Trophy Field Care
The way you handle your trophies in the field greatly influences the final result of their preservation. Our skilled taxidermists understand that maintaining the integrity and condition of the animal is essential to capturing its unique beauty and spirit in a mount.
By following best practices for field care—such as proper capeing, cooling, and handling—you can ensure that your trophy is in optimal condition for taxidermy. This not only enhances the quality of the final piece but also honors the wildlife and the memories of your hunting experience. Explore our guidelines and tips to ensure that your trophy maintains its natural beauty.
Proper Field Care
Proper field care is essential for ensuring a stunning taxidermy mount. By handling your trophy correctly in the field, you can minimize common issues such as hair slippage, insufficient cape material, irreversible damage, and the risk of losing your cape to bacteria or heat damage.
After the cape is removed, cool it down as soon as possible. If you can’t bring it to us immediately, freeze it to keep it cool. Treat your cape like you would the meat; bacteria, especially in warmer temperatures, will quickly break down the cape.
When caping out, never cut the neck or brisket, as this can cause irreversible damage to the cape. Leave more material than you think you’ll need.
If there is blood on the hide, wash it off with water as quickly as possible to prevent staining. Use water sparingly to avoid saturating the skin. It is crucial to cool the hide as quickly as possible.
Avoid dragging the animal, as this can create bare spots, holes, and cause hair slippage.
Avoid rolling up the hide while it is still warm, as the hair or fur may insulate the skin, preventing it from cooling or freezing efficiently.
Do not salt your cape; leave that to us. Keep it as cool as possible until you can drop it off.
Caping For A Shoulder Mount
To begin, grab a sharp knife and make a cut around the torso, just behind the shoulder at the midpoint of the animal’s body and behind the front legs. Once you've made this incision, cut straight up the back of the neck, stopping at the head/neck joint. When preparing the legs, carefully cut the skin around them, just above the knees. Next, skin the cape forward to expose the head/neck joint. You’ll want to cut the head from the animal about two to three inches below this joint. As a helpful tip, when in doubt, it’s better to cut more than you think you need. We can always trim excess hide during the taxidermy process, but we cannot add back what isn’t there.
Skinning For A Life-Size Mount
The dorsal cut is recommended for most life-size mounts. This procedure involves making an incision from the base of the tail to a point between the front shoulders. Carefully remove the skin from the body, starting at the center of the back and moving towards the head, as well as down the sides to the belly. Once you reach the base of the head, sever the head from the neck. As you skin down the legs, proceed slowly to avoid cutting the delicate hide in the armpits, as well as on the inside of the back legs and around the genitals. Sever the legs at either the wrist or the elbow. Always remove as much excess meat and fat from the hide as possible, being careful not to cut the hide itself.
Skinning For A Rug
If you would like a rug made from your trophy, the ventral cut is preferred. To do this, start by making an incision from the base of the tail in a straight line to a point in the center of the chest, between the front legs. For each of the front legs, cut down the center from the paw pad or to the hoof in a straight line to meet the end of the chest incision at a 90-degree angle. For the rear legs, cut from the back of the paw pad or hoof along the rear of the leg to connect with the belly incision at the base of the tail.
To remove the skin from the body, start at the center of the belly and cut upwards towards the head, then move outward along the sides of the animal towards the back. Once you reach the base of the head, sever it from the neck. As you skin the legs, proceed slowly and be careful not to cut the thin hide in the areas of the armpits, inside the back legs, or around the genitals. Finally, sever the legs at the wrist or the elbows.