PREPARING FOR TAXIDERMIST

Taxidermists are not miracle workers, so… take the time necessary to keep your trophy in the “best” condition you can before you get it to them. And do yourself a favor; take some pictures of your new trophy out in the field before you field dress the animal. For the best pictures be sure to tuck in the tongue and wipe away any excess blood. . 

• After you have taken your trophy, if you find it still moving, never cut into or shoot the animal in the neck or head as it is hard for most taxidermists to fix broken or cut hairs in the mount.
• When gutting a deer do not cut up pass the first couple of ribs. If you do, your taxidermist will have to do extra stitching. 
• When dragging your deer or loading it into a vehicle be aware of its shoulders and neck so that you do not break or rip out any hairs. I like to use a deer caddy to get my trophy from the woods. Never hang or drag a deer you plan to mount by putting rope around its neck. The more thought you put into handling the better your mount will look. 
• Make sure you tell your processor that the animal is going to be mounted. 
• Get your trophy to the taxidermist as soon as possible, the longer you wait your chances to get bacteria growth increase and the hair could start to fall out.
• If you cannot get your trophy to the taxidermist right away, put it in your freezer and keep it frozen until you can. 
• If you normally hunt deer and you get the chance to go hunt somewhere new and for a different species of animal, you should call your taxidermist before you go and get his recommendations on how he would like you to prepare the animal before you get it back to him. 

These are some of our suggestions; they are only suggestions. Sunrise Archery and Outdoors cannot be held responsible for anyone’s misfortunes.