Post by Huntress on Mar 24, 2006 23:41:36 GMT -5
If you are considering having a trophy mount done there are a few things you should do before you ever pick up your gun, bow or fishing rod. The first thing should be choosing a taxidermist to do the work for you. It might seem silly to choose a taxidermist before you go hunting but doing so will make it easier for you once that animal is down. Imagine getting the buck, turkey or bass of a lifetime…now what? “What do I do with it and where do I take it?” will probably be your first thoughts.
"Where do I take it?"
If you have a taxidermist in mind already then half the work is done. If not, then you might want to interview several taxidermists in your area. Call during the off season or set up a time with the taxidermist to view his/her work. Some questions to ask might be:
-What type of mounts do they do?…Some shops specialize in fish OR birds OR mammals but don’t do it all.
-What are the prices for the mounts you’re interested in? Are there extra charges for bases, backboard, open mouth mounts, flying bird poses, etc.?
-Is there a deposit required? When is the balance due?
-What is the turn around time?
-Will the taxidermist give references for you to call?
View his/her work and really look at it!!! What is your first impression? WOW or Hmm?
WOW, that is an awesome turkey mount, every feather is in place and it looks alive!! OR Hmm, that kind of looks like a turkey.
Some things to consider when looking for a quality mount:
Mammals
-Is the fur clean, no odor, well combed out?
-Are there any stitches visible?
-Is there paint or glue on the eyes or in the hair?
-Are there gaps in the lip area or around the eyes?
-Do the ears have crisp, well defined edges or are they curling? Are they set on the head correctly (too far up or down)?
-Do the eyes look set correctly (not cross eyed or ‘bug‘ eyed)?
Birds
-Is the mount clean, no grease bleeding through the feathers, no blood or paint on the feathers?
-Does the mount look natural…head, neck and wings in a natural position?
-Do the feather ‘tracts’ look natural or are the feathers ruffled (not laying naturally)?
-Are the eyes set correctly?
-Are the feet dried/shriveled or natural looking?
-Are the bill/beak and feet the right color?
Fish
-Is the ‘topline’ of the fish one smooth line with the head correctly lined up with the body?
-Are the fins/tail in the right position? Do the edges look clean/crisp or curled/chipped?
-Are the eyes set correctly?
-Do the mouth and gills look natural or are they open too far?
-Does it look over painted or more naturally tinted? Are the colors correct?
-On wall mounts, is the back of the mount finished cleanly or is the seam visible?
Try not to inconvenience a taxidermist by showing up at a bad time or over staying your welcome but don’t be afraid to ask questions either. If the taxidermist doesn’t have time to answer questions for you don’t bother taking your work there. Be prepared before you go, have certain questions in mind and know what to look for. Take pictures of live animals with you and compare them to the mounts. Most people can look at two mounted deer heads hanging on a wall and be able to tell that one looks better than the other. But can they say WHY one is better? If you visit several taxidermists, view their work, and ask questions then you’ll know how to choose the best.
"What do I do with it?"
Once you have chosen the perfect taxidermist then ask him/her how to handle trophies in the field. I can tell you how I want my customers to care for their trophies but your taxidermist might want you to do it differently.
These are some skinning terms your taxidermist might use:
Skinned-Separating the body mass from the skin. Head, feet and tail bone are sometimes left in the skin.
Caped -After skinning; head/antlers are separated from the skin. A ‘cape’ is the head, neck and shoulder skin.
Open/Flat/Rug Cut-(1)Abdominal cut from chest (between the front legs) to the anal vent. (2)From rear heel, through vent, to heel of other foot. (3)From just below the pad on front foot, across chest, to just below pad on other foot.
Dorsal Cut-Along the back bone, from between the shoulders to the base of the tail.
Cased/Case skinned Also called Trapper skinned-Cut from rear heel through anal vent to rear heel of other foot.
The way you care for your trophy in the field will have a direct impact on the finished mount. Once an animal is down deterioration begins immediately. If handled improperly hair loss could result from bacterial growth, causing the epidermal layer to separate (slip) from the rest of the skin. Bacteria thrive in warm, moist conditions so proper cooling and keeping the skin dry are crucial.
Large Mammals-Shoulder mounts
-When field dressing do not cut into the brisket or armpit area.
-If the law allows…do not put a tag in the ear…tag a rear hock instead.
-Do not cut the throat…this will ruin your cape.
