How do you Cape

[BKhunter]

In the past we would peel the skin from the rear and then slice down the back of the front legs and hack saw the spine towards the skull. I have been doing a lot of research about western hunting, and I see them slice all the way up the top of the skull and create a Y incision to each antler. This seemed weird to me. How does everyone else cape their animals for taxidermist? 

[moog5050]

Carefully remove skin as far as I can down neck and then cut the meat and vertebrae.  I let the taxi deal with removing the skin from there.

[NYBowhunter]

6 minutes ago, moog5050 said:

Carefully remove skin as far as I can down neck and then cut the meat and vertebrae.  I let the taxi deal with removing the skin from there.

Same exact here.

[moog5050]

Trying to leave as much of the skin in tact from mid front legs and up obviously.  De-sleeving the front legs can be a pain.

[dbHunterNY]

sometimes it gets difficult.  need to be careful around things like the tear ducts around eyes and other places.  basically do like others have said cape back by diaphragm and then forward to the head.  then cut separate head from neck as high up as comfortable.  let the taxidermist cape out the actual head.  keep it cold and dry so the hair doesn't slip.

[Dinsdale]

6 hours ago, BKhunter said:

In the past we would peel the skin from the rear and then slice down the back of the front legs and hack saw the spine towards the skull. I have been doing a lot of research about western hunting, and I see them slice all the way up the top of the skull and create a Y incision to each antler. This seemed weird to me. How does everyone else cape their animals for taxidermist? 

Unless you cut a Y to each antler base (pedicle) how would you get the cape off ?

The taxidermists I use are out of state so I have caped my own skins many times. After basic removal turning ears and splitting lips/nose also need to be learned.

Roadkill heads make for excellent practice even if does for learning how to get skin off and leave meat behind. #10 scalpel blades are very helpful, pocket knives not so much.

Lots of terrific videos on line and tutorials, for example;

http://www.animalarttaxidermy.com.au/files/Ears, eyes, nostrils & lips.pdf

(hint; carefully read the last page!)

Need good clean fine grade salt too.....easy to find at feed stores.

 

 

[Dinsdale]

I should add;

Not matter who does the caping and if the taxidermist who is mounting didn't do it?

It'll never be right or good enough for them.

There must be a secret rule to becoming a taxidermist that says you must bitch over the caping job.....

Unless its your own!

 

 

[Pygmy]

Locally, split up the back of the front legs , ring around BEHIND the ribcage, and split up the center of the top of the neck to where it is convenient to cut/saw the spine. Let the taxidermist deal with the rest.

In the boonies, where the cape may not get to a cooler in a week or two, , do the same thing and then extend the top cut to near the antlers, Y out to the antlers, ring carefully around the antlers, skin the face, paying close attention around the ears, eyes and tearducts. The tearducts can be tricky and they are tough for your taxi to repair..remember they are nearly always DEEPER than you think.

When done flesh the cape as closely as possible. Turn the ears and split the lips/nose..Salt well, making sure to rub it in around fleshy areas such as the lips and nose..Roll the cape up...let sit for a day or so and then shake off the salt and moisture and  allow to drain  by spreading out on bushes or whatever is available..After a day or so, salt well again and then roll up in a meat bag and keep in the shade until you can get it to a cooler or freezer.

Other than that I don't know much about caping.

[Dinsdale]

21 minutes ago, Pygmy said:

.Salt well, making sure to rub it in around fleshy areas such as the lips and nose..Roll the cape up...let sit for a day or so and then shake off the salt and moisture and  allow to drain  by spreading out on bushes or whatever is available.

Or you can put it in your hotel room when its raining out since the balcony gets wet....

Just have to remember to hang the do not disturb sign.

 

And leave the sliding door open to air the room a bit especially if you shot a goat. LOL

 

 

[ATbuckhunter]

I skin the deer from the rear down and give the taxi the whole cape. Id rather let him deal with it instead of me. 

[Lawdwaz]

3 hours ago, Dinsdale said:

Or you can put it in your hotel room when its raining out since the balcony gets wet....

Just have to remember to hang the do not disturb sign.

 

And leave the sliding door open to air the room a bit especially if you shot a goat. LOL

 

 

Somewhere I have 35mm pics of myself bent over a motel bathtub with a piece of plywood resting between the sides of the tub.  ON the plywood is an antelope quarter.  We killed three pronghorns that day and yours truly got the honors of skinning/quartering in the field then "bathtub butchering" of said quarters to be frozen for a return flight......

