Taxidermy Tips
The secret to a great mount that you will be proud of for a lifetime takes a few things that start in the field with you, the hunter. Number 1 is you have to start with a good mature specimen of the species you are after and number 2 is handling it in the field properly before you take it to your taxidermist. There are other aspects that will come into play listed below on the field care but these two are the main ones and first priority.
Big game animal (Deer, antelope, elk, moose, etc)
1. get the animal gutted asap and don't cut up the brisket too far as to not get into the cape for the mount
2. don't drag the animal if at all possible so you don't rub off any hair
3. keep the blood to a minimum
4. if you don't know how to cape it off the carcass, either call the taxidermist, you tube video watch it, or bring in the whole hide and let the taxidermist cut off what they don't need (THAT IS EASIER THAN TRYING TO FIX A SHORT CUT CAPE LATER).
5. Get the animal cooled down asap, either freeze it if possible or if you are not able to get it into a freezer dry ice will work very good. If dry ice is not available, put the animal in a plastic bag and then put ice over it, but try to keep it as dry as possible. (MOISTURE SPEEDS UP BACTERIA GROWTH)
6. DO NOT SALT THE CAPE, FREEZE IT
Birds
1. hand carry in the field or carefully place in game bag
2. clean off any major blood and place paper towels around noticeable bullet holes to prevent blood leakage. (ex. Inside the mouth or under a wing.)
3. wrap a wet paper towel around the head and feet, (this will prevent freezer burn) tuck head under a wing or fold over its back, and place in trash bag and freeze asap
4. squeeze as much air out of bag as you can
5. do not put bird in women's pantyhose, this is a myth and provides no protection and smashes feathers
6. do not wrap in newspaper, ink can transfer onto the feathers
7. don't freeze with the neck and head out straight, can easily get snapped off in the freezer
8. handled properly, birds can stay in the freezer for a year no problem, sometimes as much as two before freezer burn starts
Small Mammals & Furbearers
1. Get proper tag asap if required
2. bobcats, make sure the eye skin is not cut when placing tag if possible
3. clean off blood as best you can and put paper towels over bullet holes to soak up blood
4. place specimen in trash bag and squeeze out all air possible
5. put bagged specimen in another trash bag and then freeze asap
6. the fresher the animal is skinned the better off it will be for a mount
7. Furbearers and other thin skinned animals will tend to freezer burn fairly quickly, get them to your taxidermist within 6 months so they can be skinned before freezer burn sets in. If they have been in your freezer for a year or more, there is a good possibility they are freezer burned and may have to be thrown away
