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Information
Field Care
Factors such as
illness, injuries, seasonal primeness and the weather can all affect the final
outcome of any mount. Along with these, the proper field care it receives prior
to being delivered to a taxidermist is of the utmost importance to the final
outcome. Unfortunately we have seen otherwise nice trophies degraded or found to
be unfit for mounting due to a lack of proper care. These general tips will help
ensure that trophy reaches it’s full potential.
Game animals
Before you take
out your skinning knife, decide how you want your finished trophy. Is it going
to be a rug? Life-size or a shoulder mount? As an example, we have had bears
brought in with their paws cut off or trapper skinned from the anus to the lower
chin, when the hunter wanted a life-size mount. If you’re going on a hunt,
please give us a call and discuss your options and avoid disappointment.
As a rule all
blood should be wiped off and shot wounds plugged with papertowling. This is
especially important on light colored specimens such as Dall sheep etc. Skinning
and field dressing cuts should be made straight, not meandering or off to the
side. Want a life-size mount of that trophy ram? Then we need everything the ram
possesses to recreate a natural specimen. That means leaving the scrotum, anus
etc intact. Finding a replacement scrotum for some species is almost impossible.
Keep the animal
dry; avoid allowing it to lie on the ground. Keep it out of the rain. Try to
keep it out of direct sunlight, dark hair absorbs heat. Heat accelerates
bacterial growth. Water on fur or hair for an extended time can cause rapid
irreversible slippage. Never slit or cut the throat. When you field dress the
animal and remove the heart and internal organs any other blood loss would be
minimal at best from cutting the throat. It only leaves a disfiguring reminder
on your finished mount. Use care when dragging an animal from the field.
We have seen
countless deer ruined, from being dragged out of the woods behind an ATV. Capes
with the hair dragged off the neck and shoulders are essentially unfit for
mounting. Avoid hanging an animal by the neck. A rope or chain can cut into and
break the hair shafts.
Don’t pack your
unprocessed cape in a tight plastic bag. Natural decomposition creates heat and
can accelerate damage.
Game birds and Waterfowl
I have
seen otherwise nice pheasants ruined due to being stuffed with other birds in a
game pouch and carried around for a day. Birds intended for mounting should be
hand retrieved if possible and carried separately.
Check the
bird for pinfeathers, immature or seasonal molting characteristics may make your
bird be unsuitable for mounting.
Blood
should be gently wiped from the plumage. If the specimen isn’t going to go to
the taxidermist the same day, it should be laid out straight in a freezer. Once
frozen it can be placed in a plastic bag and sealed, until delivered to the
taxidermist.
Fish and Reptiles
If your
specimen has an unusual or regional coloration or patterns, be sure and take a
few photos for later reference. Don’t place a fish to be mounted in a wire fish
basket or allow it to thrash around on a stringer all day, tearing fins and
losing scales. Fish should be delivered to the taxidermist ASAP or measured and
rolled in a damp towel, taped flat to a board and placed in the freezer. After
it’s frozen it should then be placed in a plastic bag and sealed to prevent
freezer burn. Bass and most panfish can remain in a freezer for several months;
providing they are wrapped and sealed properly. Trout, salmon and some saltwater
species can suffer from “grease burn” i.e. free lipids or fat deposits can
degrade the skin if kept in the freezer too long. The end result renders the
skin unstable and unfit for mounting.
Snakes
should be coiled and given the same care as fish.
Post Script:
It is a
common practice for sportsmen to wrap their specimens in newspaper before
freezing. Unfortunately the newsprint acts as a desiccant and draws moisture
from the animal or bird and hastens freezer burn. Severe freezer burn makes it
difficult if not impossible to skin and prepare properly.
No we cannot:
Mount
that Owl/Hawk or Songbird you found dead along the road for your personal mount.
We have performed work on these and other protected species after an institution
obtained the proper permits. They can only be mounted with a state and federal
issued permit. The finished mounts can then be donated to a School/ Museum or
scientific institution holding said permits. Personal possession is illegal,
even though their death was accidental.
Mount considerations
There are
several factors to consider when selecting a style or pose for your mount. Since
WT deer are the most commonly mounted game animal, we will use it as an example.
Does your
specimen have any rubs or damage that you want to hide from the show side?
Although generally repairable, shot wounds, scars, torn ears, drag marks or rubs
might dictate that the mount be turned one way or the either to make them less
noticeable to the viewer.
The same
might hold true if one side or the other has extra points or characteristics you
might want to show off.
Normally
unless the client specifies, most deer are mounted with an alert eye expression.
A browsing pose usually dictates a lowered eyelid indicating a contented animal.
An aggressive or startled pose would usually dictate a wide eye alert
expression. We try to mount and use an expression consistent with the overall
pose.
The ear
position is dictated by the size and confirmation of the rack, consistent with
what restrictions they present in real life. An aggressive deer will usually lay
its ears back, an inquisitive one may bring its ears forward. Deer are fully
capable of rotating their ears independently within the boundaries of their
anatomy. Unless you specify we will use a position characteristic to their
overall pose and expression.
Where do
you intend to display or hang your mount? Room size, doors, windows, ceiling
height all play a crucial role in its pose and ultimate placement. Imagine your
back against the wall where you intend to hang it. Turn your head left. Will it
be looking into a corner or where an opening door will slam into its nose? Look
right, are the results better?
Rooms
that receive a large amount of sunlight should be avoided. The sun UV rays will
eventually fade the coloration, the same as it does to upholstery or carpets.
Will your
ceiling have enough height to allow you to hang your mount high enough from pets
or hanging where it won’t be an obstruction? If your deer has a tall rack and
the room has low ceilings then an option might be a sneak or semi-sneak pose.
Such a pose allows you to hang the mount higher and still have it clear the
ceiling. In some cases the addition of a panel will give you several more inches
in latitude.
Speaking
of pets earlier, it’s imperative that pets, especially cats, cannot reach up
from the back of a chair or couch and claw the mount. Unless you want an
expensive scratching post.
Unless
you have an occasional use or recreational fireplace, it’s best to avoid mount
placement over these. Soot, smoke and rising heat can all degrade your mount
over time.
Care is
relatively simple, occasional dusting or vacuuming with a brush attachment
(going with the lay of the hair) will help keep your mount clean. The eyes can
be cleaned with a cotton swab and a glass cleaner. Nothing detracts from a mount
more than dull dusty eyes.
All of
our mounts are mothproofed as part of our process. Nevertheless, we advise our
clients to follow inspection procedure used by major museums and check their
mounts at least annually for signs of moth or dermestid infestation. Moths or
dermestids can enter the cleanest of homes undetected and damage mounts. Signs
to look for are cobwebbing in the ears or small sawdust like deposits around the
mount. Larvae shells around the mount. They appear like small dried up
mealworms. Look for loose or ruffled feathers in birds. Loose or falling hair in
animals Fish although not exempt from damage, are sealed with a 2-part clear
urethane topcoat that effectively seals the mount from damage. As a service to
our clients we offer free inspection and re application of mothproofing to their
mounts.
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