Trophy Care |
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by Kim Bascom |
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| All
hunters dream of bringing home a trophy - be it deer, elk, rooster pheasant, or
whatever. The problem is that not all hunters of fishermen have taken the time to
contact a taxidermist or meat processor on the care or preparations that should be
taken. Hunters need to plan, as part of their pre-hunt preparations, a trip to the
taxidermist and/or meat locker. I have visited many different meat lockers during hunting seasons and cannot believe how terrible meat and trophies have been taken care of, or how long that the animals have been dead and still had the hide on. Field care is as vital as practicing at the rifle range, tying the right fly or practicing on clay pigeons. All hunters need to know how to take all the precautions and correctly care for their trophies. For big game:
When hunters go afield a few items are necessary for quality care: a camera, two good 4" blade knives, game bags, a flashlight, ropes, salt, and a small tarp. |
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| Once your trophy is down and field dressed, skinning, caping, and quartering are a must. The cuts for caping should be made prior to the quartering of an animal. Follow diagram 1 when making the caping cuts. First start at the top of the skull between the ears and cut down the back of the neck to behind the front legs. The next cut should be made around the body behind the front legs and the last two cuts are made up the back side of the front legs. Now the cape has been made, skin the animal's cape up to the base of the skull and detach the head or cape from the carcass. | |
| Non-iodized
salt can be put on the cape if all meat or fat has been removed. Salt cannot
penetrate a lot of meat. The fat and salt sets the hair follicle which helps keep
the hair in. Quality care of meat and trophies start in the field, by the hunters. For the best results talk to your local taxidermist and meat processor for hours of operation, prices, and tips on care before going afield.
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