Treating Your Trophy like a True Trophy
By: Jason Forck

Every year I see many great trophies taken by excited hunters only to hear the same hunter dismayed by the sight of their trophy when they get it back from the taxidermist or to have found out the hide has been ruined by improper preparation.  A great trophy mount is more than just the horns or antlers; it is keep sake and memory of a day of success.  Potentially a life long dream was fulfilled that day and a poor looking mount is no way to remember such a good memory.  Below are some things anyone can do to ensure the taxidermist they pick will provide a trophy anyone can be proud to show off.

The most important thing to do is to find your taxidermist before you shoot the animal.  It is best to start before the hunting season so the search for the right taxidermist is not a last minute rush.  Having a good picture in your mind of what pose and where the mount will go, will also help in finding a taxidermist that will be best for you.  If your mount will be close to eye level, detail will probably be much more important than some one who is going to place their mount high in a room.  Knowing what you want will help you in the below steps.

If you do not know of any good taxidermist or are unhappy with your current one a good place to start looking is the Internet.  Most states will have taxidermy sites where licensed taxidermists are registered.  Some states may require taxidermist to pass a test and pay a licensing fee to legally sell their work.  These websites will typically show results of competitions won by taxidermists in their state.  A simple list of taxidermists can be made near your location or that have won competitions to create a starting block.   I cannot guarantee all taxidermists competing are great just as I can not guarantee a good taxidermist will compete.  There are always exceptions to the rule but if a taxidermist is competing and trying to get better I would take it as a good sign.

Going to a taxidermist competition or a hunting and fishing expo is also a good way to see many mounts at one time and get a feel for what you want.  During these events it is important to look beyond the antlers and horns because a true trophy is much more than the bone on their head.  The detail and pose of a mount can make a huge difference in a true trophy.  Going to these shows can give you a quick reference to what kind of work can be done by taxidermist, both good and bad. 

Much like any artistic activity each artist or taxidermist will have their own style for making the mounts.  It is important to pick a style you like because some taxidermist will make a mount aesthetically pleasing while others may make them look more realistic.  Take time to ask the taxidermist what they are good at doing.  Some may only like to do deer while others may only do birds or fish.  Picking a taxidermist specializing in your particular animal can help ensure the best results.

While at the taxidermist look at the detail they put into their mounts.  Some taxidermists will place the eye membranes and nose septum back into the mounts to give a very realistic appearance.  Placing the nose septum back in will create depth in the nasal cavity.  These features can cost a little more but if the mount is going to be placed where viewers can closely view the detail it will be worth the added cost.  Is paint used on the nose, lips, around the eyes, and ears?  Does the paint seem to have a globed on appearance or was detail taken to give a shadow effect or realistic skin tones.

Eyes and ears can be some of the hardest areas to complete and will the easiest areas to find imperfections most of the time.  If the skin around the eyes has pulled away from the eye ball or gives the appearance of a deer in the head light look, the taxidermist most likely did not account for the shrinkage a mount will have as it dries.  Ears are another hard feature because they are usually built up with clay.  Depending on the taxidermist’s style ear bases can look deformed and may be located in the wrong location on the head.  Another feature about the ears especially on deer is if the ears are rain catchers.  The next time you see a live deer take particular care in noticing how they carry their ears.  It seems if it rained at any moment no water would enter their ears because of the way the ears are angled.  Open ears to the sky are another sign of one aspect of a potential poor mount.

To ensure the above details turn out good in the end a taxidermist can monitor and adjust the features in the mount as it dries.  A taxidermist may monitor a mount routinely for 2 weeks after the cape is set on the form to ensure everything looks natural as it dries.  It is a good idea to ask your taxidermist what they do with a mount after they put the cape on the form.  Not every one will watch the mount as it dries and some may take longer than 2 weeks.  Not monitoring the mount may cause the some symptoms mentioned above where the eyes are wide open or start to pull away from the eyeball.

Asking your taxidermist how they cure the hide is another good indicator of how long a mount may last you.  A good taxidermist will tan the hide to remove moisture and set the hair firmly in the skin.  Some taxidermist will use a kit with a drying preservative, which is only meant to keep bugs out of the hide.  These hides are still considered to be green hides and may not last as long or look the same as a tanned hide.

Something on everyone’s mind is usually how much is it going to cost.  The old saying you get what you pay is a good rule to use when having any trophy mounted.  There may be exceptions but if you expect your mount to look good initially and continue to look good for many years, it often pays in the long run to pay a little more to get it done right.  I would say done right the first time but unless a taxidermist can work some real magic, a hide is typically ruined after it is mounted if not done correctly the first time.  Often times the only real way to fix a mount is to use a different cape and start all over.  If the hide is unique in appearance it may be impossible match.  Use the time before the animal is harvested to find a taxidermist reasonably priced but also providing quality work.

Always ask how long it will take to get the mount back.  Typical taxidermist will take around a year but it may be just a few months or a few years.  The time it takes to mount a head may be a sign of a reputable taxidermist but there are no guarantees because workloads may vary.  Regardless of how long it will take, looking at their work can help you decide if speed and quality go together for a particular taxidermist.

Now that you have done your homework and found the right taxidermist for your next trophy, here are some things to be done to help give your taxidermist the best materials to work from.

1. After the animal dies the clock is ticking fast because at that moment the deer begins to decay.  If the hide decays too much and hair is starting to fall out, the hide may be destroyed and the only way to still have a mount is to buy another cape.  Cooling down the animal after it dies and removing the hide quickly is the best way to preserve the hide.  A good rule of thumb is if you are going to take the hide to the taxidermist within 24 hrs a cold refrigerator, such as in meat locker will work fine.  If is going to take longer than 24 hrs it is best to freeze the mount.  When handling a frozen head it is important to be mindful of the ears as they may be brittle and break.
2. Depending on what type of hunting you are doing and who you have around you it is typically best to leave about 3 to 4 inches of the neck with the head and the cape.  I prefer to let my taxidermist cut the hide away from the scull when possible because one slip of the knife may create a cut hard to hide.  The eyelids and other short hair areas are very hard if not impossible to fix after being cut.  Having the skull in the cape aids the taxidermist in getting measurements for the form they will have to order.  In the process of cutting the hide away it is also an easy time to leave critical detail items behind.  Some taxidermist will cut the eye membranes out along with the nose septum.  Placing the eye membranes back on the mount will help give the eyes a very life like appearance.  Placing the septum in the nose will give the inside of the nose depth so it looks as if you are looking into the nasal cavity of a live deer.  I was a little careless while field dressing my black bear I shot and the extra cut had to be stitched.  The extra cut was in the armpit where hair is thin and the stitching can be easily seen on the rug.  If you know ahead of time that you will have to cut the hide away from the scull, talk to your taxidermist about the proper techniques and tools that may be needed.
3. Pictures of the animal either alive, if you have them, or after the animal was taken can help the taxidermist when setting the mount.  This will help the taxidermist create a mount that looks like the one you took to them.
4. The taxidermist will also need to have one of the permits and possibly see your hunting license. 
5. While not all, some taxidermist require the cape to be dropped off with a deposit, so ask before taking the cape to the taxidermist or you may have a surprise.

I wish everyone good luck in their hunts this season.  Finding a taxidermist before you tag your trophy and properly caring for it will help ensure you can proudly show off your trophy for years to come.