How To Prepare a Mammal for the Taxidermist

If you’re planning a hunt and you would like to mount the animal if you are successful, preparation is key.

Proper shot placement makes a difference, it is difficult to repair damage to the neck or head of an animal. Broadside lung/heart shots are very easy to hide.

Large game:

On animals with hollow hair (like deer or pronghorn), or light colored animals, do your best to keep blood out of the fur. Packing the mouth with paper towels helps.

When you gut the animal, do not cut past the rib cage. If you want to life-size mount the animal don’t cut off the genitals or anus (butt hole).

For skinning for a life-sized mount:

Go slow and try not to make any holes. For a life sized mount skin to the ankle or knee and cut through the meat and bone of the joint leaving the bones in the paws or hooves & lower leg, cut through the meat at the joint of the base of the tail and cut through the meat and joint at the back of the skull.  Skinning the paws/legs, tail, and head is included in the price you pay for the mount. Clean any blood off the animal with a damp paper towel. I have included a couple of helpful YouTube videos at the bottom of the page.

FOR ANIMALS WITH THICK HAIR AND FAT LIKE A BLACK BEAR PLEASE LAY FLAT IN THE FREEZER TO CHILL UNTIL SEMI-STIFF, THEN ROLL UP IN A BAG WITH THE HEAD ON THE OUTSIDE. 

CERVIDS (whitetails, mule deer, coues, elk, caribou, moose, etc) shot outside the state of Minnesota MUST be caped off the head, and have the skull cap cut off the skull and all brain matter removed before transporting into the state. You can likely find a local taxidermist willing to do this for a small fee. If you would like to do this yourself, I will include two great YouTube video links at the bottom of this page. 

For skinning a shoulder mount:

Make cuts behind the rib cage all the way around, and at the knee all the way around. Then cut up the hair ridge on the back of the leg to the elbow, then cut straight back along the side of the hide. Please tube skin up the neck and cut off the neck free from the head (twist after you’ve cut through the meat and trachea and it should pop right off). Skinning the head is included in the price you pay for the mount.  I do not need any neck meat to measure, it shrinks after death because there is no bloodflow. Measuring the hide is more accurate.  Go slow and try not to make any holes. Follow the attached diagram. Clean any blood off the animal with a damp paper towel.

 Remember, I can always cut off extra hide, but I can’t make any extra hide. I can work some magic with them, but I’m not that good. 

Get the skin cold as quickly as possible. If you will be bringing the animal to the taxidermist within two days, being at fridge temperature is fine. If it will be longer than two days, please place the hide in a trash bag, squeeze out the air and freeze. 

FOR ANIMALS WITH THICK HAIR AND FAT LIKE A BLACK BEAR PLEASE LAY FLAT IN THE FREEZER TO CHILL UNTIL SEMI-STIFF, THEN WRAP IN A BAG WITH THE HEAD ON THE OUTSIDE. 

CERVIDS (whitetails, mule deer, coues, elk, caribou, moose, etc) shot outside the state of Minnesota MUST be caped off the head, and have the skull cap cut off the skull and all brain matter removed before transporting into the state. You can likely find a local taxidermist willing to do this for a small fee. If you would like to do this yourself, I will include two great YouTube video links. Go slow and try not to make any holes.

Small game:

Clean any blood off the animal with a damp paper towel. If you will be bringing the animal to the taxidermist the next day, being at fridge temperature is fine. If it will be longer than one day, please place the animal in a trash bag, squeeze out the air and freeze. Skinning small game is included in the price you pay for the mount.

For animals that require a CITES tag, please obtain the tag for your animal. If the carcass must be turned in to the DNR, the client is responsible for picking up the carcass from the taxidermist and dropping it off at the DNR station.

Skinning Tutorial Videos

Here are some great skinning YouTube videos:

MeatEater How to Skin a Black Bear for a Rug

(Please do not skin the head, and lay flat to cool before rolling up)

Double Diamond Outfitters How to Skin a BlackBuck for a LifeSized Mount

Double Diamond Outfitters How to Skin an Aoudad for a Half-Life-Sized Mount

Mossy Oak How to Cape a Whitetail Deer Head for Transport

Eastmans’ How to Cape an Elk in the Field