-Do not drag…wrap in a tarp, use a sled or cart to move your animal. If you must drag, tie the front legs over the head and try to keep the front half off the ground. Many capes are ruined every year by having the hair worn off the shoulder/neck area from dragging.
-Never tie a rope around the neck to drag or hang--this can cause broken hair. If skinning the animal yourself hang from the hocks and skin down to the head.
-When you get to the front legs cut the lower leg off at the knee…pull the skin off the upper leg without making any cuts…leg skin will look like a ‘tube’.
-Pull the skin as far over the head as possible and sever the neck near the head.
-Lay skin flesh side up to cool. (Until body heat is gone)
-Take to your taxidermist for caping.
-If you can’t get to the taxidermist right away be sure the hide is cool, place in a plastic bag and freeze. For large hides it may take days to freeze solid…try to cool the hide as much as possible before folding and putting in the freezer.
-Never salt a hide that’s going in the freezer. Salt will keep the hide from freezing.
-When field dressing or skinning make as few cuts as possible…when in doubt, don’t cut.
-Wipe any blood off the hair before it dries and ‘sets in’.
Small Mammals
-Do not field dress.
-Wipe off any excess blood.
-Plug any shot holes with white paper towel.
-Keep cool/dry and take to your taxidermist for skinning.
-If you must freeze, cool as much as possible first then place in a plastic bag and freeze.
Birds
-Do not field dress
-Wipe off any excess blood.
-Plug any shot holes with white paper towel.
-Tuck the head under a wing. Slide small birds into a nylon stocking to keep the feathers in place.
-Keep cool/dry and take to your taxidermist for skinning.
-If you must freeze, cool as much as possible first then place in a plastic bag and freeze.
-For turkeys, wrap the head in damp, white paper towel and slip a small plastic bag over it before placing the bird in a large bag and freezing.
-Check with your taxidermist before ‘breasting out’ large birds…some taxidermists will charge extra to repair any skinning damage to the bird.
Fish
-Try to keep scale damage to a minimum.
-Don’t let them bump around in a live well or hang on a stringer.
-Dispatch fish quickly and cool on ice.
-Do not gut fish.
-Take to your taxidermist for skinning.
-If you must freeze place in a plastic bag and lay flat.
-Be extra careful with frozen fish---fins and tails break easily.
I hope these tips will help you to be prepared before you go on your next hunt....now all that's left is to decide which wall to hang your trophy on!
"Where do I take it?"
If you have a taxidermist in mind already then half the work is done. If not, then you might want to interview several taxidermists in your area. Call during the off season or set up a time with the taxidermist to view his/her work. Some questions to ask might be:
-What type of mounts do they do?…Some shops specialize in fish OR birds OR mammals but don’t do it all.
-What are the prices for the mounts you’re interested in? Are there extra charges for bases, backboard, open mouth mounts, flying bird poses, etc.?
-Is there a deposit required? When is the balance due?
-What is the turn around time?
-Will the taxidermist give references for you to call?
View his/her work and really look at it!!! What is your first impression? WOW or Hmm?
WOW, that is an awesome turkey mount, every feather is in place and it looks alive!! OR Hmm, that kind of looks like a turkey.
Some things to consider when looking for a quality mount:
Mammals
-Is the fur clean, no odor, well combed out?
-Are there any stitches visible?
-Is there paint or glue on the eyes or in the hair?
-Are there gaps in the lip area or around the eyes?
-Do the ears have crisp, well defined edges or are they curling? Are they set on the head correctly (too far up or down)?
-Do the eyes look set correctly (not cross eyed or ‘bug‘ eyed)?
Birds
-Is the mount clean, no grease bleeding through the feathers, no blood or paint on the feathers?
-Does the mount look natural…head, neck and wings in a natural position?
-Do the feather ‘tracts’ look natural or are the feathers ruffled (not laying naturally)?
-Are the eyes set correctly?
-Are the feet dried/shriveled or natural looking?
-Are the bill/beak and feet the right color?
Fish
-Is the ‘topline’ of the fish one smooth line with the head correctly lined up with the body?
-Are the fins/tail in the right position? Do the edges look clean/crisp or curled/chipped?
-Are the eyes set correctly?
-Do the mouth and gills look natural or are they open too far?
-Does it look over painted or more naturally tinted? Are the colors correct?
-On wall mounts, is the back of the mount finished cleanly or is the seam visible?
