Florida Outdoors Hunting & Fishing Forums - FOHAF.COM

Well heres some links of how to cape a deer. Make sure its done right to have a great mount.

And dont forget that our member DAVET is the forum taxidermist. He will take care of you. Contact him when you got your cape ready! Good Luck!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWYIp3Dq760

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sA3_E5kIMMI

I watched the second video of caping for a shoulder mount. Good video and mostly agree, but a couple of things. Obviously, use a good sharp caping knife and take your time to keep accidental cuts to a minimum.

I also split behind the front legs but never split the front legs past where they join at the body, its easier for me just to resume skinning the body at that point.

When cutting off the head, it is better for the taxidermist, whoever you use, to leave 3 or 4 inches of neck meat to allow for an accurate measurement so that he can buy a form of the correct size. This video shows them cutting off right behind the ears and jaw....too close.

When he cuts off some of the rear of the cape at the end, go further toward the rear, you wouldnt want to spend all that time caping and then cut off too much....let the taxidermist cut it off where he needs to.

Then I would recommend hanging the head by the antlers, witih cool water rinsing all the blood of well, let it drip out for a few minutes, then lay it out flat, roll it up toward the head and wrap the whole thing in a good plastic trash bag, leaving the antlers sticking out of the bag, and freeze immediately and leave frozen until the day you take it to your taxidermist. A lot of guys spend too much time taking their deer around to show it off before or after caping and risk having the hair falling out. Bacteria starts working on it pretty quick and the warmer the weather, the worse it gets. The cleaner and colder you keep it...the better the mount will be.

Good Stuff.