Proper Field Care of Your Trophies!
1. Keep your trophy cold and get it to your taxidermist as soon as possible! As soon as the animal dies it begins to decompose, the cooler it stays the slower it will breakdown.
2. Be careful that your trophy does not become exposed to heat when transporting!
3. Ventilate the entire body of an animal if unable to skin immediately.
4. Don't assume that your guide, outfitter, or even your hunting buddy knows how to take care of your trophy. If you are planning a hunt it is a good idea to visit your taxidermist and recieve the proper care and handling techniques for that particular animal.
5. Do not leave a dead fish laying in warm water.
6. Handle birds with particular care, their feathers can sometimes damage beyond repair. Do not shove a bird you plan to mount into your hunting vest. In a case where the bird may have white feathers its especially important to keep blood from saturating the feathers. Use a paper towel to plug the throat, and any shot holes.
7. Remember that repairs are not always concealable. Don't shoot unnecessarily, use safety pins for harvest tags, drag the animal as little as possible, and when doing so use care. Don't tie a rope around its neck to drag it.
8. Never cut the throat of an animal you intend to have mounted.
The better you care for your trophy in the field the better the taxidermist can do for your mount.
Proper Freezing methods:
In the event that you are unable to get your trophy to your taxidermist promptly, use these methods for freezing.
Fish - Freeze whole! Double wrap, lay out flat and ensure no wrinkles freeze on the plastic over the fish's body. Protect fins while in freezer.
Birds - Freeze whole! Double Wrap, lay out flat. Protect tail.
Small Mammals - Freeze whole! Double wrap, lay out flat.
Medium Mammals - Freeze whole! Double wrap, lay out flat.
Large Mammals - Remove carcass from the skin. Leave head feet and tail in the skin if you don't know how to skin properly! Laying the feet out, fold tail over body, and roll skin from tail to head, fold feet over top of rolled skin and lay head over. Do not roll the feet and head into the body portion. Double wrap.
Game heads - Do not lay hide over the face of your trophy, use a folding/rolling method for bagging your trophy and lay head on top of any excess cape. Use multiple bags to cover every inch of the animal, and double wrap.
Your trophies can still deteriorate in a freezer. Don't forget about them, Get them to your taxidermist ASAP.