FIELD CARE

The care taken with your trophy in the field will, in great part, determine the way it will look when finished. A few precautions go a long way to insure the best quality mount. Keeping the specimen cold or frozen is most important as even a short period of heat can destroy it.

Birds
DO NOT WRING THE NECK! Leave the bird whole and do not skin or remove the internal organs. Wipe away any dirt or blood and place the bird into pantyhose to keep the feathers flat against the body. Place into a plastic bag and freeze ASAP.

Small Mammals
Leave the animal whole and do not skin or remove the internal organs. Keep cold and bring it in ASAP or place it into a plastic bag and freeze.

Larger Game
DO NOT CUT THE THROAT AREA! Leave more skin than is necessary for the type of mount desired. For shoulder mounts and pedestals, cut the skin around the body well behind the front legs. Cut the skin around both legs at the knee joint. Join those cuts up the back of the legs and skin the hide forward to the base of the head. Cut the head off leaving the hide attached. This process is demonstrated in the diagram below.