The do not disturb sign was used on that day.  Needless to say my cleaning and restoration business experience came in handy after the deed was done.

[Dinsdale]

20 minutes ago, Lawdwaz said:

Somewhere I have 35mm pics of myself bent over a motel bathtub with a piece of plywood resting between the sides of the tub.  ON the plywood is an antelope quarter.  We killed three pronghorns that day and yours truly got the honors of skinning/quartering in the field then "bathtub butchering" of said quarters to be frozen for a return flight......

The do not disturb sign was used on that day.  Needless to say my cleaning and restoration business experience came in handy after the deed was done.

LOL.... I can see that.....good stuff! You need to scan those old pics.

The other half of my story was I bought a cheap foil pan at a local store and used the coffee pot in the room and the bottles of shampoo to reboil my skull as it was a bit stinky and I wanted to put it in my carry on. Ahhhh....lavender fresh.

I got awesome response when it went through security x-ray. Everyone wanted to see it!

Got a escort by a x-pat former South African hunter who walked me right past the rest of passport lines and such to get checked. Bought him a beer as he went off-duty to hang out.

[Bowguy 1]

Moog gave good advice. Id prob not want anyone fleshing or turning anything. Best bet is to do as he said than freeze it asap. Barring no alternative someone should know how though. Salting prematurely can lead to difficulties in other areas such as fleshing, splitting etc

[Lawdwaz]

OMG.........(sorry, what originally came to mind would surely get be a time out from the MAN) that must have been quite a concoction you had going!

The last paragraph in your post quoted above reminds me of an experience my friend and I had at the Toronto Pearson Airport back in 1998 IIRC.  It's a long story and it might be best if I didn't post all the details but lets just say it involved a loaded .38 S&W, carry on bag, airport scanner, RCMP Investigators, missed flight and a TON of smooth talking.  Thankfully it was before 9/11 or we'd still be incarcerated.  

[Pygmy]

Larry's story brings to mind the episode of The Sopranos  when Tony and Christopher  cut up Ralphie  in the bathtub.

[The_Real_TCIII]

Are you suggesting that an antelope killed Larrys racehorse??


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[RTF]

On 9/8/2016 at 5:38 PM, Dinsdale said:

There must be a secret rule to becoming a taxidermist that says you must bitch over the caping job.....

 

 

Poor caping job CAN result in a poor mount. If the taxidermist capes it then he or she will have no excuse or anyone to bitch too. 

Now if anyone aint sure on how to cape you could do what someone did to me last season. Although I don't advise it. LOL 

[jjb4900]

On 9/8/2016 at 9:21 PM, Lawdwaz said:

Somewhere I have 35mm pics of myself bent over a motel bathtub..........

I almost couldn't read what I thought might follow that opening line.......

[finfeathr]

3 hours ago, CJ Herring said:

Poor caping job CAN result in a poor mount. If the taxidermist capes it then he or she will have no excuse or anyone to bitch too. 

Now if anyone aint sure on how to cape you could do what someone did to me last season. Although I don't advise it. LOL 

Hahahaah I have had many deer brought to me that way over the years... I would rather have that than too short..

[Culvercreek hunt club]

If I am going to get a mount I "sleeve the deer from the front of the hind quarters right up to the head. The front legs are "sleeved" to half way below the elbow. I really like to let the taxidermist decide how they want it cut for the mount I want and this way there is NEVER a question if there is enough hide. (Moog---perfect descriptor you had there...sleeve)

[Lawdwaz]

4 hours ago, jjb4900 said:

I almost couldn't read what I thought might follow that opening line.......

Ha, now that I read it in that context.......LOL. 

[Zag]

On ‎9‎/‎16‎/‎2016 at 5:26 AM, CJ Herring said:

Poor caping job CAN result in a poor mount. If the taxidermist capes it then he or she will have no excuse or anyone to bitch too. 

Now if anyone aint sure on how to cape you could do what someone did to me last season. Although I don't advise it. LOL 

Ill admit I did that yrs ago with my first bow mount. We had cut up a ton (never for mount) but so worried about screwing it up we played it super safe. My bow buck last yr we did and my taxi called and said its going to be really close. Thankfully it was enough. My taxi is so close that he said he would skin it fast going forward, works for me!!

[TreeGuy]

Nice n easy..... Only sloppy thing I do is hack the front legs off past the knee (leaving fur on) Other than that I'll leave half if not more of the neck meat in ( taxi doesn't mind ) and send the whole hide to him.