Taxidermy Field Care Tips

FIELD DRESSING: 

1. With the 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 free fingers of the free hand. Cradling the blade to hold the skin up and away 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 to cut off or puncture the intestine. Pull to make sure that the rectum is separated from the 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 front 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 down 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 with one hand and the rectum/intestine with the other. Pull hard. The deer's internal organs will come out in one big package with a minimum mess.   

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 in producing a quality mount. Damage to a hide is costly to repair. Some types of damage cannot be "fixed" by the taxidermist.

Most trophies are ruined in the first few hours after death. The bacteria begin to attack the carcass as soon as the animal dies. Warm, humid weather accelerates bacteria growth. In remote areas or areas not near you, a competent taxidermist may be required to cape out the hide to preserve it.

Every taxidermist has a preferred method of caping a hide. Contact your taxidermist before your hunt to get instructions on their caping requirements. However, the following techniques are generally acceptable. 

SKINNING LIFE-SIZED BIG GAME: There are two major methods of skinning for a large life-sized mount: deer, elk, or bear. These methods are the flat incision and the dorsal method.

THE FLAT INCISION: This method is used for rug mounts and a variety of purposes. The areas to be cut are shown in Figure 1. Make these slits (cutting the feet free from the carcass) and pull the skin of the carcass. The head is detached, as is the shoulder mount.

Note: if you can't take your hide immediately to a taxidermist, freeze it to your taxidermist's specifications.  

THE DORSAL METHOD: This method of skinning involves a long slit down the back from the tail base up to the neck (Figure 1A). The carcass is skinned as it is pulled through this incision. The feet/hooves and the head are cut from the carcass, as with a shoulder mount explained later. Only use this method with approval and detailed instructions from your taxidermist. Use this method only when the skin can be frozen quickly after skinning.

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 legs. Slit the skin around the legs just above the knees. An additional slit will be needed from the back of the leg, joining the body cut behind the legs (Figures 2A and 2B). 

2. Peel the skin forward up to the ears and jaws, exposing the head/neck junction. Cut into the neck approximately three inches down from this junction. Circle the neck, cutting down the spinal column. After this cut is complete, grasp the antler bases and twist the head of 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. Also, avoid dragging the deer out of the woods with a rope. Place it on a sled, rickshaw, or 4-wheeler. The rope, rocks, or a broken branch from a deadfall can easily damage the fur or puncture the hide. If you need to drag it out with a rope, attach it to the base of the antlers and carefully drag your trophy.

Note: Because wild game can transmit various diseases to humans, always use extreme caution when handling the carcass. Use rubber or latex gloves and thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water after handling.

SMALL MAMMALS: Coyote-sized or smaller animals 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 immediately take the small game animal to a taxidermist, put it in a plastic bag and freeze it as soon as the carcass cools completely. The epidemic of rabies is evident in many areas of the country, so take every safety measure necessary when handling your game.

BIRDS: Do not gut the bird. Rinse off any blood on the feathers with water. Take the bird immediately to your taxidermist or freeze it. Put the bird into a plastic bag for freezing, and be 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.

FISH: All we need are some good pictures, a length, and a girth measurement.   For the length measurement, it is from the tip of the mouth to the tip of the tail.  For girth measurement, take the mid-way of the fish where it is thickest, usually around the middle of the dorsal fin.
Note: Get a few good pics immediately after catching your fish!  They tend to lose their natural color as soon as they are out of water

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.

TIPS: Always have appropriate tags with your trophies when you take them to your taxidermist. Do not cut the ears for attachment. 

Songbirds, eagles, hawks, and owls are protected by Federal Law and can not 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 salt the hide. This is the only method in remote locations that can preserve your hide for later mounting. 

This information was provided by McKenzie Taxidermy Supply.