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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 to a hide cannot be fixed by
the taxidermist. Many trophies are ruined in the first few hours after
death. As soon as the animal dies, bacteria begins 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 hunt in
order to get instructions on their caping requirements. However, the following
techniques are generally accepted.
Caping
for a Shoulder Mount -
 1.
With a sharp knife, slit the hide circling the body behind the shoulder
at a approximately the midway 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. Figure 2-A and 2-B
2.
Peel the skin forward up to the ears and jaw exposing the head/neck junction.
Cut into the neck approximately 3 inches down from this junction. Circle
the neck cutting down to the spinal column. After this cut is complete,
grasp the antler bases and twist the head of the neck. 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. Figure 3
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 chest or neck areas. If blood gets on the hide to be mounted, wash
it off with soap and water as soon as possible. Also avoid dragging the
deer out of the woods with a rope. Place it on a sled, rickshaw or a 4-wheeler.
The rope, rocks or a broken branch 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 out carefully.
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Field
Dressing
 Deer
- 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 way 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 cut off or puncture the
intestine. Pull to make sure the rectum is separated from tissue connecting
it to the pelvic canal. Pull the rectum out and tie a string tightly around
it to prevent droppings from touching the meat. Lift the animal's back
quarter a bit, reach into the from 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 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/intestines with the other. Pull hard. The deer's intestinal organs
will come out in one big package with a minimum of mess.
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Small
Mammals - Animals,
coyote size and 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. Note: 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. Put the bird in
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
of the fins are flat against the 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 loose its color shortly after being caught.
A good color photograph immediately after the catch may enable the taxidermist
to duplicate the natural color tone of the fish.
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Skinning
Life-Size Big Game
There
are two major methods to 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 from the carcass) and pull the skin
off 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 tail base up to the neck) The carcass in
skinned as it is pulled through this incision. The feet/hooves and the
head are cut off from the carcass as with a shoulder mount explained later.
Only use this method with approval and detailed instruction from your
taxidermist. Use this method only when the skin can be frozen quickly
after skinning.
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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 special Federal permits.
- For
situation 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.
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Note:
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.
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