How to prepare for the Taxidermist

[Jroberts238]

Being my first season I am not planning on processing any deer I harvest myself. So that leaves me using a butcher. Is there anything special I need to do while field dressing to prepare it for processing?

Also, If I end up getting a decent buck I will probably have him mounted, being my first kill. Is there anything I need to do to prepare him for the Taxidermist or is it something I can just make the butcher aware of?

Just wanting to know in advance. That way there is no surprises when the time comes.

 

[JeepKuntry]

If you know how to dress one out, you shouldn't have any problems. Just let em know that your gonna mount it.

 

[Wells Taxidermy]

Don't split the deer all the way up the brisket, stop were the breast bone and ribs meet each other.

 

[Jroberts238]

So nothing special, just gut it and drop him off?

I can deal with that lol. Got to talking to a guy today while the wife was shopping he was saying something about caping?

 

[Jroberts238]

Don't split the deer all the way up the brisket, stop were the breast bone and ribs meet each other.

Gotcha, seems easier that way anyway.

 

[bowriter]

Caping is removing the hide from the neck and head. If you don't know how, don't do it.

About all you need to do is be sure and leave plenty of brisket hide uncut. Start your gutting at the top of the body cavity, don't cut up the sternum. That should leave plkenty of hide. Then, make sure your butcher knows you are going to have it mounted and he should take special care in skinning above the shoulders.

Your taxidermist can handle the caping as long as the head and hide are kept plenty cold and delivered promptly. If convenient, you may take the deer by your taxidermist first and let him skin it. Then, take it to the butcher. One other thing, do not hang any deer to be mounted by the head. Hang them from the hind legs. I don't even like to drag mine by the head.

 

[Jroberts238]

Caping is removing the hide from the neck and head. If you don't know how, don't do it.

About all you need to do is be sure and leave plenty of brisket hide uncut. Start your gutting at the top of the body cavity, don't cut up the sternum. That should leave plkenty of hide. Then, make sure your butcher knows you are going to have it mounted and he should take special care in skinning above the shoulders.

Your taxidermist can handle the caping as long as the head and hide are kept plenty cold and delivered promptly. If convenient, you may take the deer by your taxidermist first and let him skin it. Then, take it to the butcher. One other thing, do not hang any deer to be mounted by the head. Hang them from the hind legs. I don't even like to drag mine by the head.

Easy enough. The butcher I plan to use has a Taxidermist sign out front. Im guessing they have a deal going on between the two.

I would have stopped in there to ask these questions but its so much easier online lol.

The 17th just cant roll around fast enough. Makes me wish I had a bow or muzzy

 

[Wells Taxidermy]

Also I would recomend not tying any ropes around the neck or hanging them by the neck 95% of the time that will result in a rope line that you cant get rid of.

 

[Wells Taxidermy]

No damages can be done if you hang by the Rack "not head" but the only thig that will happen is the deer will stretch its neck pretty good. but it naturally will get stretch ed lie that during tanning. So long as he is hung by the rack he will be fine, unless he is a late season deer then the antlers may pop off. which can be fixed

Caping is removing the hide from the neck and head. If you don't know how, don't do it.

About all you need to do is be sure and leave plenty of brisket hide uncut. Start your gutting at the top of the body cavity, don't cut up the sternum. That should leave plkenty of hide. Then, make sure your butcher knows you are going to have it mounted and he should take special care in skinning above the shoulders. whats the deal with hanging them by the head? i almost never do so BUT with you saying that, i got to thinking and i do indeed have a 135 class buck mounted that was hung by the head to keep the dogs from chewing up the nose. so i was just wondering what it hurts?


Your taxidermist can handle the caping as long as the head and hide are kept plenty cold and delivered promptly. If convenient, you may take the deer by your taxidermist first and let him skin it. Then, take it to the butcher. One other thing, do not hang any deer to be mounted by the head. Hang them from the hind legs. I don't even like to drag mine by the head.

i had one mounted that was hung by the head to keep dogs from chewing up the nose. 135 inch deer and the mount looks great. just curious as to what it can damage if you do so?

