How big are animals, really?

[Pharmseller]

Estimate the width on this fella. Eight inches, maybe nine.

 

[CJ_BG]

Estimate the width on this fella. Eight inches, maybe nin

Looks like it's roughly the size of a medium-large doe around me, which usually measure in that 8-9 inch range at the back of the ribs and 6-7 behind the shoulders so I'd say you're bang on.

 

[Formidilosus]

Have you ever gotten the chance to measure other game? Open to literally anything dik dik - water buffalo for this.

Antelope, WT deer (all over), mule deer, RM elk, Black bear, and few moose.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

If you have ever measured the width of an animal through the ribs I'd like to hear about it. I've measured some deer and heard about the measurements through elk but haven't heard about anything else. If possible I'd like to hear how wide at the back of the ribs, how wide through the ribs behind the shoulder, and a diagonal from the first to the last rib on opposite sides. For reference my biggest measurements on a deer so far were 11", 7.5", and 20" respectively.

My hope is I get enough measurements on enough animals to really compare how different they actually are. If anyone has bear or bovine measurements I'm extremely interested to hear those.

I have a bunch with measurements going back quite a while. I was digging some up on my external drive earlier and got sidetracked. I'll put together a list and post it.

Mine will be a bit "crude" as my method was/is using paracord or stringline and then holding that up to a tape measure later (cutting the cord to length in the field).

 

[CJ_BG]

I have a bunch with measurements going back quite a while. I was digging some up on my external drive earlier and got sidetracked. I'll put together a list and post it.

Mine will be a bit "crude" as my method was/is using paracord or stringline and then holding that up to a tape measure later (cutting the cord to length in the field).

Appreciated, I don't think that would be very crude as long as your string cut is remotely close. That's how I take girth and length measurements for my replica fish mounts. Two pieces of line and you're done

 

[24valve]

Have you ever gotten the chance to measure other game? Open to literally anything dik dik - water buffalo for this.

There was an argument awhile back in another thread about the thickness of a giraffe's chest. Came across a shoulder mount recently and measured the chest with a 8 1/2" x 11" magazine they had there. Was approximately 24" across the chest.

 

[CJ_BG]

There was an argument awhile back in another thread about the thickness of a giraffe's chest. Came across a shoulder mount recently and measured the chest with a 8 1/2" x 11" magazine they had there. Was approximately 24" across the chest.

That's actually amazing, both that it's only 2ft wide and that they got that thing shoulder mounted

 

[Formidilosus]

There was an argument awhile back in another thread about the thickness of a giraffe's chest. Came across a shoulder mount recently and measured the chest with a 8 1/2" x 11" magazine they had there. Was approximately 24" across the chest.

No no no. Don’t you understand, Giraffe chests are 4 feet across…

 

[huntnful]

Here’s a bull elk I took a picture of after quartering it up. My hand is directly behind the front shoulders. So 1 1/2 hand widths lol

 

[CJ_BG]

Here’s a bull elk I took a picture of after quartering it up. My hand is directly behind the front shoulders. So 1 1/2 hand widths lol
View attachment 910952

I stole this off of I think the 6mm thread and now use it at least weekly on either facebook or in real discussions. It's always funny doing it in a real discussion and watching someone put their hand out like that and have a second or two of real thinking. Sometimes they'll even start to talk about small guns maybe being okay.

 

[huntnful]

I stole this off of I think the 6mm thread and now use it at least weekly on either facebook or in real discussions. It's always funny doing it in a real discussion and watching someone put their hand out like that and have a second or two of real thinking. Sometimes they'll even start to talk about small guns maybe being okay.

I think it’s a good image. I mean they do get bigger, but not that much bigger. Behind the shoulder, they just aren’t that wide.

I constantly size up free range beef cows and wild horses when I’m hunting and think “yeah I’d absolutely wreck that thing if I shot it behind the shoulder” hahaha. And elk are way smaller than them.

 

[Beendare]

No matter the size,

it truly amazes me how an arrow with a 2 blade BH can blow through even the biggest critters.....and drop them in 15 seconds or less.

 

[Taudisio]

I had a conversation about “elk calibers” recently. Told them I don’t see why you would need more penetration than I got with my 6 creed on my largest bear this spring. He was definitely the widest animal I’ve shot (hide to hide) with fat included. Seeing @huntnful s photo just confirms it was wider than any bull I’ve killed (probably not rib to rib though). Entrance behind the shoulder, exited the body cavity mid/rear ribs. My pointer finger is right at 3” from the palm crease to tip if you want to do some creative measuring. Photo is top down, and he obviously did not use much of his fat reserves over winter.

 

[inyago]

The meat works have all this information, you may call them abattoirs. So the deer works buyers would know
within 10/20 pounds just looking at them, those old boys that have 20/40 years of buying animals for the works can just look at an animal and nail down weight range. We also have a large deer farm industry and they see millions of animals and most importantly the kill weights and recoverable meat % their job depends on it.
Generally they come from the farming community/ breeding units.

 

[AZ_Hunter]

Elk… definitely need 458 Win mag with lots of wallup!!!

 

[AlaskaRed]

On North American game what is deepest required penetration to get to vitals on say the least optimal shot possible? After kills this last year and looking up and down lots of taxidermy recently hard to say 24" couldn't kill anything broadside in North America. But it begs the question which shot would require more? I've racked my brain for shots I would or would have to take. A frontal shot on a large bear makes me wonder but even then their vitals aren't too far deep from the front or a CNS shot is more preferable any way. What about a quartering away bison? Or the dreaded texas heart shot? Seems like if you had to take that shot aim for the hip anyway?

 

[Pharmseller]

Here’s a bull elk I took a picture of after quartering it up. My hand is directly behind the front shoulders.

Next time take a picture behind the rear shoulders.

 

[huntnful]

Next time take a picture behind the rear shoulders.

Hahaha will do

 

[Beendare]

Have you ever gotten the chance to measure other game? Open to literally anything dik dik - water buffalo for this.

This ^ one was about 42" wide through the chest. They say 2,000# on the hoof but that seems high.



This one was about the same. I'm 6'3 230# here, my buddy is 6' 180#, we are both right up against the bulls....no sitting back six feet behind them.
These Buff are in a whole different category; 1 1/4" thick overlapping ribs, heck you have to shoot through a hide that 1 1/2" thick, then 8" of muscle before you even get to the ribs......

 

[NRA4LIFE]

A couple examples;:

#1 My 2016 Shiras cow was estimated at 750. That was by the Bio. She had been collared, weighed a number of years earlier. By the 325 lbs of boned out meat we got, I would say he was darned close.

#2 These are dressed out animals. My dad shot a doe fawn, 80 lbs. I shot a giant, old and regressed 8 pointer, 240. WT are all over the place.