Trophy News from Missouri
After-shot care makes for better trophy
Unlike most of the hunting shows — in which outdoor celebrities seem to add one or two trophy whitetails to their collection every time you turn on the television — the chances of taking a wall hanger come few and far between for most of us. This is why it’s so important to be prepared when you finally get your chance at the buck of a lifetime.
While many of us are more than equipped to head into the woods in pursuit of big whitetails, having a game plan for the after-shot care is also very important. Craig Debord of 9 Toes Taxidermy in Clarksdale, Mo., and I spoke about this important aspect of the hunt, and he’s provided a little guidance on this issue.
Damage to your whitetail hide is costly to repair, according to Debord, and some types of damage cannot be fixed. While every taxidermist might have a slightly different method of caping a hide, Debord recommended contacting yours prior to hunting to get instructions on their preferred methods.
He gave the following general instructions that most taxidermist use for caping out a whitetail for a shoulder mount (Remove and place in hunting pack for future reference):
1) With a sharp knife slit the hide circling the body behind the shoulder at approximately the mid-way point of the rib cage behind the front and back legs.
2) Slit the skin around the legs just above the knee joint.
3) Make an additional slit down the back of the leg joining the initial cut around the body between the legs.
4) Peel or carefully cut the skin forward up to the ears and jaws exposing the head/neck junction being careful not to damage the cape.
5) Cut into the neck approximately three inches down from this junction. Circle the neck cutting down the spinal column. After this cut is complete, grasp the antler bases and twist the head off the neck.
6) This should allow the hide to be rolled up and inward and placed in a freezer until being transported to the taxidermist.
These cuts should allow ample hide for your taxidermist to work with in mounting. Remember, the taxidermist can cut off excess hide but he can’t add what he doesn’t have.
Note: When field dressing a trophy to be mounted, don’t cut into the brisket (chest) or neck area. If blood gets on the hide to be mounted, wash it off with snow or water as soon as possible. Also, avoid dragging the deer out of the woods with a rope. Place it on a deer cart, four-wheeler, or sled. The rope, rocks, or a broken branch can easily damage the fur or puncture the hide. If you need to drag it out with a rope, attach the rope to the base of the antlers and drag your trophy very carefully.
While freezing your mount will ensure bacteria will not ruin your trophy, Debord also warns hunters to not leave their trophies in a freezer for extended periods of time as freezer burns can also damage the hides.
For the majority of us, harvesting a beautiful whitetail that is worthy of a shoulder mount is an experience not often repeated in a lifetime. After working so hard to take such a trophy you owe it to yourself to be prepared when the moment finally arrives.
Originally written by Jeff Leonard
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