Karl Human Taxidermy

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Trophy Preparation

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Flat Skins

1. Skinning

Skinning lines on forelegs, centre and dewlap, hindlegs and butt. note slight curve on round of butt. skin all the way up to the chin for flat skins. skin up to the base of the neck for rug mounts. skin up to the middle of the legs for full mounts.

2. Correctly Skinned Hide

Note square shoulder and dewlap and well rounded butt. Please salt it very well ½ inch thick of salt and rub it into the skin. fold it over for two to three days and make sure that the skin can drain of all fluid. Please do not leave it on the floor. Then shake the salt out and fold the skin up with the hair inside.

Shoulder Mounts

1. Skin Heads

Skin heads as shown in the diagram. make initial cut circling the body behind the front legs. A second cut up the back of the neck to the base of the skull to form a “v” (see illustration). Cut carefully around the horns and cut the skin away from the base.

2. Cut Ear Cartilage

Cut ear cartilage from the skull on the inside and clean meat away from the base of the ear. Skin down the skull being careful not to cut through the skin, especially around the eyes and nose, preserve the eyelids. Use the fingers of the free hand to guide on the outside to be certain you are not cutting into the lids and nose. Before skinning past the lips, with the head facing you, reach inside the mouth cutting against the jawbone on the lower lip, circling around the upper lip, leaving about ½ inch of lip attached to the skin. then turn the head around and continue taking off the cape. Once the cape is off, you must split the eyelids from the inside. But make sure not to cut right through. Then the nose and lips must be split. All excess meat must be removed.

3. Saw Top Of Skull

Saw off the top of the skull through the centre of the eyes and above the ear hole. Remove the brains, cut off the excess meat around the skull cap. Wash well with running water. Cape and skull must be heavily salted ½ inch thick all over the skin.

4. Skin up to the head base

Skin up to the head base, cut the head off. Clean well with running water of all blood. If this is the way, put the head into the deep-freeze until you come to town, or bring the head into us as soon as you have shot it. If left too long, hair slip can occur.

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FIELD PREPARATION ADVICE

Karl Human Taxidermy prides itself in delivering the highest standard of work to our clients, but in order for us to do that, we require well prepped raw materials, Animal skins which forms an important part of the taxidermy process, therefore raw materials must be treated with the necessary care. Guidelines stipulated below:
At all costs, avoid shooting the head or neck. These holes formed are difficult to camouflage.