- When to find a Taxidermist
- If you are a hunter, the best time to find a Taxidermist in NOW – BEFORE you shoot the trophy of a lifetime! Knowing what to do and how to do it will be more important than you know. Visit several Taxidermists, pick their brains, view their work, and get their pricing. Only then will you be able to make the best decision for your needs.
- To Salt or to Freeze
- Salt will only penetrate ½”. Salting a hide with more than ½” of fat or meat on it will not preserve the skin.
- Once you salt your hide, you CANNOT freeze it.
- Once you skin your animal, COOL the skin, and then place it in the freezer… Do NOT place the hide directly in the freezer immediately after skinning. The fur will retain the heat from the animal and it could spoil.
- Everything should be placed in plastic bags before freezing.
- BIRDS – easy. Just put them in a plastic bag and freeze.
- Caping a Big Game Animal
- If you don’t know how, DO NOTHING and get it to a Taxidermist; that’s what you pay me for. Bring the animal in whole if you have to – GUT it first, of course.
- Cut the hide mid-body and at the knees, then TUBE the animal all the way to the back of the skull. Remove the skull from the spine where they join. The more hide you save, the more choice you have with regard to pose options.
- Do NOT cut your capes all the way down the back of the neck. Even African capes should not be skinned out this way. A ‘T’ Cut behind the horns is the PREFERRED method. Leave this to your Taxidermist or Professional Hunter. Don’t be afraid to insist on this technique.
- Life-Size and Half-Body Mounts
- You are better off calling or dropping by for instructions. It can get complicated depending on which animal you want to mount.