Field Care

The most important thing in making a great trophy mount is the care in the field. After you have shot an animal the first thing to do is field dress. This is where a lot of veteran hunters make a mistake. Never cut an animal that you are going to mount higher than behind the front shoulders. When splitting the skin at the legs, always cut where the hair comes together or the color of the hair changes from dark to light on the back of the front legs. The same things goes for the back legs if you are having a life size mount.

After the game as been field dressed, it needs to be cooled down as fast as possible, Never leave a trophy hanging by its hind legs for very long. This causes the fluid that is left in the body to migrate to the head and neck area. This could possibly ruin your cape. The best thing is to lay it out flat on the floor in a cooler until you can get it to your processer. Alway's keep your cape cold and as dry as possible. If your cape and head get wet that is fine as long as it is very cold. (It's always better to keep it dry) .The reason for this is heat and moisture cause bacteria to grow, and this will cause the hair to slip and ruin the cape. Never leave your skin out in direct sun light. The better care you take of your trophy, the better your mount will be. Good luck and safe hunting!