Big Game
Field Care
Preparation Notes
- Do not cut the throat
- Do not cut up past the legs into the brisket.
- Do not cut the cape short by cutting forward of the shoulder and front legs.
There are two situations you need to prepare for.
1. One is when you are hunting close to home and have access to a freezer.
In the first instance, simply freeze your cape after skinning it out as described on this page. Cut as much meat off the cape as possible and freeze it. No need to salt it, as salt will not allow the hide to freeze fully and the hide will eventually slip.
2. Second situation is when you are hunting in remote locations with no available taxidermist or freezer.
In the second instance, cape the animal and remove as much meat as possible from the hide. Then salt the hide with granulated salt. This will remove moisture and lock the hair in the hide. However, it can still slip. So it is recommended to freeze it as soon as possible and get it to the taxidermist as soon as you can. If you are hunting early season and have antlers in velvet freeze them immediately to prevent spoilage and keep frozen until you can prepare them properly by injecting special preservatives into the antlers to dissolve the blood. They will spoil quickly and will require extensive work to repair them to a mountable condition. In the case that all else fails, not to worry I will work with you to repair the damaged hides and can still mount the animal it will however take more time and increase the cost. To avoid this, I encourage you to watch the video on this page and review the pamphlet displayed about cape your animal.