Field Care Tips
Birds and Fish
BIRDS - Do not gut the bird. Rinse off any blood on the feathers with water. Take the bird immediately to you taxidermist or freeze it. Wrap in newspaper or 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. NOT ACCEPTING BIRDS AT THIS TIME.
FISH - For SKIN mount fish, DO not Gut your Fish. Immediately after catching your fish, wrap it in a wet cloth. Place in a air tight plastic bag. Make sure all the fins are flat against the fish’s body (to prevent breakage), and keep cool, and freeze as soon as possible. Take pictures of your trophy so we can re-create your prize fish as close as possible to what you caught.
For REPLICA mount fish handle your trophy as little as possible. Take an overall length and girth measurement. Take pictures of your trophy so we can re-create your prize fish as close as possible to what you caught.
FISH - For SKIN mount fish, DO not Gut your Fish. Immediately after catching your fish, wrap it in a wet cloth. Place in a air tight plastic bag. Make sure all the fins are flat against the fish’s body (to prevent breakage), and keep cool, and freeze as soon as possible. Take pictures of your trophy so we can re-create your prize fish as close as possible to what you caught.
For REPLICA mount fish handle your trophy as little as possible. Take an overall length and girth measurement. Take pictures of your trophy so we can re-create your prize fish as close as possible to what you caught.
Small Mammals |
Animals, coyote sized or smaller, should not be skinned unless by a professional. Don’t gut the animal. Small mammals, especially carnivores, will spoil quickly because of their thin hide and bacteria. If you can’t take the small game animal immediately to a taxidermist, as soon as the carcass cools completely, put it in a plastic bag and freeze it. With the epidemic of rabies evident in many areas of the country, take every safety measure necessary when handling your game.
Antlered and Horned Animals
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Slit the hide, circling the body, behind the shoulder at approximately mid-way point of the ribcage 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 (Figure 2A and 2B).
Peel the skin forward up to the ears and jaw exposing the head/neck joint. Cut into the neck approximately 3-4 inches down from this joint (Figure 3). Cut, circling the neck, down to the spinal column, then grasp the antler/horn bases and twist the head off and away from the neck. This will allow the hide to be rolled up with the head (and antlers/horns). Put into a freezer as soon as possible. If in doubt, always leave extra hide, especially if you plan to do a half-life size mount. For a full body/life size mount, do not cut around body, rather cut hind legs as you do the front legs (Figure 2B) and leave ALL skin/hide attached, including the genitals, tail, and area around the anus. |
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Non-Antlered and Non-Horned Animals
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For animals such as bears and cats, make a cut from the center of the lower jaw all the way back to the tail on the underside of the animal (point A to B – Figure 4). Next, from the center of by (Point G) cut up to each front paw; cut all the way to the middle of the pad to (Points C & D). Next, from the center of by (Point H) cut up to each rear paw; cut all the way to the middle of the pad to (Points E & F).
After completing your cuts, peel the skin completely off the animal. It is important to skin the paws out to the last joint in the toes; but if you do not feel comfortable doing it without ruining the hide or pads, we can do it for you. Trick for Flat Base Bear Rug: If you want the base of your rug to be square use this technique. Typically you cut inside of the back legs down to the groin. This gives the rug a typical “V” look on the lower portion. If you extend the cutting point (where the leg cuts meet in the middle) up the belly about 8-12 inches the base of the rug will be square. From the ankles you would cut a straight line to a point about 8-12 inches up from the groin (on the belly). Dorsal Cut: If you want to do a full-body mount you can do your taxidermist a favor and make a dorsal cut on the bear, meaning cut the hide down the spine (Figure J). The dorsal cut usually takes longer and you’ll likely have to cut the hide on the inside of the legs to get to the wrist joints (Figure K). Start by making a cut from the back of the head all the way to the tail and then start skinning down. This is the preferred method for any type of full body mount. Case Skin: If you are a trapper you’ll understand the technique of “case skinning” a bear. Starting at the back legs, make a cut from the ankles to the groin of the bear. This is the only place that you’ll actually cut the hide. From the back, you’ll start to peel the bear hide up the carcass towards the head. It isn’t easy, but totally doable. |
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Salting
Remove excess fat and flesh from the hide. Completely salt the skin with a fine salt (regular salt is alright). Rub salt into the hide; be sure to get in the folds, etc.. salt daily. keep in as cool of a place as possible. DO NOT dry skin in the sun.
NOTE: Remember to bring your hunting/fishing license and be sure that your trophy game animals are properly tagged.
NOTE: Remember to bring your hunting/fishing license and be sure that your trophy game animals are properly tagged.