A quality mount can not often be had quickly or cheaply. You will most likely have to wait a little longer, and pay a little more, for top-quality work.

Today’s sportsmen like to keep the memory of an especially exciting hunt alive by decorating their home or office with a mounted trophy. Follow this advice and you won’t be disappointed when that crate finally arrives on your doorstep.

>> Choose a taxidermist you can trust before you ever squeeze the trigger. Compare workmanship and price. Very few taxidermists are good at all types of taxidermy. Find one that specializes in the game you want mounted.

>> Don’t put too much emphasis on how long it will take or how much it will cost. Some taxidermists charge more simply because they send hides to a professional tannery. It naturally takes longer and costs more to get these capes tanned. Keep in mind that a tanner with $10 million dollars in equipment is going to do a better job than a part-time taxidermist with a fleshing machine and five-gallon buckets. On the other hand, a high quote doesn’t necessarily translate to top-shelf work. Shop around for quality. You’re going to look at the mount for the rest of your life. You might pay less and get the mount back sooner, but you might not get what you expected.

>> Consider a taxidermist that is actively competing in taxidermy contests rather than one who cranks out volume. A good mount will look natural and tell a story. If the pose is realistic and it accurately reflects a certain behavior or a day in the life of that animal, then your taxidermist has done his job.

>> Be prepared to take care of some basic taxidermy preparations on your own animal. Field dress your trophy as soon as possible. Know that the front shoulders and the neck still retain a lot of heat. Take immediate steps to dissipate that heat in order to stop the meat and hide from spoiling—the bigger the animal, the more important this task is.

>> After field dressing, cut the hide along the top of the neck to the base of the skull, then tube-skin the cape starting from behind the front legs. For a full shoulder mount, start your cape well behind the front leg . If you are unsure as to where to start, make the initial cut at mid-body. You can never leave a taxidermist too much cape. Once you’ve peeled the hide back as far as you can, cut the head off.

You can cape the rest of the head right then and there, which often causes more problems than it’s worth if you don’t have some basic training. It’s best to let a taxidermist complete the job for you at a later date. In either case, do whatever it takes to cool the hide and meat.