After you drop that buck of a lifetime, quick decisions must be made regarding taxidermy work. If you want a classic shoulder mount, here’s what you need to know to preserve the memories…
[courtesy of Whitetail Properties]
Any taxidermist who has worked their craft for several years has plenty of horror stories to tell, from rotten hides to poor caping work brought to them to “fix.”
The first step in preserving a trophy for mounting begins in the field immediately after the harvest. Wait too long or fail to preserve the cape properly until you can get to the taxidermist and the hide is ruined. Improperly cape the head and the taxidermist will be challenged to give the mount a natural look – that’s assuming it is even repairable. Fail to provide enough hide for the taxidermist to work with and your intended shoulder mount can quickly turn into a European mount unless you’re willing to spend good money on a substitute cape.
Fortunately, caping a whitetail for a proper shoulder mount is something any hunter with a sharp blade and patience can do. Our friends at Whitetail Properties have put together a comprehensive tutorial on the procedure. It’s part of their LandBeat series, and one that every hunter should watch…
Visit Whitetail Properties’ LandBeat for more instructional hunting tips.
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