 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
:. HELPFUL HINTS Bacteria is your trophy's biggest enemy. Bacteria will cause "slippage" of the hair. Treat your capes the same as your meat. Freezing your trophy is the best short-term solution. Due to freezer burn, your trophy should only be stored in a freezer temporarily. It is recommended that you get your trophy to your taxidermist as soon as possible. Always keep it as cool as possible until you can freeze it or get it to your taxidermist. Take care when dragging your deer from the neck. It is best not to drag against the hair patterns. Hang your deer by the hind legs when skinning, Do not hang from the neck. Preparation is very dependant on the temperature. The warmer it is the quicker and more you must do to protect your trophy. Complete skinning and salting might be needed in the field if the weather is hot. Avoid direct sunlight and any heat. |
CUT #1 - With a sharp knife, slit the hide circling the body behind the shoulder at approximately
the midway point of the rib cage behind the front legs. 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.
Peel the skin forward up to the 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, grasp the antler bases, and twist the head off the 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.
Avoid dragging the deer out of the woods with a rope. Place it on a sled, a rickshaw, or a
four-wheeler. The rope, rocks, or a broken branch from a deadfall can easily damage the fur or
puncture the hide. If you do need to drag it our with a rope, attach the rope to the base of the
antlers and drag your trophy carefully.
:. FIELD DRESSING FOR DEER
1. With deer on its back, make a shallow cut through the skin just below the breastbone. Make
sure that you start your cut well away from the brisket allowing plenty of uncut skin for your
shoulder mount. Insert two fingers of the free hand, cradling the blade to hold the skin up and
way from the entrails. Figure A
2. Cut straight down the belly and around the genitals, separating but not severing them from
the abdominal wall. Slit the belly skin all the way to the pelvic bone. Figure B
3. Cut deeply around the rectum, being careful not cut off or puncture the intestine. Pull to make
sure the rectum is separated from tissue connecting it to the pelvic canal. Pull the rectum out
and tie a string tightly around it to prevent droppings from touching the meat. Lift the animal's
back quarter a bit, reach into the from of the pelvic canal and pull the intestine and connected
rectum into the stomach area.
4. If you want to make a full shoulder mount, do not cut open the chest cavity. Cut the diaphragm
away from the ribs all the way to the backbone area. Reach into the forward chest cavity, find the
esophagus and windpipe, cut them off as far up as possible. Figure C - and pull them down
through the chest.
5. Roll the deer onto its side, grab the esophagus and windpipe, cut them off as far up as
possible. Figure C - and pull them down through the chest.
6. With the deer on its side, grab the esophagus with one hand and the rectum/intestines with
the other. Pull hard.
:. BIRDS & SMALL MAMMALS
Do not gut the bird. Rinse any blood from the feathers with water. 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.
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
:. PREPARING FISH
When preparing your fish for the taxidermist, try not to handle the fish anymore than you have to.
DO NOT GUT THE FISH! Start by wrapping the entire fish in a wet towel, taking care to keep the
fins flat against the body. Roll fish up in a plastic bag and lay flat in a freezer until you get to the
taxidermist.
If you choose to have a reproduction made, follow these steps outlined below:
Measure the entire length of the fish. Measure the girth of the fish at the widest point. Take
several photos from different angles.
:. FULL BODY OR RUG
When skinning for full body mounts or for rug mounts begin your cut approximately 4 inches
from the end of the chin and continue to cut straight down the throat and belly to the end of the
tail. Cut from the center of the pads down inside of the legs to the center of cut. Leave the feet,
and head for the taxidermist to skin.
:.FREEZING MAMMALS
The most common problem with freezing mammals is the drying out of the ears, feet and face.
This can make it more difficult to properly skin and prepare your mammal for mounting. For all
mammals, wipe or rinse as much blood off the hide as possible, then do the following: ~Wrap
the face with a wet towel. Be sure to cover the nose and ears. Use more than one towel if
needed. Place a heavy plastic bag over
the towel, squeeze as much air out of the bag as you can and use tape to keep it in place.
~For deer or other horned or antlered animals, wrap each ear with a separate wet towel and
place a plastic bag over each ear. Then wrap the face from the bases and over the nose with
another wet towel.
~Wrap each foot and the tail (except the tail on bear) in a wet towel and place a plastic bag over
each one.
~If the animal is skinned, fold the skin flesh side to flesh side and fold or roll it up. Now place
the entire animal or skin into a heavy plastic bag.
