Shep’s Thunder Valley Taxidermy – Care Instructions

With great trophies, comes great responsibility, starting with your attention to detail in field care. We have put together a few tips to help ensure that your mount gets started on the right track! From big game mounts, to small game, fish, and bird mounts, we have the knowledge required to make sure your trophy gets taken care of properly before it even arrives to our shop. If you are uncertain or have any other questions regarding taxidermy field care, after reading the below instructions, please feel free to contact us.

Types of game Mounts we offer

Big Game Mounts

• Make no cuts past the front legs. If possible, tube skin down to the head leaving the hide attached to the cape. Then, cape the animal as soon as possible and cool it down. Cut the cape about 6 inches behind the front legs to allow for plenty of length. **If you cannot bring the cape to Shep’s Thunder Valley Taxidermy right away, you can put the whole head and cape in the freezer for a few days, wrapping it in a plastic garbage bag. DO NOT SALT YOUR CAPE!
• For larger game like caribou, moose, elk, etc., call Shep’s Thunder Valley Taxidermy before you leave for your hunt. We will advise you on some basic caping information. The more cape you can leave on your trophy the better.

Small Game Mounts

• Place your small game trophy in a plastic bag and tie off.
• Freeze your trophy as soon as possible or get it to Shep’s Thunder Valley Taxidermy the same day as your hunt.

Fish Skin Mounts

• Select a “Show Side.” – Carefully look at both sides of your fish and decide which side will be the “show side.” This means the side that has the least amount of scales missing and the least amount of scratching or scarring. Once decided, keep the “show side” facing up.
• Handle Carefully. – Keep your trophy fish separate from others. If you have it in a cooler, or fish box, keep it on top of all the others as this will help to eliminate any blotchiness of the skin that might occur if other fish lay on top of it. Do not gut or cut into your trophy fish, which could potentially damage the fish.
• Freeze. – Wrap the whole fish in a wet towel or rag to keep the fins close to the body. Put your trophy in a plastic bag and wrap it up, getting as much air out of the bag as possible before freezing. Again, place your trophy inside the freezer on the top so that nothing lies on top or next to it. Be sure to freeze the fish solid.
• No Access to a Freezer for 48 Hours. – Determine the “show side” of the trophy and keep the “show side” up at all times. Cover both sides of the fish with the product 20 Mule Team Borax. Lay the fish on a flat surface with ice underneath to keep the fish cold, but do not lay the fish directly on the ice itself. Depending on air temperatures at the time the fish was caught, you might not even need the ice.
• If Ice Fishing. – This helps the freezing process because the entire outdoors is your freezer! Ideally, the fish should be placed on a rigid surface on top of a piece of freezer paper while freezing outside. Alternatively, place the trophy fish directly on the snow, not on the ice, on a flat, or rigid, surface with nothing poking into it, creating sharp edges on your trophy.
• Take Photos. – Always remember to photograph your fish! Photos should be taken within 60 seconds of dispatching your fish because color changes occur quickly! The photos will help Rick to tone your fish properly while he prepares your trophy for mounting.

Bird Mounts

• When in the field, be sure to keep the specimen upside down and carry your trophy by the legs. This will prevent blood from getting onto the specimen’s plumage.
• When you get home, if possible, hang the specimen upside down to allow it to cool and stuff a wad of tissue in its mouth to prevent any additional blood from getting to the plumage.
• After the specimen has cooled, replace the old tissue with some new ones, tuck the wings and head into its body, and then place your trophy carefully into a sealed plastic bag.
• Freeze the specimen until you can get it to Shep’s Thunder Valley Taxidermy.