Proper Field Care


PLEASE REMEMBER, A QUALITY MOUNT BEGINS WITH PROPER FIELD CARE.



Always have appropriate tags with your trophies when you take them to your taxidermist. Do not cut ears for attachment. Songbirds, Eagles, Hawks, and Owls are protected by Federal Law and cannot be mounted unless with special Federal permit.

For situations where you are hunting with no available taxidermist or freezer, ask your taxidermist about techniques to skin out the entire cape (including the head) and salting the hide. This is the only method in remote locations that can preserve your hide for later mounting.

Small Mammals
Animals, coyote sized or smaller, should not be skinned unless by a professional. Don't gut the animal. Small mammals, especially carnivores, will spoil quickly because of their thin hide and bacteria. If you can't take the small game animal immediately to a taxidermist, as soon as the carcass cools completely, put it in a plastic bag and freeze it. With the epidemic of rabies evident in many areas of the country take every safety measure necessary when handling your game.

Birds
Do not gut the bird. Tenderly rinse off any blood on the feathers with water. Stuff cotton in mouth and clamp bill down with a rubber band or other fastener. Take the bird immediately to your taxidermist or freeze it. Put the bird into a plastic bag for freezing being careful not to damage the feathers, including the tail. If the bird's tail feathers do not fit in the bag do not bend them. Let the tail stick out of the bag and tie the bag loosely. (Hint) Ladies nylons work great for storing your birds and keeping feathers in place.

Fish
Do not gut your fish. If you cannot take your fish immediately to a taxidermist, wrap it in a very wet towel and put it in a plastic bag, making sure all the fins are flat against the fish's body (to prevent breakage), then tape flat to a slightly larger board then freeze it. A fish frozen with this method can safely be kept in a freezer for months. Note: A fish will lose its coloration shortly after being caught. A good color photograph immediately after the catch may enable the taxidermist to duplicate the natural color tones of that particular fish.

Caping, the process of skinning out a trophy animal, is best left to the taxidermist. Their experience skinning, especially the delicate nose, mouth, eyes, and ears is invaluable toward producing a quality mount. Damage to a hide is costly to repair. Some types of damage simply can not be "fixed" by the taxidermist.
Many trophies are ruined in the first few hours after death. As soon as the animal dies, bacteria begins to attack the carcass. Warm, humid weather accelerates bacteria growth. In remote areas, or areas not near our taxidermist, a competent person may be required to cape out the hide in order to preserve it.
Every taxidermist has a preferred method caping a hide. Contact your taxidermist prior to your hunt in order to get instructions on their caping requirements. However, the following techniques are generally acceptable.

Skinning Life-Size Big Game
There are two major methods of skinning for a large life-size mount such a deer, elk or bear. These methods are the flat incisions and the dorsal method. A flat incision is preferred.

The Flat Incision
The flat incision is used for rug mounts and for a variety of poses. The areas to be cut are shown in Figure 1. Make these slits (cutting the feet free from the carcass) and pull the skin off the carcass. The head is detached as with the shoulder mount. Note: If you can't take your hide immediately to a taxidermist, freeze it to your taxidermist's specifications. Cool hide, then put flesh to flesh. Roll head and feet inside and place in plastic bag.

Caping For a Shoulder Mount

1. With a sharp knife slit the hide circling the body behind the shoulder at approximately the mid-way point of the rib cage behind the front leg. Slit the skin around the legs just above the knees. An additional slit will be needed from the back of the leg and joining the body cut behind the legs.

CAUTION: Do not cut through armpit or brisket area!!

2. Peel the skin forward up to ears and jaw exposing the head/neck junction. Cut into the neck approximately three inches down from this junction. Circle the neck cutting down to the spinal column. After this cut is complete, grasp the antler bases and twist the head off his neck. This should allow the hide to be rolled up and put in a freezer until transported to the taxidermist. These cuts should allow ample hide for the taxidermist to work with in mounting. Remember, the taxidermist can cut off excess hide but he can't add what he doesn't have.
Note: When field dressing a trophy to be mounted, don't cut into the brisket (chest) or neck area. If blood gets on the hide to be mounted wash it off with snow or water as soon as possible. Also, avoid dragging the deer out of the woods with a rope. Place it on sled, rickshaw, or 4-wheeler. The rope, rocks, or broken branch from the dead-fall can easily damage the fur or puncture the hide. If you do need to drag it out with a rope, cape animal and pull hid over horns, then attaché rope around base of neck, (Meat can be washed off).

NOTE: All mounts include hanger/driftwood bases. Special mounts and habitat arrangements are available upon request at an additional cost.