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 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 the rectum is separated from the tissue connecting it to the pelvic canal. Pull the rectum out and tie 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 of 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 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 of mess.

Caping

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

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

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

Skinning life-size Big Game

There are two major methods of skinning for a large life-size mount such as deer, elk, or bear. These methods are the flat incision and the dorsal method.

The Flat Incision
The flat incision is used for rug mounts and for a variety of poses. The areas to be cut are shown in (Figure 1). Make these slits (cutting the feet free from the carcass) and pull the skin off of the carcass. The head is detached as with the shoulder mount.

The Dorsal Method
The dorsal method of skinning involves a long slit down the back (from the back of the head down to the tail) and up the back of each leg stopping at just above the knees and the hocks.  The carcass is skinned as it is pulled through the incision. The feet/hooves and the head are cut off from the carcass. Only use this method with the 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, make an incision form the back of the skull down the back to the caping line, (figure B) 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 and joining the body cut behind the legs (Figures 2A & 2B)

    

2.Peel the skin forward up to the ears and jaw exposing the head/neck junction. (Figure 3) Cut into

 the neck junction. Circle the neck cutting down to the spinal column. After this cut is complete, grasp the antler bases and twist the head off the neck. With the hide open allow to cool for about thirty minutes. 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 animal out of the woods with a rope. Place it on a sled, rickshaw, or 4-wheeler. The rope, rocks, or broken branches from a dead fall can easily damage the fur or puncture the hide. If you do need to drag it out with a rope, attach the rope to the base of the antlers and drag your trophy carefully.

Small Mammals

Animals, coyote sized or smaller, should not be skinned unless by a professional. Don't gut the animal. Small animals, especially carnivores, will spoil quickly because of their thin hide. If you can't take the small game animal immediately to a taxidermist, put it in a plastic bag and freeze it as soon as the carcass cools completely. With the epidemic of rabies evident in many areas of the country 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. Use nylon stocking to hold the feathers in place, start at the head and work towards the tail going with the feather. This will make the feathers lie down and help prevent damage of feathers. 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.

Fish

Do not gut your fish. If you cannot take your fish immediately to a taxidermist, wrap it in a very wet towel and put it in a plastic bag, making sure all the fins are flat against the fish's body (to prevent breakage) and freeze it. A fish frozen with this method can safely be kept in the freezer for months.

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. As many photos as possible is always the best, general overall photos, close ups of head, fins, tail, any color abnormalities, ect.

Extra 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 cannot be mounted unless with a specific 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 salting the hide. This is the only method in remote locations that can preserve your hide for later mounting

Additional Notes

Because of the various diseases that wild game can transmit 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.

This information is provided courtesy of McKenzie Taxidermy Supply – 2008.    

Edited by Blair Artworks - 2011

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