The walrus is certainly a most unusual trophy. Hunting them under native conditions, with total reliance on the native guide and subject to Nature’s whims of weather, can furnish unique hunting memories. The prominent ivory tusks are the trophy character measured. In life, they allow the walrus to dig into the harbor bottom for food and also function in ritual sparring for mates.
Two categories of listings appear for walrus—the larger Pacific Walrus and the generally smaller Atlantic Walrus. Though hunting seasons for Pacific walrus have been closed for years, the Club continues to receive a limited number of entries each year from picked-up skulls or old trophies that had not been previously entered. However, some permits are now being issued for Atlantic Walrus though they cannot be imported into the United States. Such trophies, when taken under conditions of fair chase and other Club guidelines, are eligible for entry.
Walrus tusks should always be removed from the animal (or mount), if possible, to properly take the measurements. Part of the tusk is inside the skull of the live animal and therefore inside the mounting medium in a mounted specimen. Only measurement of the loose tusks will ensure full credit for tusk length. Some taxidermists, unfortunately, mount tusks in such a way that they cannot readily be removed without the potential for damage.
If the tusks cannot be removed, then only the visible portion of the tusk can be measured. Naturally, the length of tusk will be shorter, by an unknown amount, when such a measurement is made on a mounted trophy. Please use the REMARKS section, or the blank space at the top of the score chart, to note such cases. Thus, the best time to measure walrus tusks is before the trophy is mounted.
If the tusks can be removed without undue problems, then an accurate measurement can be taken. If the tusks are removed for measurement, care must be taken to measure only tusk and not any mounting media that may still be adhering to the tusk. You should carefully check each tusk to determine if a taxidermist has added any fiberglass or other foreign material to lengthen or repair the tusk. Only the unrepaired portion of a tusk can be measured.
The length of tusk measurement is similar to all horned game and is of vital importance as it will establish the locations for the circumference measurements. A 1/4-inch wide, flexible steel tape must be used for the length and circumference measurements; a steel cable cannot be substituted.
The length of tusk measurement is started by positioning the tusk so that the outer curve, which is therefore the longest plane of the tusk, is uppermost. Then begin the actual measurement from a point in line with the longest projecting edge of the root end of the tusk. Often the root end of the tusk is jagged and broken from being removed from the skull. It is also very thin, as the walls of the tusk continually taper to its base. Thus the base will have an uneven edge. (Essentially, square off the base when taking this measurement.)
As figure 15-A illustrates, the line of measurement is then maintained along the outer curve of the tusk to a point in line with the tusk tip. Use a small carpenter’s square (or credit card) to determine the end of the measurement line by forming a perpendicular of the square and tusk axis at that point. This technique is necessary because the tusk tips of walrus are blunted.
Once the proper tusk lengths are established, locations of the circumference measurements are determined by dividing the longer tusk length by four. The Quarter Locations for Circumference Chart in the back of this manual provides these values. Record the values of the three quarter locations in the space provided to the right of each circumference description on the score chart so they can be easily verified if there are any questions later about the measurement. Mark the three quarter locations (D-2, D-3, and D-4) carefully on the outer curve along the original line of tusk length measurement of each tusk with a soft pencil.
Be sure to establish these quarters by measuring from each tusk base to the tip. This is essential to give proper matching of quarters on both tusks. If the quarters were located by measuring from the tip toward the base, the quarter locations would be placed nearer the base on the shorter tusk than on the longer. This would probably make an artificial difference between the quarter measurements. When marking the quarters on the tusk, be sure to hold the tape stationary along the original line followed in measuring the length of tusk.
Once the quarters have been properly located and marked with a pencil, and the calculations verified, measure each circumference by carefully arranging a ring-end measuring tape at a right angle to the tusk axis at that point. At the zero point of the tape, the two ends should pass on opposite sides of the pencil mark, with the tape and the tusk axis forming a right angle. Snug the tape around the tusk before reading the result, again checking to be sure that the tape is correctly positioned on each side of the pencil mark. If you use a clip-end tape to measure circumferences, overlap the tape at a full 10 inch increment to simplify the procedure. Be sure to subtract the amount of overlap before recording the measurement. If it should happen that one tusk is broken to the extent that the tusk material is completely missing at the D-4 circumference location, simply enter a zero value in the appropriate column of the score chart to reflect this missing value.
Special care must be taken in measuring the circumference of base (D-1). This measurement must be taken at a right angle to the tusk axis. As previously mentioned, the base of the tusk is often splintered and serrated due to its thin construction. The circumference of base measurement must be made entirely on tusk material, not over air space. Therefore, the measurement location may be slightly lower on the tusk in order to maintain full contact of the tape with tusk. Figure 15-A displays this measurement.
Obviously, if the tusks are removed at the time of measurement the usual tip to tip spread and greatest spread measurements cannot be made. They can be made while the tusks are either in the skull or in the mount. As usual in horned game, these measurements are supplementary data that do not figure into the final score for the trophy, but do help indicate the conformation of the trophy. They are taken in much the same fashion as for horned game, with tip to tip spread being simply the distance from the tip of one tusk to the tip of the other, and greatest spread displaying the greatest distance measurable from the outer edge of one tusk to the outer edge of the other, at a right angle to the skull axis. If the skull or a mount is not available at the time of scoring, simply enter the words N/A in the spaces provided for the tip to tip and greatest spreads.
Big bull walrus vary from about 3,200 to 4,400 pounds in good condition. A walrus will have about eight inches of tusk imbedded in the skull. The width of the whisker covered nose — varies from 11 to 14 inches. If you mentally draw a parallel-sided, rectangular box around the tusks, with the bottom of the gum line as the box top, the bottom of the tusks as the box bottom, and the outer edges of the tusks being the sides of the box, you can readily estimate the tusk lengths. If the length of the imaginary box is double its width, the tusks are probably 28 to 30 inches. If the length of the rectangle you form is 1.6 or 1.8 times its width, you’re probably looking at an animal with 26-inch tusks. Multiply the length by four and you ye got the approximate score. This method works well so long as you compensate for light tusks or tusks that are badly worn-off. For example, 29-30 inches on our imaginary box translates to a score of 120.11 there is a very light tusk with a nice sharp point, or one of the tusks is lighter than the other, you’re probably going to be a couple points shy of four times the length, say about 116 to 118. If the tusks are heavy, with the tips rubbed-off, the score may go as high as 130. ■
