Tips for the Deer Hunter

The Deer Hunting Season is nearly upon us again

It’s time to start thinking of that
Trophy of a lifetime.

Below are some tips on how to care for your animal before you reach the Taxidermist

Caping Instructions

With the deer on its back, make a shallow cut through the skin just below the breastbone. Make sure that you start your cut well away from the brisket, allowing plenty of uncut skin for your shoulder mount. Insert two fingers of the free hand, cradling the blade, to hold the skin up and away from the entrails

Cut straight down the belly and around the genitals, seperating but not severing them from the adominal wall. Slit the belly skin all the way to the pelvic bone.

Note: Start the incision below the caping line.

Cut deeply around the rectum, being careful not to cut off or puncture the intestine. Pull to make sure the rectum is seperated from tissue connecting it to the pelvic canal.

Pull the rectum out and tie string tightly around it to prevent droppings from touching the meat. Lift the animal's back quarter a bit, reach into the front of the pelvic canal and pull the intestine and connected rectum into the stomach area.

If you want to make a full shoulder mount, DO NOT CUT OPEN THE CHEST CAVITY.

Cut the diaphragm away from the ribs all the way to the backbone area . Reach into the forward chest cavity, find the oesophagus and wind pipe, cut them off as far up as possible and pull them down through the chest.

Roll the Deer onto its side ; grab the oesophgus with one hand and the rectum/intestine with the other. Pull hard. The Deer's internal organs will come out in one big package with a minimum of mess.

Caping the process of skinning out a trophy animal, is best left to the taxidermist. Their expierence skinning, especially the delicate nose, mouth, eyes, and ears is invaluable toward producing a quality mount. Damage to the hide is costly to repair. Some types of damage simply cannot be "fixed" by the Taxidermist.

Many trophies are ruined in the first few hours after death. As soon as the animal dies, bacteria begins to attack the carcass. Warm humid weather accelerates bacteria growth. In remote areas, or areas not near your Taxidermist a competent person may be required to cape out the hide in order to preserve it.

Rather than caping it I would prefer if you could keep it as cool as possible and contact me for further instructions.