After the Kill:

Whitetail Deer:

1. If possible, DO NOT drag the deer through the woods. If no other option exists, try to keep the front half of the deer from dragging on the ground. Whichever part of the deer is drug on the ground, stands a greater chance of having the hair fall out of the finished mount.

2. Once the deer is ready to cape out, remember to cut the hide only where needed. Although fixable, extra cuts on the deer are difficult to fix as the hair falls out and the cut may show on the finished mount.

3. Immediately take the deer to the taxidermist to be properly stored and so work can begin as soon as possible.

4. If you cannot get the deer to the taxidermist immediately, place the deer in the freezer. Wrap all of the extra hide over the deer’s face and place it inside two garbage bags. The first things that will freezer burn on a deer are its ears and nose. If either the ears or nose freezer burns, you cannot have the deer mounted without getting another cape. Storing the deer by our recommended methods should allow the deer to keep approximately 1 year.

5. DO NOT place the deer in a cooler of ice. The ice will melt and get the hide wet. It also stands a chance of loosening the hair. If the hide must be placed in a cooler, please use dry ice only.

Bobcat, Fox, and Coyote:

1. DO NOT make any cuts on these kills. Take the animal straight from the woods to the taxidermist.

2. If you cannot take the kill straight to the taxidermist, wrap the animal in two garbage bags and store it in a freezer. The better the animal is wrapped the longer it will keep in a freezer. The first parts to freezer burn on these animals are the nose, ears, and lips. If any of these parts freezer burn, the animal cannot be mounted.

3. Our recommended time of getting the animal into a freezer is 4-6 hours.

4. DO NOT place the animal in a cooler of ice. The ice will melt and get the hide wet. It also stands a chance of loosening the hair. If the hide must be placed in a cooler, please use dry ice only.

Freshwater Fish:

1. As soon the fish has been caught, take it immediately to the taxidermist.

2. If you cannot get the fish to the taxidermist, wet a bath towel and wrap the fish in the towel.

3. Wrap the towel inside two garbage bags. This recommended way of wrapping a fish should allow the fish to keep approximately 1 year.

4. DO NOT wrap the fish in any type of paper (i.e. Newspaper). The paper will draw out all of the moisture of the fish and allow it to freezer burn at a more rapid pace.

5. Our recommended time of getting the fish to a freezer is 4-6 hours.

Waterfowl:

1. After the kill, it is not recommended to allow a dog to retrieve the waterfowl. If you do allow a dog to retrieve the waterfowl, please be sure the dog is very gentle with the animal.

Dogs tend to bite holes in the animal. Anywhere there are holes, the feathers will surely fall out.

2. If you cannot get the waterfowl to the taxidermist within 4-6 hours of the kill, then it will need to be stored in the freezer.

3. To store a waterfowl in a freezer, place its head underneath the wing and place it in a garbage bag. If you have a stocking to place over the waterfowl then please do so. If not, that is okay as well. Waterfowl can keep approximately 9 months in the freezer.

Animals being brought in from another state:

1.If you have gone on a guided hunt and are required to bring the animal back already capped out, please follow these guidelines to ensure that decay does not set in on the cape.

2. Place the cape into a cooler. Put dry ice inside the cape and place it inside a garbage bag.

3. Then put dry ice on top of the garbage bag. DO NOT put regular ice inside the cooler. This ice will melt and get the cape wet. Anytime the cape gets wet, it stands the chance of the hair falling out.

4. If the cape must be placed in a freezer until it can be taken to the taxidermist, please be sure the hide is wrapped with the face and ears on the inside of the cape so that they do not freezer burn.

5. Do not leave your cape out of cool conditions for over 4-6 hours.

Exotic animals from other countries:

1. If going on an international guided hunt, the guide should have the animal’s hide tanned and shipped to the taxidermist of choice. It is illegal to send green hides into the United States from another country. If possible, please suggest having the hide Wet Tanned.

After the Mount:

1. Any animal that you have mounted will be just like anything else in your house, it will get dirty. To clean the majority of your animals you can use any household dust remover (i.e. pledge) and a damp cloth. For all of your birds you will want to use a damp cloth only, making sure that you dust the animal in the direction the feathers are lying.