How to Cape a whitetail 

How To Properly Cape your Whitetail:

1. Sharpen your caping or skinning knife regularly. 

2. Follow the red lines in the image, not the black. That is for older forms and forms with less details.

3. Make an incision around the elbows of the Deer legs (Fig 2A)

4. Find the belly button. Just around there, start making your incision around the belly, to the backstrap area. Go all the arround the animal. Give more for hide for the taxidermist to use, I will thank you! 

5. Cut your incision on the back side of the front legs of the deer, following where the white fur meets the brown (Fig 2b) until you reach your belly incision. 

6. (Fig 30) You can cut the neck further than 3 inches down. I recommend not using a bone saw. Please separate the neck from the body by cutting through the tendons and cutting the spinal column apart with a knife. You should not see any bone fragments from a knife as you are only cutting meat, tendons, and the spinal column.

7. We reserve the right to turn down any mount that is spoiled or will slip. Please handle your cape carefully and quickly cool it down.

8. DO NOT soak the cape in water or ice. The best thing to do is freeze 10 or more 16oz cola bottles and place them with the deer head in a cooler without the head submurged in bacteria forming water.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

• If you are wanting a pedestal shoulder mount, you we ask that you reference the red lines below. That will help us ensure you have enough cape to fit your form. Cut about 2-4 inched from the bellybutton/middle of the abdomon.

• Never cut the breastbone of your deer. Stop once you reach the sternum. If you find resistance, or you are past the diaphram, stop!

• Please do not cut the breastbone.

• Neer leave your caped deer hear or cape at a deer processrors! It may spoil and could cost you a new cape to have it put onto a shoulder form. If you are doing a deadhead, please get the head to me sooner that later. I charge an upcharge for deadheads/rotten. ($30)

• Get your deer to me, 1-5 hours after it has been processed. If it is over 55 degrees, get it to me instantly.

• The sooner you get it to me, the less slipping chance, and mishandeling of a cape may come at an upcharge.

• If you come to my shop before the processor, we have a way to hang your deer and remove the cape before you take it to the processor. I will give you a transport tag that shows you took it to me before, in case you are stopped.

• If you are going to to do a European Mount, Please keep your cape. I more than likely can give you a taxidermy discount.