Game Care

Game Heads

Taking good care of your trophy is the first step to a great mount. Never drag your game if you can't pick it up high enough to get it past the shoulders. If you do need to drag your trophy, put it on a tarp so you don't drag the hair off of it. Four Seasons Taxidermy offers a skinning service for those who are not comfortable doing it themselves. Here are a couple of things to remember if you will cape the animal yourself. First make sure you have a sharp knife. Make a cut all the way around the animal about six inches behind the front legs. Next, on the front legs six to eight inches down cut all the way around. Connect the body cut with the leg cut starting on the back side of the leg and proceeding up the leg to the body and straight back to the body cut. Now, skin the animal up to the base of the head. You can now take a meat saw and saw the head off the carcass about four inches from the head down the neck.

Fish

If you can't get your fish to the taxidermist soon after you caught it, wrap it in a WET towel. Make sure the fins are laying down and the tail is covered good. After wrapping it in the towel, put it in a plastic bag, remove as much of the air as possible and put it in the freezer.

Birds

Get them to the taxidermist as soon as possible. If you can't get it there soon, put the small birds, up to the size of  most ducks, in old pantyhose and then a plastic bag. If you don't have any then wrap it up, keeping the wings and head tucked, in a plastic bag. Make sure you remove as much of the air as possible. Freezer burn in birds can be very hard to deal with sometime.

Mammals

Do not field dress small mammals such as fox, otter, or coyote. Get them to the taxidermist as soon as possible. If you can't get it to the Taxidermist quickly, put it in the freezer to get it cooled down.

Remember heat and moisture are the enemy of your trophy. If you can keep it dry and get it cool quickly, you should have a good chance at a great mount.

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