Field Dressing
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 away from the entrails (Figure A).- 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 pelvic bone (Figure B).
- Cut deeply around the rectum, being careful not to cut off
or
puncture the intestine.
Pull to make sure the rectum
is separated from
the tissue connecting it to the pelvic canal. Pull the rectum out and
tie string tightly around it to prevent droppings from touching the
meat. Lift the animal's back quarter a bit, reach into the front of the
pelvic canal, and pull out the intestine and connected rectum into the
stomach area. - 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.
- Roll the deer onto its side, grab the esophagus with one hand and the rectum/intestine with the other. Pull hard. The deer's internal organs will come out in one big package with a minimum of mess.
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.
Skinning Life-Size Big Game
There are two major methods of 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 into the neck). The carcass is skinned as it is pulled through this incision. The feet/hooves and the head a re cut off from the carcass as with a shoulder mount explained later. Only use this method with approval and detailed instruction from Free Spirit. Use this method only when the skin can be frozen quickly after skinning.Caping for a Shoulder Mount
- With a sharp knife slit the hide circling the body behind the shoulder at 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 2A and 2B).
Peel
the skin forward up to the ears and jaw exposing the
head/neck junction. Cut into the neck approximately three 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
off the neck. This should allow the hide to be rolled up and put in a
freezer until transported to Free Spirit. These cuts should allow ample
hide for the taxidermist to work with in mounting. Remember, the
taxidermist can cut off excess hide but he can't add what he doesn't
have.
Small Mammals
Animals, coyote sized or 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 a small game animal immediately to a taxidermist, as soon as the carcass cools completely, put it in a plastic bag and freeze it. 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 into 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 can not 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 fish's body (to prevent breakage), and freeze it. A fish frozen with this method can safely be kept in a freezer for months.Note: A fish will loose it's coloration shortly after being caught. A good color photograph immediately after the catch may enable the taxidermist to duplicate the natural colour tones of that particular fish.
Important
If a freezer is available, we suggest the head and feet be left intact as in most cases this delicate work should be left for a qualified taxidermist.Trophy Care Is Your Responsibility
It must be remembered that the secret of success lies in the skinning out of all parts that can be skinned, and the attention given to the process of salting, or freezing, particularly in the early stages.Other Tips
- Always have appropriate tags with your trophies when you take them to your taxidermist. Do not cut the ears for attachment.
- For situations 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.