 

[BigD_625]

No damages can be done if you hang by the Rack "not head" but the only thig that will happen is the deer will stretch its neck pretty good. but it naturally will get stretch ed lie that during tanning. So long as he is hung by the rack he will be fine, unless he is a late season deer then the antlers may pop off. which can be fixed

Caping is removing the hide from the neck and head. If you don't know how, don't do it.

About all you need to do is be sure and leave plenty of brisket hide uncut. Start your gutting at the top of the body cavity, don't cut up the sternum. That should leave plkenty of hide. Then, make sure your butcher knows you are going to have it mounted and he should take special care in skinning above the shoulders. whats the deal with hanging them by the head? i almost never do so BUT with you saying that, i got to thinking and i do indeed have a 135 class buck mounted that was hung by the head to keep the dogs from chewing up the nose. so i was just wondering what it hurts?


Your taxidermist can handle the caping as long as the head and hide are kept plenty cold and delivered promptly. If convenient, you may take the deer by your taxidermist first and let him skin it. Then, take it to the butcher. One other thing, do not hang any deer to be mounted by the head. Hang them from the hind legs. I don't even like to drag mine by the head.

i had one mounted that was hung by the head to keep dogs from chewing up the nose. 135 inch deer and the mount looks great. just curious as to what it can damage if you do so?

If I'm going to let one hang, I tie an extra rope around the front legs and pull them up too. That gets the whole body up high enough that nothing will mess with it...well, I did have a hawk eat part of a carcass one time, so I guess nothing but birds can get to it. Maybe bears, depending on where you live. Ok, now I'm rambling. Good luck!!! I hope you get to find out.

 

[Jroberts238]

I probably won't be hanging any at all. Unfortunately I live inside city limits in a subdivision. I'm pretty sure the neighbors would flip their lids lol.

Kinda sucks because I have heard letting them hang helps with flavor.

 

[rem.30-06]

A lot of times the butcher will cape one out for you if asked to do so. He may charge a little extra but they will do it usually. Just make sure he leaves enough meat on the neck so the taxidermist can get an accurate neck measurement

 

[HOOK]

http://vimeo.com/17540500

 

[AT Hiker]

I just created a blog explaining some of these issues.

Check it out Natural Creations Taxidermy: Trophy Field Care of Big Game Animals

 

[AT Hiker]

A lot of times the butcher will cape one out for you if asked to do so. He may charge a little extra but they will do it usually. Just make sure he leaves enough meat on the neck so the taxidermist can get an accurate neck measurement

I strongly discourage this, unless your taxidermist knows the butcher. I have had to fix too many capes because the butcher (or hunter) doesnt either know how to cape or doesnt take the time to do it right. Most taxidermist do not charge any extra for caping, including myself, because we like certain incisions better than others.

 

[bigtex]

Most taxidermist do not charge any extra for caping, including myself, because we like certain incisions better than others.

X2. I would much rather cape the deer myself. Too many deer come into my shop either cut all to pieces, too short, hair slipping, or with enough meat on them to make a roast, lol. When I cape them I leave very little meat on the hide which makes the final fleshing job a lot less time consuming and easier for myself.

 

[Mike Belt]

First of all, if you want something done right do it yourself. If I had a buck worthy of mounting I wouldn't trust Joe Blow skinning it out. If he messed up and cut it to short he's still not out anything. By the way, if that should happen you can still mount the buck. You'll just have to provide another cape. Your taxidermist or butcher can usually take care of this. There's no major rocket science involved in skinning one out. Just cut around the body below the brisket, skin down to the head, and then cut the head off leaving a couple inches of meat on the neck below the point of skinning. Don't try caping the head out because this involves some knowledge of what you're doing and most taxidermists would rather do that themselves to get the ideal measurements they need for the form to be used in mounting. Also you'd be dealing with some thin skin around the eyes, nose, and lips and you could easily cut holes that had to be repaired in the mounting process. If I was trying to be politically correct (which I don't worry about) I'd find somewhere else to hang my deer to keep from offending anyone just so I could do the skinning myself.