Where to remove head if mounting.

Scrooloose

Well-Known Member
Normally I'd remove the head by going through just behind the ears. When removing the head for subsequent mounting, where is the best place to make the cut?
 
For a shoulder mount we normally skin from behind the shoulders as taxidermists like to have plenty to work with . If doing this it is best to bleed the animal back through the chest cavity .
 
Ok. How many vertebrae down from the head would you separate at? Or do you just take the skin up to the back of the head and still separate it from the neck there.
 
its pretty simple , if you'r going to shoulder mount it, skin it from the the front of the belly/behind the shoulders in a circular cut round the entire body,then skin it forwards using your fist , once you've got past the shoulders and up as far as you can up the neck , cut the through the neck muscle and vertabrae leaving the rest of the neck and head on the skin ,leave the rest to the taxidermist as you will bollox the rest up ! just remeber once its cut or you cut it to short , thats it , it will never be right ,this will allow the taxidermist to take the measurements he needs , if its just a skull mount then severe the atlas as per norm , as said above dont cut the throat to bleed for a shoulder mount , and skin it asap then freeze it , as time has started ticking as soon as its dead , happy hunting , arron.
 
Make sure you cut behind the shoulder if you want a full shoulder mount. Leave the front legs as a sock and roll the skin back up to the axis and atlas joint the cut the head off. I would then freeze whole and give it to your taxidermist so he can finish skinning it off properly.

Many who attempt to cape off a head properly, do not!
 
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