10/02/2023
It's looking to be pretty warm this week, so just a few things to remember if you get your target buck on the ground-
1. DO NOT HANG A DEER BY ITS BACK LEGS WITH BAGS OF ICE IN IT. Bagged ice will melt, leak and make it's way into the cellular tissue of the cape, making it a nightmare to process for a mount or worse, unusable. Instead, freeze some gallon jugs and put those into the chest cavity, wrap the deer in a tarp, and keep it in a cool, shady place until it can be skinned or taken to a processor (which should be ASAP).
2. To the same end, never put a rope around a deer you intend to mounts neck. Even just securing it to an ATV rack for transport can damage the hair.
3. Try to clean up any blood on the face, neck and shoulders as quickly as possible. This will make for a cleaner cape right from the start.
4. When dragging your deer from the field or out of the truck, make every effort to keep the front portion off the ground. A sharp stick or concrete floor can pull hair from the cape that will be VERY noticeable upon completion of the mount.
5. Finally, if you are processing the deer yourself, see the attached skinning video. The process is simple if you've skinned a deer before, and know the proper cuts to make. Good luck out there!
Quick and easy guide to how to make the cuts for a shoulder mount cape for most big game animals.