I know there are pictures and there are a lot of subjects to help and assist in making sure that the cape is cut correctly for your taxidermist but thought this would help some.
It applies to all that you want to make into either a shoulder or a pedestal mount.
Yes I know the cape is heavy, been there and done that numerous times, always best to make it a little longer than to short.
Hope this helps.
1. Always cut far enough back to allow a taxidermist to have enough cape to work with. Stay behind the breast when gutting it I go about half way up the ribs, stop and clean everything out from there. I then make a complete circle around the animal.
2. I take right at the knee caps and make a circle around them.
3. Lay the animal down as flat as you can and come up the center of the back, stay as close to center as possible. It is hard to hide stitches on a short haired deer. Stop about 3 inches below the base of the ears and then peel the cape forward. When you get to the legs tube them down. A lot of capes I get in the armpits are cut incorrectly on them, and you are either having to sew and try to hide the stitches or modifying the form trying to make the best of it.
All of this is very easily done and saves people from having to drag the animal out and ruining the cape or not cutting enough cape off and having to purchase a cape.
Hope you all have a good hunting season. When I take my elk this year will try and get some good pictures to put up a little tutorial on here to help out more.
Thanks
Joe
