Pictures on how to skin your deer/elk properly to save the cape for mounting.

[bucklucky]

I have been wanting to do this for awhile. Its just nice too see actual pictues instead of drawings . I have had customers cut the armpitts out too many times not knowing how to skin there deer and elk or any antlered or horned animal out properly.

Step 1: If you can, hang the deer but the hind legs, it is much easier to skin  But if its in the field you can do this with the animal layin gon the ground too. First thing I do is cut around the front knee joint , then take your knife and cut up th eback of the leg where the whit hair and brown hair come together. Noe on other species you'll have a hair pattern where the long hair meats shorter hair. Just go straight up to the armpit.

[bucklucky]

Now when you get to the armpit make sure you stay on the hair line where the white hair or thinner hair on other animals meets the longer hair. You can see this on all horned or antlered animals. Once around the armpit go straight bach to where the cape will be cut off which is the center of the deer or where the sternum come together.

[bucklucky]

I like my capes split up the back, its easier to skin off the animal and easier to take care of the cape. Take your knife and start at the base of the head and go right down  (or up if its hanging) the back to your center cut.

[270Shooter]

Thanks

[bucklucky]

Now you can finish skinning your animal all the way down to the base of the head.

[bucklucky]

Now cut the head off at the back of the head .

[bucklucky]

Hope this helps a little to get you bearings on where to properly cut the capes.Some of the pictures are a little decieving , the center cut on that cape Looks lower on the deer than it actually is but once I cut the back half of the hide off the front portion got pulled towards the head about 5 inches or so. If your still not sure on the right cuts to make just tube the whole thing to the base of the neck, that means dont make any cuts exceprt for the front knee joint and the center cut at mid belly .

[arrowflinger]

Thanks for the info Charlie..................Hope to use it one of these years.

[scoyoc5]

thanks for the illustration bucklucky....that's a big bodied forky too!

[bow4elk]

Well done!  Got a mop? 

[Black Ghost]

Nice work BL, I hate doing short necks!!!!!!

[Antlershed]

That makes it look pretty dang easy. Thanks!

[Michelle_Nelson]

Nice Charlie, wish I would have thought about doing this with my buck this year.  Didn't think about it til it was to late.

[Hunting Cowboy]

Nicely done Charlie. Always seems more clear when someone takes the time to show you how to do something the right way. Nice forky too!

[bucklucky]

I wanted to do an elk one also since it seems everyone that tries to save one for me ends up cutting the briskett and armpits out  Most of my deer capes I get are completely tubbed which in turn means good cape! Its always easier to follow what a photo shows you!

[bowsandhose]

glad you took the time to post  Thanks

[CoastieCoug]

Could have really used that three weeks ago 

[getumclose]

Cool Charlie,  Thats what i imagined when you explained it to beau and I.

[oneezreiter]

Great instructions, You did a good job of explaining it.  How do you get the head out?

[bucklucky]

Great instructions, You did a good job of explaining it. How do you get the head out?

That's a whole nother post. You would have to see it done to get the idea on the head, I don't think I can take enough pictures to show how to properly cape a head out. Its actually pretty easy but there are a few points that can be easily messed up like the eye lids and the nostrils and last the corner of the mouth. You first start by making a Y incision between the buck pedicles towards the back of the head and where the y meets you cut straight down the back. You would then skin the back of the head towards the earbutts and but through the base of them as close to the back of the skull as possible, see this is where pictures could really help . Then you would use a knife and or screwdriver to pry around the antler bases once that is done you can begin skinning the head being carefull ounce you get to the eyes and tear ducts. This part is where I will stick my fingers into the eye from the hair side and feel the eyelids and pull them out as far as I can and carefully cut around the eye where the lids connect to the eye ball. The front corner of the eye can be tricky for a rookie also, just need to keep to the bone and cut through the cartilage and connecting tissue. Once through the corner of the eye you have to deal with the tear duct. For this I use a screw driver and slid it down tight against the bone kind of prying the tearduct out as you go. . Now you can continue skinning towards the nose , be carefull not to cut through the lips, you'll want to put your finger inside the mouth to feel where the corner of the mouth is. Ounce you get to it you can cut through the cheek muscle about 2 inches back from the mouth corner on each side. Now you can open the mouth and cut through the gum line, stay just above the teeth, there is a faint line you can see most of the was around the gum's except for the jaw, right behing the front lower teeth you will have to gut along the top portion to the front of the back teeth and then you can cut along that line just bellow the molars. The top gum line below the nose you will cut straight through along the bone into the nasal cavity and then up about an inch in to the bridge of the nose, this will keep all the nostril intact. Now you can skin down to your cut lines you just made and pull the cape off the head. Yes I know, it is probably very hard to follow and seeing it done in person will make it much easier to learn the capping process . This should give you an idea at least

[stringflinger4elk]

good explanation thanks

[oneezreiter]

Would it be best to just bring it in when you get to the head if you are a rookie? 

[bucklucky]

Would it be best to just bring it in when you get to the head if you are a rookie? 

Most definately, ASAP. Dont want to wait to bring it in either. Or you can freeze it if it is a day old or so. If it has been out for a couple days or more it needs to be caped off and tacken care of immediately. Fresh is best as it will help insure that the cape will be good and no slipping will occure. Freezing is an option also but not recommended because it now has to go through the defrosting and thawing process.

[oneezreiter]

OK.  That will be my plan then if I manage anything this year.

[saylean]

Guess I should chime in here too, thanks for the write up Charlie. It gives a good example.

[bucklucky]

Thanks man!

[Skinner]

Thanks buck we're gonna try and save ya some but hopefully you can give us the other part (taking it off the skull) b4 hunting season.  Hard to put a couple bulls with horns in the freezer.  I want to stock up on a couple b4 I bring them up.  Thats if the're not monsters, but I guess I would need to bring em up anyways!

[bucklucky]

If I had a frozen buck head I could get you some pics. You could always skin around the horns and ears and peal it down and cut your horns off and freeze the bulls head and cape too. Thats not too hard to do. ?? Just a thought.

[Skinner]

Thats what I was thinking!

[bucklucky]

For you newcommers.

[Dipsnort]

I'm sure you charge by the hour to cape the head for those of us who don't feel comfortable with doing that part correctly.  Can you give an idea of what the charge for doing the head might be?

[fireoff]

TY Charlie, very good pics!