Tips and Tricks
~Watch videos and read up on how to prepare your hide prior to your hunt.
~When skinning your hide be careful to not put unnecessary holes in it but at the same time get as much meat and fat off as you can.
~Once you have your hide free of the majority of meat and fat keep in a cool place out of the sun and moisture and away from bugs.
~If it's warm out and/or it's going to be a little while till you get to the taxidermist get it in refrigeration or a freezer ASAP; one thing you can try is running it to town and check if a meat locker will give you space to keep in their freezer.
~Try to keep the hide clean and as blood free as you can; especially with sheep, goats and pronghorn.
~DO NOT salt your hide unless it is already fleshed.
~Clean straight lines are a lot easier to conceal stitching than hacked up crooked cut lines.
~Use a sharp knife and cut from the flesh up out through the hair rather than blade down into the hair to prevent cutting hairs and dulling your blade.
Caping for a Shoulder Mount
For all horned/antlered animals that you plan to get shoulder mounted follow these dotted lines in the diagram.
*it is perfectly acceptable to bring the cape still attached to the skull to have your taxidermist skin out the face.
*if you are not comfortable skinning out the face, you can just cut the head off without having to make the D line cuts and bring it in to your taxidermist with the hide still on the skull.
*you can cut the head off without using a saw by just working your knife between the last vertebrate and the back of the skull.
If you plan on skinning out the face here are some tips:
~Work the hide away from the peticle of the antler by using a flat-blade screwdriver to pry it away from under the antler after the D line is cut up to the antler. DO NOT cut the hide around the antler; only do so if it is a horned animal such as a sheep or pronghorn, in which case you should cut as close to the base of the horn as possible and without cutting hairs off.
~Be careful to not make holes in the hide, it is very hard to conceal stitching in the the thin haired areas of the face.
~When skinning out around the eyes, tear ducts, nose and mouth make sure to give plenty of extra material for the taxidermist to work with.
~Cuts C and D will be sewn by your taxidermist, so try to cut straight and clean and from the inside out as to not cut hairs.
~Extra hide is better than not enough hide, the taxidermist can always cut off the excess.
~Here's a great how-to video on caping a deer: https://youtu.be/21c-AOks2B4?si=-KKo7dfvHCgKY3jW
~Here's a great how-to video on skinning out the face: https://youtu.be/J3QxsoW1gO8?si=0ERhw7fNwVgDSSMd
Skinning for a Rug
~Cut following the dotted lines when skinning any animal for a rug.
~When you get to the paw pad, either cut around the pad and skin down each toe to the last knuckle or cut between the ball joint between the foot and leg and let your taxidermist take care of the feet and toes.
~The cuts down all the legs should be where the hair directions naturally meet together.
~Here's a great how-to video on skinning a bear for a rug: https://youtu.be/gyHIKb5svN8?si=FiDAyZoPUnFIlAhN
Skinning for a Lifesize Mount
~For most lifesize poses you should use a dorsal cut, straight and clean as you can from the base of the tail to the back of the head.
~You will then skin and peel the hide down the legs and then down to the head.