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Trophy
Info & Advice
If the taxidermist has to produce quality work, he needs
quality raw material. Animal skins can be classified as
perishable goods and must be treated accordingly. By following
some simple guidelines damage such as hair slip can be
avoided. |
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Transporting
of carcass
Do not drag the animal over the ground, even for
only a couple of feet.
When loading the animal onto the hunting vehicle, use
padding (dry
grass or soft leafy branches) under the head and neck
for
protection. Cover the carcass to protect from the sun. |
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Skinning
The animal must be skinned as soon as possible
to prevent bacterial activity and resulting hair
slip. It is important to ensure that all flesh is
removed from the skin.
For flat skins or rugs: Cut from the tip of the
tail along the centre of
the belly to the centre of the chin to ensure an
even color pattern.
Capes for shoulder mounts: Cut a V-line from the
top of the head to the horns, cutting carefully
around the horns without cutting off the hair. Then
cut straight down the back of the neck to well behind
the shoulders. Take off the cape by carefully skinning
around the eyes, turning the ears and splitting
the lips.
For animals with manes, make the cut on the side
that the mane is hanging to, down the back of the
neck about 2cm away from the mane. Otherwise, if
the animal is to be mounted looking to the left,
cut to the right of the main.
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Washing
of skins
Immediately after skinning, wash the skin thoroughly to
remove all blood. Use cold fresh water to which bactericide
e.g. Phenol has been added. |
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Salting
and drying of skins
After drip-drying for a few minutes, the skin is
ready for salting. Salt liberally, ensuring that you rub
salt well into all the folds of the skin. Roll the salted
skin up and leave it in a cool place. After 3-4 days,
hang the skin to dry. |
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Note: |
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- Use pan salt rather than sea
salt to prevent wrinkles and a skin
- that does no stretch
enough after tanning
- Dry salt is better than brine (salt and water
solution). If brine is
- used, it is essential
to add bactericide.
- Salt only removes moisture, it does not remove
bacteria. If you
- happen to put
salt on a skin that is already bad and reuse the
- salt for a second
skin, you will ruin the second skin as well.
- Ensure that skin is not in contact with metal
while drying as rust
- stains are almost
impossible to remove. |
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Transporting
of skins
Fresh wet skins must never be transported, as damage and
hair slip can occur. Skins must always be at least partly
dry before transportation. Pack skins in a bucket or similar
open container. Never use plastic bags. |
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Cleaning
of skulls
Cut away as much flesh as possible and remove the
eyes and brain. Fill the cranium with water and
scratch out the brain as well as possible, repeating
the process a few times.
Leave the skull in a bucket of clean, cold water
for a few days. Change the water daily to prevent
discoloration of the skull.
Salt the skull well and leave to dry do not cook
the skull. When you handle the skulls make sure
not to damage any parts of the bone. Especially
the lip and nose bones. This is important especially
in the case of European mounts.
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Storing
of trophies
Trophies should be stored in a cool, dry place.
Use Karba-dust on the skins to keep insects away and Naphthalene
on the floor to keep rodents away.
Deliver
trophies to your taxidermist as soon as possible. |
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| © Otjiwarongo Taxidermy 2007 |
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