I prefer Hefty Steel Sacks - they are the most durable and the most difficult to puncture. If the
animal has horns, allow them to stick out of the bag if possible.
~Get as much air as possible out of the bag and tie or seal it shut. Seal the bag around the
bases of antlers with tape. You need to keep as much air out of the bag as you can.
Now place the animal in a freezer near the bottom, if possible, so it freezes quickly. Wrapped
like this, it will be in fine shape for several months and should cause no problems for any
taxidermist you choose to bring it to.
the midway point of the rib cage behind the front legs. 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.
Peel the skin forward up to the 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, grasp the antler bases, and twist the head off the 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.
Avoid dragging the deer out of the woods with a rope. Place it on a sled, a rickshaw, or a
four-wheeler. The rope, rocks, or a broken branch from a deadfall can easily damage the fur or
puncture the hide. If you do need to drag it our with a rope, attach the rope to the base of the
antlers and drag your trophy carefully.
:. FIELD DRESSING FOR DEER
1. With deer on its back, make a shallow cut through the skin just below the breastbone. Make
sure that you start your cut well away from the brisket allowing plenty of uncut skin for your
shoulder mount. Insert two fingers of the free hand, cradling the blade to hold the skin up and
way from the entrails. Figure A
2. Cut straight down the belly and around the genitals, separating but not severing them from
the abdominal wall. Slit the belly skin all the way to the pelvic bone. Figure B
3. Cut deeply around the rectum, being careful not cut off or puncture the intestine. Pull to make
sure the rectum is separated from tissue connecting it to the pelvic canal. Pull the rectum out
and tie a string tightly around it to prevent droppings from touching the meat. Lift the animal's
back quarter a bit, reach into the from of the pelvic canal and pull the intestine and connected
rectum into the stomach area.
4. If you want to make a full shoulder mount, do not cut open the chest cavity. Cut the diaphragm
away from the ribs all the way to the backbone area. Reach into the forward chest cavity, find the
esophagus and windpipe, cut them off as far up as possible. Figure C - and pull them down
through the chest.
5. Roll the deer onto its side, grab the esophagus and windpipe, cut them off as far up as
possible. Figure C - and pull them down through the chest.
6. With the deer on its side, grab the esophagus with one hand and the rectum/intestines with
the other. Pull hard.
:. BIRDS & SMALL MAMMALS
Do not gut the bird. Rinse any blood from the feathers with water. 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.
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
:. PREPARING FISH
When preparing your fish for the taxidermist, try not to handle the fish anymore than you have to.
DO NOT GUT THE FISH! Start by wrapping the entire fish in a wet towel, taking care to keep the
fins flat against the body. Roll fish up in a plastic bag and lay flat in a freezer until you get to the
taxidermist.
If you choose to have a reproduction made, follow these steps outlined below:
Measure the entire length of the fish. Measure the girth of the fish at the widest point. Take
several photos from different angles.
:. FULL BODY OR RUG
When skinning for full body mounts or for rug mounts begin your cut approximately 4 inches
from the end of the chin and continue to cut straight down the throat and belly to the end of the
tail. Cut from the center of the pads down inside of the legs to the center of cut. Leave the feet,
and head for the taxidermist to skin.
:.FREEZING MAMMALS
The most common problem with freezing mammals is the drying out of the ears, feet and face.
This can make it more difficult to properly skin and prepare your mammal for mounting. For all
mammals, wipe or rinse as much blood off the hide as possible, then do the following: ~Wrap
the face with a wet towel. Be sure to cover the nose and ears. Use more than one towel if
needed. Place a heavy plastic bag over
the towel, squeeze as much air out of the bag as you can and use tape to keep it in place.
~For deer or other horned or antlered animals, wrap each ear with a separate wet towel and
place a plastic bag over each ear. Then wrap the face from the bases and over the nose with
another wet towel.
~Wrap each foot and the tail (except the tail on bear) in a wet towel and place a plastic bag over
each one.
~If the animal is skinned, fold the skin flesh side to flesh side and fold or roll it up. Now place
the entire animal or skin into a heavy plastic bag.
I prefer Hefty Steel Sacks - they are the most durable and the most difficult to puncture. If the
animal has horns, allow them to stick out of the bag if possible.
~Get as much air as possible out of the bag and tie or seal it shut. Seal the bag around the
bases of antlers with tape. You need to keep as much air out of the bag as you can.
Now place the animal in a freezer near the bottom, if possible, so it freezes quickly. Wrapped
like this, it will be in fine shape for several months and should cause no problems for any
taxidermist you choose to bring it to.