Diagrams Below:
(Click to Enlarge)
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HOW TO SKIN YOUR TROPHIES FOR MOUNTING
- As soon as possible skin out the body and neck so the hide will cool. For head mounts, cut BEHIND the front legs and around the body. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU LEAVE AN EXCESS OF HIDE AT THE BRISKET. Skin the hide forward up the neck leaving the head & face intact. Be very careful not to cut through the hide. For full body mounts or rugs, leave the feet intact also. On small mammals leave the whole body intact if possible.
Care for your hide as you do your meat. Keep it cool, dry, clean and in the shade. Never drag an animal's shoulder on the ground. It will rub the hair off and ruin your cape.
If you can deliver your trophy to your taxidermist while still cool, or get it into a cooler or freezer, DO NOT SALT THE HIDE.
- If you must fully skin out your trophy, for head mounts skin heads as shown in diagram. Make a cut up the back of the neck and "T" off the antlers. Cut skin carefully away around the base of the antlers. Cut ear cartilage from skull an on the inside. Skin the head lifting the eyelids from the outside with your fingers as you cut, being very careful not to cut the eyelids. The lips and nose should be cut close to the skull and gums, leaving he lips attached to the skin. Care for your hide as in Step 1 above. After skinning is complete, saw off the top of the skull through the center of the eyes as shown in diagram.
- If the cape cannot be kept cool until delivery to your taxidermist, take the following steps:
- Turn the ears inside out leaving the ear cartilage attached to the inner ear.
- Split the lips carefully.
- On hides for full mounts or rugs, ALL BONES IN THE FEET AND TOES MUST BE REMOVED ALL THE WAY TO THE CLAWS OR HOOVES. Leave the claws or hooves attached to the hide.
- Remove ALL flesh and fat from hide.
- ONLY AFTER COMPLETING STEPS (a) through (d), rub un-iodized salt (NEVER ROCK SALT - it will burn the hide) into the hide. Keeping hide in the shade at all times, roll up for a few hours. Unroll, shake off salf, resalt (you can't use too much salt), lay out flat, flesh side up. When semi-dry, shake off salt, let air dry a little more and fold to convenient size. Deliver to your taxidermist as soon as possible.
REMEMBER - The better you car for your hide before getting it to your taxidermist, the higher the quality of the tanned hide and finished mount.
I BUY PROPERLY CARED FOR CAPES.
--ALL TANNING IS ACCEPTED AT OWNER'S RISK ONLY--
Condition of acceptance: We have no control over any skin or trophy prior to our receiving it for tanning and/or mounting. Many factors have a definite effect on the final results of tanning, such as primeness, time of year, climatic conditions - hot or cold - and the care given the skin or trophy in the field when it was killed. Occasionally a skin will not tan or goes to pieces in the tanning due to improper handling before shipment to us or to some defect in the skin which we cannot be responsible. For these reasons, we cannot assume any responsibility or offer any guarantee of the tanning of any skin.
BIRDS
The best way of preparing birds is simply to slip them into a nylon stocking and freeze them whole and not dressed out. Be sure to wipe off any blood.
FISH
As soon as caught, sprinkle 20 Mule Team Borax on fish, wrap in dry cloth and freeze WHOLE as soon as possible. Dressed out fish can be mounted. Due to the extra work involved, there is an additional charge. Because fish of the same species will vary in color depending on location caught, a close-up color photograph of the head, mid-section and tail section taken immediately is helpful.
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