Try not to inconvenience a taxidermist by showing up at a bad time or over staying your welcome but don’t be afraid to ask questions either. If the taxidermist doesn’t have time to answer questions for you don’t bother taking your work there. Be prepared before you go, have certain questions in mind and know what to look for. Take pictures of live animals with you and compare them to the mounts. Most people can look at two mounted deer heads hanging on a wall and be able to tell that one looks better than the other. But can they say WHY one is better? If you visit several taxidermists, view their work, and ask questions then you’ll know how to choose the best.
"What do I do with it?"
Once you have chosen the perfect taxidermist then ask him/her how to handle trophies in the field. I can tell you how I want my customers to care for their trophies but your taxidermist might want you to do it differently.
These are some skinning terms your taxidermist might use:
Skinned-Separating the body mass from the skin. Head, feet and tail bone are sometimes left in the skin.
Caped -After skinning; head/antlers are separated from the skin. A ‘cape’ is the head, neck and shoulder skin.
Open/Flat/Rug Cut-(1)Abdominal cut from chest (between the front legs) to the anal vent. (2)From rear heel, through vent, to heel of other foot. (3)From just below the pad on front foot, across chest, to just below pad on other foot.
Dorsal Cut-Along the back bone, from between the shoulders to the base of the tail.
Cased/Case skinned Also called Trapper skinned-Cut from rear heel through anal vent to rear heel of other foot.
The way you care for your trophy in the field will have a direct impact on the finished mount. Once an animal is down deterioration begins immediately. If handled improperly hair loss could result from bacterial growth, causing the epidermal layer to separate (slip) from the rest of the skin. Bacteria thrive in warm, moist conditions so proper cooling and keeping the skin dry are crucial.
Large Mammals-Shoulder mounts
-When field dressing do not cut into the brisket or armpit area.
-If the law allows…do not put a tag in the ear…tag a rear hock instead.
-Do not cut the throat…this will ruin your cape.
-Do not drag…wrap in a tarp, use a sled or cart to move your animal. If you must drag, tie the front legs over the head and try to keep the front half off the ground. Many capes are ruined every year by having the hair worn off the shoulder/neck area from dragging.
-Never tie a rope around the neck to drag or hang--this can cause broken hair. If skinning the animal yourself hang from the hocks and skin down to the head.
-When you get to the front legs cut the lower leg off at the knee…pull the skin off the upper leg without making any cuts…leg skin will look like a ‘tube’.
-Pull the skin as far over the head as possible and sever the neck near the head.
-Lay skin flesh side up to cool. (Until body heat is gone)
-Take to your taxidermist for caping.
-If you can’t get to the taxidermist right away be sure the hide is cool, place in a plastic bag and freeze. For large hides it may take days to freeze solid…try to cool the hide as much as possible before folding and putting in the freezer.
-Never salt a hide that’s going in the freezer. Salt will keep the hide from freezing.
-When field dressing or skinning make as few cuts as possible…when in doubt, don’t cut.
-Wipe any blood off the hair before it dries and ‘sets in’.
Small Mammals
-Do not field dress.
-Wipe off any excess blood.
-Plug any shot holes with white paper towel.
-Keep cool/dry and take to your taxidermist for skinning.
-If you must freeze, cool as much as possible first then place in a plastic bag and freeze.
Birds
-Do not field dress
-Wipe off any excess blood.
-Plug any shot holes with white paper towel.
-Tuck the head under a wing. Slide small birds into a nylon stocking to keep the feathers in place.
-Keep cool/dry and take to your taxidermist for skinning.
-If you must freeze, cool as much as possible first then place in a plastic bag and freeze.
-For turkeys, wrap the head in damp, white paper towel and slip a small plastic bag over it before placing the bird in a large bag and freezing.
-Check with your taxidermist before ‘breasting out’ large birds…some taxidermists will charge extra to repair any skinning damage to the bird.
Fish
-Try to keep scale damage to a minimum.
-Don’t let them bump around in a live well or hang on a stringer.
-Dispatch fish quickly and cool on ice.
-Do not gut fish.
-Take to your taxidermist for skinning.
-If you must freeze place in a plastic bag and lay flat.
-Be extra careful with frozen fish---fins and tails break easily.
I hope these tips will help you to be prepared before you go on your next hunt....now all that's left is to decide which wall to hang your trophy on!
:-[I am going to make a copy of this and carry it in my SUV so I can use it if the time comes! ;DThanks for posting this...Bill Gould 
