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To take home that trophy of a
lifetime,there needs to be a
cooperative relationship between
you and your taxidermist. Before the
taxidermist begins working his
magic, you must do yours. As much
as it is your taxidermist
responsibility, your actions in the
field will also determine whether
the final trophy will be worthy of
hanging on your wall. No PRESSURE!
lifetime,there needs to be a
cooperative relationship between
you and your taxidermist. Before the
taxidermist begins working his
magic, you must do yours. As much
as it is your taxidermist
responsibility, your actions in the
field will also determine whether
the final trophy will be worthy of
hanging on your wall. No PRESSURE!
If you're planning to have that deer mounted, you MUST leave enough
undamaged hide for the taxidermist to provide a quality mount. This
begins when you field dress your deer. You should only make one
single cut that should stretch from below the rib cage down the belly
to the anus. Do not cut into the brisket hair, and do not split the rib
cage - reach up into the rib cage, Instead. And NEVER EVER cut your
trophy's throat. To further preserve the integrity of the cape, do not
drag your deer to your truck. Every inch of dragging is scraping a big
bald spot on the trophy you're hoping to show off someday soon. If the
cape to too terribly damaged, the taxidermist can probably acquire a
replacement cape, but this can be very costly.
After field dressing, your best bet is to take the entire animal
directly to your taxidermist or meat processor to have them "cape it
out" for you. Most will charge you a nominal fee of about $25 for this
service. BucknDucks Taxidermy will do it for free as a service to our
customers. It's not difficult to do, though, as long as you do it right.
With your deer laying on its back, cut around the entire trunk about
half-way between the front legs and the back legs, well behind the
brisket area. Also cut around each front leg at about knee level. Then
cut from the knee incisions down the back of each leg directly to the
chest incision. Now begin skinning forward while pulling the skin
toward the head like you're taking off a sock. Remove the head
reciprocating saw("saws-all") for this task.
Once the deer is caped the race is on. Wrap the head in two trash
bags, tie securely, and put it in the refrigerator ASAP- within a few
hours of death would be great. If your trophy starts collecting flies and
smelling bad, it will likely lose its hair during mounting and will require
a replacement cape($$$!). If you know you can get the head to the
taxidermist within 24 hours of death, a cold refrigerator is fine. If
you're not sure, freeze it solid as soon as possible. However, make
absolutely sure that the bags are completely sealed and airtight.
Freezer burn is the enemy here, and it can make a trophy specimen
unmountable.
undamaged hide for the taxidermist to provide a quality mount. This
begins when you field dress your deer. You should only make one
single cut that should stretch from below the rib cage down the belly
to the anus. Do not cut into the brisket hair, and do not split the rib
cage - reach up into the rib cage, Instead. And NEVER EVER cut your
trophy's throat. To further preserve the integrity of the cape, do not
drag your deer to your truck. Every inch of dragging is scraping a big
bald spot on the trophy you're hoping to show off someday soon. If the
cape to too terribly damaged, the taxidermist can probably acquire a
replacement cape, but this can be very costly.
After field dressing, your best bet is to take the entire animal
directly to your taxidermist or meat processor to have them "cape it
out" for you. Most will charge you a nominal fee of about $25 for this
service. BucknDucks Taxidermy will do it for free as a service to our
customers. It's not difficult to do, though, as long as you do it right.
With your deer laying on its back, cut around the entire trunk about
half-way between the front legs and the back legs, well behind the
brisket area. Also cut around each front leg at about knee level. Then
cut from the knee incisions down the back of each leg directly to the
chest incision. Now begin skinning forward while pulling the skin
toward the head like you're taking off a sock. Remove the head
reciprocating saw("saws-all") for this task.
Once the deer is caped the race is on. Wrap the head in two trash
bags, tie securely, and put it in the refrigerator ASAP- within a few
hours of death would be great. If your trophy starts collecting flies and
smelling bad, it will likely lose its hair during mounting and will require
a replacement cape($$$!). If you know you can get the head to the
taxidermist within 24 hours of death, a cold refrigerator is fine. If
you're not sure, freeze it solid as soon as possible. However, make
absolutely sure that the bags are completely sealed and airtight.
Freezer burn is the enemy here, and it can make a trophy specimen
unmountable.
