Fish:

Decomposition begins the moment circulation stops in a fish. Your prompt attention and care BEFORE taking your fish to the taxidermist is essential for a quality mount. Take a few minutes BEFORE that fishing trip to learn proper field care. A beautiful specimen can be ruined in seconds if not properly cared for.

The taxidermist can repair many things, but they never look as good as if the damage had not been done in the first place. Time is money, especially in taxidermy. Much of what you pay to have a fish mounted is for labor. Repairs take more time, cost you more money, and detract from the appearance of your finished mount.

Fish are delicate and easily damaged. The first few seconds after landing a trophy fish are when a great deal of damage can be done. Avoid letting the fish flop around in the boat or on the ground. This pops scales and causes body scars and split fins that are difficult to cover on the mount. Stringer the fish or kill it as soon as possible.

A good close-up color photograph of your fish fresh out of the water helps us to match the original color.

Basic Fish Care:
• Get fish wet
• Smooth all fins down against body
• Wrap entire fish in a wet bath towel
• Seal tightly in a plastic bag
• Freeze solid

If the fish cannot be frozen right away, keep it as cool as you can, and freeze or get it to the taxidermist as soon as possible.

Removing Entrails:
NEVER cut a fish that is to be mounted up the belly.* If the fish must be gutted, cut down the middle of the side just below the backbone (see fig. 1), and remove entrails.
*a belly cut is a minimum $20.00 repair

Remote Trips: Remote trips where fish will be without refrigeration for some time present special problems. Before you go on your fishing trip, come see us for more information.

Birds:

Birds are fragile and should be handled with care to avoid breaking feathers

Before going bird hunting, put a paper bag and some cotton balls in your jacket

Crippled Birds:
NEVER wring the neck of a bird that is to be mounted. You can kill a bird quickly and humanely by grasping it under the wings and squeezing its rib cage to suffocate it

Basic Bird Care:
• Plug mouth with cotton
• Wipe off any excess blood with damp cotton ball
• Smooth all feathers down against body
• Put in a paper bag until all body heat is gone (several hours)
• Fold a piece of cardboard long enough to protect tail feathers and wrap around bird
• Freeze solid

If the bird cannot be frozen right away, keep it as cool as you can. Freeze or get it to the taxidermist as soon as possible

Things to Avoid:
• NEVER wring a bird's neck. Keep the bird as dry as possible. If it gets wet, dry it before putting it in a bag
• NEVER gut a bird
• NEVER club a bird on the head or intentionally head shoot it

Fur-Bearing Animals:

Basic Skinning:

Skin an animal as soon as possible. When in doubt leave more skin than you think necessary. Keep skin as cool as you can, and freeze if possible.

Things to Avoid:
• NEVER make any cuts in the troat
• NEVER put a rope around the neck
• NEVER drag the animal over any sharp objects that may cut the hair
• NEVER allow the skin to be exposed to direct sunlight or any other heat source.

Freezing Procedure:
• Fold hide in half one time with fur in and skin out (if it is a large skin, it may be folded in half again)
• Seal entire hide in plastic bag
• Freeze skin flat
• NEVER roll skin up in a ball and freeze it, or salt it before freezing

If you anticipate being in a situation where you cannot keep the skin cool or get it to a taxidermist right away, then stop by our shop before you go for more information.

Skinning for Head Mounts:
• Make cuts as shown by heavy black lines in fig. 2
• The neck cut is up center of back of neck and is optional. You can just peel the skin up the neck like a sock and not make neck cut.
• Make all cuts from inside side out to avoid cutting hair.
• Peel skin back from neck to base of skull (seel fig. 3)
• Cut skull from neck at area shown by dotted line in (fig. 3)
• Freeze or bring to taxidermist as soon as possible

Skinning for Rug Mounts:
• Make cuts as shown by heavy black lines in fig. 4 (cuts are up cent er of belly & center bottom side of legs)
• Make all cuts from inside out to avoid cutting hair
• Peel skin back to base of skull and out to last joint on all legs (see fig. 5)
• Cut skull from neck & paws from legs at last joint as shown by dotted lines in fig. 5 (leave skull and paws attached to skin)
• Freeze or bring to taxidermist as soon s possible

Skinning for Full Body and Half Body Mounts:
• Smaller full body animals can be frozen whole. Be sure to seal them tightly in a plastic bag
• The skinning procedure for full body and half body mounts is the same as for rug mounts except for the cuts on the front legs (See fig. 6)