Caring for Your Trophy in the Field
The quality of your mount will depend on the care that was given to the animal when it was harvested.

Game Animals :: After the animal has expired and the field dressing process has begun, be careful not to gut past where the chest cavity starts. Do you best to keep blood, dirt and debris from getting into the animal's fur, especially the face. Never slit the animal's throat as this will ruin the cape for mounting. If possible, never drag the animal over fallen trees or bushes as this can damage the animal's hide. Put a stick at least one inch in diameter in the animal's mouth to keep it open. This will aid the taxidermist when he capes the hide off the skull. Once you have the animal hung, follow the diagrams and directions below to skin the animal properly for the taxidermist. Take the animal to the taxidermist as soon as possible to avoid any spoiling.

Game Birds :: If your bird is being recovered by a dog, be sure that it does not bite or chew on the bird. Place the bird on the ground and smooth the feathers out with your hand. Place a wad of tissue paper in the mouth to prevent blood from getting on the feathers. Prevent dirt and debris from getting in the feathers. Place the bird in a plastic bag being careful not to bend the feathers or the tail. Do not gut the bird. Freeze it as soon as it has cooled down.

Tanning at Owner's Risk
We have no control over skins prior to us receiving it from tanning. Many factors affect the final result of tanning: climate, temperature, time of year, and the care given to the animal when it was harvested.

Hunter Responsibilities
For protected birds, we require a permit from the local Fish and Wildlife Officer. Game birds and migratory birds require the hunter's licence number and signature. Game animals require the hunter's WIN card number, tag number, and wildlife certificate number. Do your best to take care of the animal in the field. After all its your trophy.

Skinning for Shoulder Mounts
Once the animal has been hung, the skinning process can begin. Make your first cut around the entire body eight inches behind the shoulders. Remember, when the animal is hanging, the skin is stretched so be sure to leave enough cape as it will shrink. Make the next cut around each leg just above the knee joint as shown in Figure 1. Cut the legs off at the knee joint with a saw. Peel the hide down the back and chest towards the armpits and pull the legs through as if you were taking off a t-shirt. Once the hide is free of the legs continue skinning down the neck towards the base of the head. Be careful not to put holes in the hide and leave as much meat and fat as you can on the carcass. Skin down to just below the ears and cut the head off as shown in Figure 2. Take the head to the taxidermist as soon as possible.

Skinning for Full Mammal Mounts and Rugs
When life size mounting an animal, we prefer to skin it out ourselves if possible, as we have a certain way we like to do it and certain measurements that need to be taken. Keep the animal cool and bring it to the taxidermist as soon as possible.

If you must skin the animal out, then follow these instructions as shown in Figure 3, as this method will keep your options open for a life size or a rug mount. Begin by making your incision four inches from the tip of the chin. Cut down the throat, chest, belly and around the genitals to the anus vent. Cut down the back of the hind legs from the anus to just below the rear foot pad. Cut down the back of the front legs from the centerline cut to just below the front foot pad. Start skinning around the legs of one side until the hide is free from the carcass. Cut the foot off at the ankle to complete skinning the legs. Skin around the belly towards the back. Once one side is done, roll the animal onto the side you just skinned and begin skinning the other side the same way. Cut the tail off where it meets the body. After you have completed skinning the body, skin up the neck at the base of the skull. Do not skin out the head or feet. The taxidermist will do this. Remove as much flesh and fat as possible from the hide. Bring the hide to the taxidermist as soon as possible. If the hide cannot be delivered to the taxidermist, fold the hide skin to skin, roll it up, and place it in a garbage bag and freeze it.

Broken and Bleached Horns and Antlers We can repair broken horns and antlers. We can also stain bleached and discoloured horns and antlers. Phone to get a quote. Price will depend on severity of break or extent of discolourment. Here are some examples of broken antlers that were repaired. Click on images for larger view.
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