Fish Mounts
Fish are the easiest trophy to handle, but they are also the easiest to
screw up. if you think you might have a fish mounted, DO NOT put it
on a stringer or in a fish basket. Also NEVER cut a trophy fish in any
way -- leave the fish whole. Those are the only two restrictions, but
there are still several things you should do.
Take a good picture of your fish while the fish is still alive. Once
he dies, he'll lose his coloration very quickly, and a good picture will
give the taxidermist a good reference for making your fish appear
alive. You should also freeze your fish as soon as possible. First
wrap your fish in soaking wet paper towels, making sure all the fins
are laying properly. Then double wrap in plastic bags and freeze
solid. Freezer burn is your enemy, so be sure to wrap your fish well.
Many of you have likely been taught to wrap your fish in a wet bath
towel, but this is not necessary. The purpose of the towel is to keep
the fish skin from sticking to the plastic bag, causing scales to pop
loose. Wet paper towels accomplish the purpose perfectly , and
they're cheap! If you can't freeze your fish immediately, you can buy
yourself some additional time by coating the fish with 20 Mule Team
Borax(in the laundry detergent aisle at the grocery store). Borax is a
great preservative and may save the fish hide if you're a long way
from the nearest cooler or otherwise don't have access to a freezer.
Don't RUB the borax into the fish-- you'll be causing scale damage.
Instead, simply sprinkle it on liberally and wrap it up gently. Then
immediately start heading for he nearest freezer! This fish will still
rot, so don't expect the borax to keep him fresh until you're done
with your camping trip.
screw up. if you think you might have a fish mounted, DO NOT put it
on a stringer or in a fish basket. Also NEVER cut a trophy fish in any
way -- leave the fish whole. Those are the only two restrictions, but
there are still several things you should do.
Take a good picture of your fish while the fish is still alive. Once
he dies, he'll lose his coloration very quickly, and a good picture will
give the taxidermist a good reference for making your fish appear
alive. You should also freeze your fish as soon as possible. First
wrap your fish in soaking wet paper towels, making sure all the fins
are laying properly. Then double wrap in plastic bags and freeze
solid. Freezer burn is your enemy, so be sure to wrap your fish well.
Many of you have likely been taught to wrap your fish in a wet bath
towel, but this is not necessary. The purpose of the towel is to keep
the fish skin from sticking to the plastic bag, causing scales to pop
loose. Wet paper towels accomplish the purpose perfectly , and
they're cheap! If you can't freeze your fish immediately, you can buy
yourself some additional time by coating the fish with 20 Mule Team
Borax(in the laundry detergent aisle at the grocery store). Borax is a
great preservative and may save the fish hide if you're a long way
from the nearest cooler or otherwise don't have access to a freezer.
Don't RUB the borax into the fish-- you'll be causing scale damage.
Instead, simply sprinkle it on liberally and wrap it up gently. Then
immediately start heading for he nearest freezer! This fish will still
rot, so don't expect the borax to keep him fresh until you're done
with your camping trip.
Life-size Mounts
Life-size mounts can be a bit complicated for the hunter to deal
with. Of course, there are the standard taxidermy rules: "get it cold
ASAP", "protect the fur/hide from damage", and "get it to the
taxidermist immediately". There is more to it than that, however. So,
to make things simpler, we'll tackle the smaller mammals first.
Small mammals refers to such animals as bobcats, badgers, raccoon,
etc. In fact, coyotes and anything smaller fall into this category. The
preferred method is to bag and freeze the entire animal ASAP. Be
sure to stuff paper towels into bullet holes to keep blood off the fur.
If you are skilled at skinning, you might able to save a few bucks by
tube skinning your animal yourself --check with your taxidermist first.
However, if you cause damage, it could be costly.
Larger life-size mounts, like bears, mountain lions and wolves,
will require you to make some quick decisions in the field. Large
mammals are usually too difficult to transport whole to the
taxidermist on short notice, so someone will likely have to skin it in
the field or at camp. There are two methods of skinning large
mammals. You can use a dorsal cut or belly cut. The way you decide
which cut to make is to decide how you want to display your trophy. If
the animal's belly will be visible, go for the dorsal cut. If the animal's
back will be visible, go for the belly cut. It's always best to keep the
incision on the wall side of the trophy,away from direct line of sight.
The animal's fur or hair will help to hid incisions and stitches, but
they won't be invisible.
