, their relationships, and their memories will live on within those of us whom were touched by their presence in our little corner of the world. Here are some of the friends, family, and colleagues that we lost in 2014. Continue reading “~ In Memoriam 2014 ~”