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Home Care
It seems that dust will try
to deteriorate a trophy on the wall over time. To
preserve the lifelike appearance, simply take the mount
outside and dust it off every 3-4 months. A feather
duster works fine on any mount. With feathers, make
sure you stroke starting at the head, working toward the
tail. Never go against the feathers.
Deer and any other mammals
take care as well. Start at the head and stroke with
the hair toward the back end. Avoiding the eyelids,
spray a small amount of window cleaner on a cloth and
wipe the glass eyes to bring back the shine.
Field Care
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Deer
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As soon
as you bag and tag your trophy, get it cleaned to
prevent spoilage of the meat and of the hide.
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When
skinning the deer, NEVER cut downward and through
the brisket/chest area of the deer. Your vertical
cut should stop 3”-6” BEHIND the front shoulders.
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As you
skin the hide starting at the tail toward the base
of the neck, be careful not to cut through the hide
or make any unnecessary holes.
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Once you
work the hide to the front shoulders, carefully work
the hide over the shoulders. Take the front legs and
cut the hide around the legs at the knee joint. This
will leave plenty of hide and is an easy point to
discard the rest of the leg area.
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Continue
skinning the hide over the rest of the shoulder, and
down the leg portions. You should then be able to
slip the leg portion away from the hide.
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Once,
you are past the front shoulders, work the hide down
to the base of the head.
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Using a
saw, cut the neck 4”-5” behind the base of the head.
A portion of the neck left on the head will be used
for measurements of the mounting process.
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At this
point, you are left with the deer head in tact with
whole hide. It is always best if you bring the hide
in this way. If you would like, you can cut the back
portion of the hide off. This is a critical area!
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To be
safe, cut down the width of the deer in the middle
stomach region and at least 6”-8” behind the front
shoulders. Discard the back portion.
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Rinse
any blood off the head and front portion, roll the
hide up to the head, place in a trash bag, and get
it COLD. Freezing is recommended, but a cooler with
ice will work.
Waterfowl
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When you
choose to mount any waterfowl, certain care must be
a priority.
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Make
sure there are not a lot of broken or missing
feathers and the bill does not have holes in it.
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Tuck the
head under the wind or on the back of the bird.
Wrap it in newspaper, duct tape the edges, and
freeze it.
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If you
so choose, you can put a stocking over the bird. It
is important that you pull the stocking from the
breast to the tail, going with the feathers. Never
begin at the tail and work forward.
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Again,
wrap in newspaper, tape it closed, and freeze it.
Mammals
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Getting
them cold or frozen is the main priority. This
prevents hair loss in critical areas.
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Simply
place it in a trash or paper bag and get it frozen.
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