Method 12A: Cape, Nile, and Central African Buffaloes.
Rank on the sum of the measurements of the widest spread and the width of bosses.
General remarks: The best scoring heads of these three varie es of bu alo that fall under this method all have spread and boss development as their most desirable a ributes. Rowland Ward emphasizes this.
If the bu alo trophy is a skull and horns, the preferred me to measure them is a er they have been cleaned and dried but before they are mounted. It is much easier to see where actual horn starts and so materials stop (which must not be measured). Measuring a mounted head is also acceptable but more di cult for a couple of reasons. First of all, itislargeandunwieldy,and,second,some mesthebosshasbeenreconstructedbyataxidermist. Iftheboss(es)ofa bu alo have been enhanced or accentuated or otherwise been altered by taxidermist materials, the head CANNOT BE MEASURED under the RW system. Prac cal experience has shown that it is impossible to know where the actual horn starts and human-applied taxidermy materials ends as actual horn may or may not be underneath ar cial materials. Note that manmade materials cover part of the actual horn may be very di cult to see unless exposed to direct sunlight or a strong ash light. Do not assume that because you have a skull and horns only that the bosses have not been augmented, many such heads are. When in doubt about a head being enhanced, it likely is and in such cases do not measure it. Send detailed photos to the editor and ask for guidance.
Several measurements of a bu alo are needed, and none is par cularly hard to obtain. Close a en on must be paid, however, to making sure that a right angle is used in obtaining the spread measurement. The easiest way we have found is to lay the bu alo horns and skull on a smooth, at surface such as a concrete oor, and then press one side against a wall or other surface that is at a 90-degree angle from the concrete oor. Place a carpenter’s square (an L-shaped device made of hard plas c or metal) or a large carpenter’s triangle on the oor and slide the other side toward the horn.
Make sure the axis of the skull is parallel to the wall. It is now easy to get a measurement. Hold the carpenter’s square in place and carefully push the horns away. Now measure the distance between the wall and the edge of the carpenter’s square by laying the tape on the oor. This method is much preferred over the method of measuring from the wall over the horns and skull to the carpenter’s square because an air measurement may
easily lead to a tape measure sagging, and this will increase the score. However an alternative is to take a long piece of thin, straight wood and lay it over the skull and horns and rest the tape measure on it. In this case, make sure the wood is at a 90-degree angle to the axis of the skull.
1. Widest Spread. Establish the outer limits of the horns using two right-angle forms. Measure the greatest spread in a straight line and at a right angle to the axis of the horns. (Figure 1, A─B)
2. Width of boss. This measurement should be taken with a tape; however, a caliper will help establish the widest point of the boss and make measuring easier. Using a tape measure, measure the boss of each horn at its greatest width. (Figure 2, C) The angle for this measurement must be parallel to the axis of the skull. Establish the widest point with the caliper and mark it with chalk. Now take the tape and start at the forehead and curve the tape over the boss to the back. Do not press the tape into any depressions; span it over uneven points. Some bosses have a very thin front and other have a thick “lip.” Do not measure the skull under the boss; measure the horn only; do not measure green horn and do not measure skull bone. In very pronounced bosses, there will be “overhang,” and you will have the start the tape quite low near the forehead of the animal. The same situa on may occur in the back.
3. Tip to p Spread. Measure the spread, p to p. (Figure 2, D─E) This can be done with a steel tape, a steel cable, or a caliper, assuming the distance is not too great. In extraordinary cases, a bu alo may have genital injury (or is a hermaphrodite), and in such cases malformed horns may occur and the p-to- p measurement can be very large. Any me a p-to- p measurement is greater than the widest spread, a photo must be submi ed to the editors.
ver. 2019-25-03
https://www.rowlandward.com
https://23c73e42-f964-4dbb-be05-ac7...d/180d91_fe516d2206144388ab3dc51b359b66b3.pdf
It will be interesting to see the new version.
