To avoid repair costs on your trophies read the following field care instructions...
Skinning for a shoulder mount
You need to make four separate cuts (see Figure 1). Cut A is a circular cut made completely around the animal's body. Start it six inches behind the front legs so that you take a sufficient amount of cape (it is better to have too much hide than too little). Also, before starting this cut make sure both front legs are perpendicular to the body. If you don't do this and one or both legs are forward, you will probably not take enough brisket hide when the cut is made.
Next, disjoint the front legs at the knee. then make Cut B from the back of the disjointed knee, up the back of the leg to the arm pit, then make a cut straight back to circular Cut A.
Cut C is a continuous cut up the back of the shoulder and neck area to a spot where the head joins the neck. After making these cuts, skin the hide forward over the head. At this point, the head and cape should be cut off from the neck.
Skinning for a rug
Figure 2. indicates the three separate cuts you need to make. First, roll the animal onto its back and stake the legs apart. This makes the initial cuts easier. Make Cut A from the tip of the tail to the center of the throat. Once you reach the throat, stop; do not continue cutting through the lower jaw skin and bottom lip.
Make Cut B from a point directly behind the large pad of the front foot, along the very back of the front leg, across the chest, and then along the back of the other front leg to its pad. Disjoint feet from the legs at the wrist. Make Cut C in the same way as Cut B, except along the hind legs.
After these three cuts are made, skin the trophy from the hind legs toward the head. When you reach the head, disjoint the head and hide from the carcass. Leave the complete skinning of the head and feet to the taxidermist.
Salting Your Skin - Remove all flesh and fat, salt well-rub salt into the scalp-and roll up for a few hours; then turn scalp flesh side out, resalt, stretch and semi-dry in the shade; then roll up for shipping with the flesh side out. Do not let skins dry in folds, as the hair will slip. Fine dairy or table salt works the best.