The dorsal cut method is quite difficult. If you've never done it
before, you probably don't want to try it for the first time in the field
on your own trophy. It's best for a beginner to use the belly cut -- we
can be creative with the mount later. The dorsal cut is essentially an
incision down the animal's backbone to just above the base of the
tail. Many people will also cut down the back of each hind leg. You
then start skinning around toward the bell. As you skin each leg,
grab the animal's foot and push upward into the animal. This will
eventually turn the leg inside out. You may need to cut down the
center of the pad of the paw in order to skin the toes free. Once all
four legs are skinned out, you should be able to easily pull the skin
forward toward the face. Cut the head free a couple inches below
the base of the skull with a bone saw. Let your taxidermist skin the
skull-- there's too much room for error.
The belly cut is the exact same cut done for animals to be
mounted in rug form. The belly cut is downright simple compared to
a dorsal cut. You'll do fine. Cut from the center of the rib cage to the
anus. Cut the four legs on the belly side from the center of the foot
pads to the belly, work the hide around the legs. The toe bones will
need to be cut loose, this will probably require wire cutters. Always
cut toward the body not toward the hide. Cut the head behind the
skull and leave the head for the taxidermist. If you cannot get the
freshly skinned hide cold within a few hours, then be sure to salt it
heavily with non-iodized salt like pickling salt or mixing salt. This will
buy you more time, but you still need to be moving toward a freezer.
IMPORTANT NOTE: If you skin out your animal rather than having the
taxidermist do it, its important to take good measurements with a
flexible tape for your taxidermist to produce an accurate trophy.
Before skinning, measure the distance from the tip of the nose to
the point where the body stops and the tail starts. AFTER skinning,
take two measurements on the animal's carcass. First, measure
around the neck at the thickest point. Next measure amount the
chest at the thickest point. Write these three measurements down.
Plan on leaving the skull in place, so the taxidermist can take the
facial measurements himself. To answer the question you may be
formulating, we cannot get accurate measurements from raw skin.
The raw skin on most animals is just too flexible. A 22" otter, for
example can give a pelt that can be stretched to 32" without
accurate measurement, the animal will not look right- the fur will
point in weird directions, the whiskers will lay down flat, the eyes will
look squinty, etc
with. Of course, there are the standard taxidermy rules: "get it cold
ASAP", "protect the fur/hide from damage", and "get it to the
taxidermist immediately". There is more to it than that, however. So,
to make things simpler, we'll tackle the smaller mammals first.
Small mammals refers to such animals as bobcats, badgers, raccoon,
etc. In fact, coyotes and anything smaller fall into this category. The
preferred method is to bag and freeze the entire animal ASAP. Be
sure to stuff paper towels into bullet holes to keep blood off the fur.
If you are skilled at skinning, you might able to save a few bucks by
tube skinning your animal yourself --check with your taxidermist first.
However, if you cause damage, it could be costly.
Larger life-size mounts, like bears, mountain lions and wolves,
will require you to make some quick decisions in the field. Large
mammals are usually too difficult to transport whole to the
taxidermist on short notice, so someone will likely have to skin it in
the field or at camp. There are two methods of skinning large
mammals. You can use a dorsal cut or belly cut. The way you decide
which cut to make is to decide how you want to display your trophy. If
the animal's belly will be visible, go for the dorsal cut. If the animal's
back will be visible, go for the belly cut. It's always best to keep the
incision on the wall side of the trophy,away from direct line of sight.
The animal's fur or hair will help to hid incisions and stitches, but
they won't be invisible.
The dorsal cut method is quite difficult. If you've never done it
before, you probably don't want to try it for the first time in the field
on your own trophy. It's best for a beginner to use the belly cut -- we
can be creative with the mount later. The dorsal cut is essentially an
incision down the animal's backbone to just above the base of the
tail. Many people will also cut down the back of each hind leg. You
then start skinning around toward the bell. As you skin each leg,
grab the animal's foot and push upward into the animal. This will
eventually turn the leg inside out. You may need to cut down the
center of the pad of the paw in order to skin the toes free. Once all
four legs are skinned out, you should be able to easily pull the skin
forward toward the face. Cut the head free a couple inches below
the base of the skull with a bone saw. Let your taxidermist skin the
skull-- there's too much room for error.
