Hunters may spend many years outdoors before they harvest a game animal they wish to have mounted and adorn the walls of their homes. Putting so much time and effort into the hunt makes it especially important to take the proper actions to prepare the animal for the taxidermist.
Steve German of Westlake is a nationally-renowned, award-winning taxidermist with the highest degree of expertise. German began taxidermy in the mid-1970s as a self-taught artist, and has conducted seminars and judged competitions over the years. He has mounted untold numbers of birds and deer in the past 50 years.
German offers some specific guidance on preparing birds and deer before taking them to the taxidermist.
Waterfowl
Waterfowl are easily damaged, either during the harvest, or through the process of maintaining the bird to deliver to the taxidermist. Here are some instructions from German:
- Select a bird that was not damaged.
- Do not dispatch the bird by wringing the neck.
- Once dispatched, hold the bird by one foot and shake as much water as possible from the feathers.
- Protect the bird by folding the wings along its body and tucking the head under one wing.
- Place the bird in a plastic bag and remove as much air as possible.
- Keep the bird cool to prevent decomposition and place in a freezer as soon as possible. (A properly stored bird can last a few years without freezer burn; however, the sooner the bird is taken to the taxidermist the better.)
- A bird can then be mounted in a variety of ways, including a live mount, a dead mount or a flying mount.
Deer
Whitetail deer are the most common big game animal chased across the United States.
“If you kill an animal that you wish to mount, you should first be very careful dragging the deer out,” German said. “This can remove hair or damage the hide.”
Here are German’s tips for handling your deer:
- Hang the deer by the hind legs and cut a ring around the middle of the body, at or just behind the halfway point. This ensures an ample amount of cape is removed to allow for a shoulder mount.
- Skin the deer to the shoulder and neck. “I suggest that socking the legs versus cutting the back side is a better way to remove the hide for taxidermy,” he said.
- Once the hide is removed from the legs, skin the animal as far down the neck as possible and remove the head.
- Dry the hide as much as possible, then fold and store it in a plastic bag in the freezer.
Out-of-state hunts
German mounts many deer and animals from outside Louisiana. The state has some restrictions on transporting spinal columns and brain matter of whitetail deer. This requires very specific cleaning methods to bring the head of the deer into the state. Another taxidermist in Vidor, TX, will take in deer for German and appropriately clean them. German will then pick them up for mounting.
That hunt of a lifetime can be preserved by taking the proper precautions to avoid common pitfalls before bringing that deer or duck to the taxidermist.
See more of German’s tips on preparing animals for taxidermy at stevegerman.com.
