Pre Taxidermy Care of your Specimen
Here are a few taxidermy care tips for your specimen to implement before coming to the shop:
Removing from the Woods:
When dragging your deer out of the woods, grab the horns with your hands or tie the rope around the horns. DO NOT tie a rope around the neck as this may break off hairs and damage the hide. Do not drag from the legs as this can break hairs as well.
Cool down:
Do this immediately without allowing thawing and refreezing of your specimen. This will prevent bacteria from ruining your trophy. Treat your cape as well or better than your meat because heat and moisture cause bacterial growth, the main cause of hair slippage and poor hide quality.
Field dressing:
When gutting, stop the cut when you reach the breastbone. DO NOT cut hair above the breast bone as this cuts into the brisket area that is needed for a shoulder mount. (Note: the breastbone is about 4" from the front legs.) On the picture to the left, you would stop the cut in the guts where the upper tape is located.
Wipe off blood:
Blood has a lot of bacteria and bacteria can cause break down of the hide and slippage of hair. Wipe off or wash off large areas contaminated with blood