The belly cut is the exact same cut done for animals to be
mounted in rug form. The belly cut is downright simple compared to
a dorsal cut. You'll do fine. Cut from the center of the rib cage to the
anus. Cut the four legs on the belly side from the center of the foot
pads to the belly, work the hide around the legs. The toe bones will
need to be cut loose, this will probably require wire cutters. Always
cut toward the body not toward the hide. Cut the head behind the
skull and leave the head for the taxidermist. If you cannot get the
freshly skinned hide cold within a few hours, then be sure to salt it
heavily with non-iodized salt like pickling salt or mixing salt. This will
buy you more time, but you still need to be moving toward a freezer.
IMPORTANT NOTE: If you skin out your animal rather than having the
taxidermist do it, its important to take good measurements with a
flexible tape for your taxidermist to produce an accurate trophy.
Before skinning, measure the distance from the tip of the nose to
the point where the body stops and the tail starts. AFTER skinning,
take two measurements on the animal's carcass. First, measure
around the neck at the thickest point. Next measure amount the
chest at the thickest point. Write these three measurements down.
Plan on leaving the skull in place, so the taxidermist can take the
facial measurements himself. To answer the question you may be
formulating, we cannot get accurate measurements from raw skin.
The raw skin on most animals is just too flexible. A 22" otter, for
example can give a pelt that can be stretched to 32" without
accurate measurement, the animal will not look right- the fur will
point in weird directions, the whiskers will lay down flat, the eyes will
look squinty, etc
Bird Mounts
There are two great big challenges when handling a bird you wish
to mount. First is spoilage-- birds get nasty very quickly. Second is
feather damage. Of course, if you shoot all the feathers off your
duck, it's going to be an ugly mount. Likewise, if you have a perfect
bird but damage the feathers by dressing the bird or by letting your
bird dog use it as a chew toy, it will look just like you shot the
feathers off. With a little care, though, your bird will look great. The
best bet, as always, is to take the entire freshly harvested bird
directly to your taxidermist. If you can't get it there the same day,
you'll have to take a few extra precautions. Do not cut your bird in
any way, and definitely do not pluck it (yes, it happens). If you really
want the meat, ask your taxidermist to freeze the carcass for you. If
there's blood on the feathers, gently pour some water on the bird
from a cup or small bucket to remove it. Then lay out a stack of
newspapers half-again as long as the bird, roll him up like a burrito,
and use masking tape to secure. The newspaper should keep the
bird in proper alignment during freezing. Then double-wrap the bird
in plastic bags without bending the tail. If the bird is too long for the
bag, you either need bigger bags, or use two bags and duct tape
together to achieve the size. Frozen birds-- even when frozen, the
feathers are easily bent out of shape,sharp beaks, toes and spurs
will punch holes in the bags, so you may want to tape a cotton ball
over these areas to make sure the bags remain airtight. If you
prepare your birds this way, you can completely skip the traditional
ladies stocking method that's been taught for years.
to mount. First is spoilage-- birds get nasty very quickly. Second is
feather damage. Of course, if you shoot all the feathers off your
duck, it's going to be an ugly mount. Likewise, if you have a perfect
bird but damage the feathers by dressing the bird or by letting your
bird dog use it as a chew toy, it will look just like you shot the
feathers off. With a little care, though, your bird will look great. The
best bet, as always, is to take the entire freshly harvested bird
directly to your taxidermist. If you can't get it there the same day,
you'll have to take a few extra precautions. Do not cut your bird in
any way, and definitely do not pluck it (yes, it happens). If you really
want the meat, ask your taxidermist to freeze the carcass for you. If
there's blood on the feathers, gently pour some water on the bird
from a cup or small bucket to remove it. Then lay out a stack of
newspapers half-again as long as the bird, roll him up like a burrito,
and use masking tape to secure. The newspaper should keep the
bird in proper alignment during freezing. Then double-wrap the bird
in plastic bags without bending the tail. If the bird is too long for the
bag, you either need bigger bags, or use two bags and duct tape
together to achieve the size. Frozen birds-- even when frozen, the
feathers are easily bent out of shape,sharp beaks, toes and spurs
will punch holes in the bags, so you may want to tape a cotton ball
over these areas to make sure the bags remain airtight. If you
prepare your birds this way, you can completely skip the traditional
ladies stocking method that's been taught for years.
Shoulder mounts
