Common Mistakes

[MtnMuley]

Lifesize bobcats that are already skinned out. I want the carcass for exact measurements for lifesize.
 

Another thing is piss poor cape jobs like where the corners of the eyes are completely cut out , no lip line to tuck, holes where there shouldnt be 

Another "Common Mistake" that comes to mind, is when a guy fronts the money for a lifesize then never gets the taxi the pelt........

[bucklucky]

Lifesize bobcats that are already skinned out. I want the carcass for exact measurements for lifesize.
 

Another thing is piss poor cape jobs like where the corners of the eyes are completely cut out , no lip line to tuck, holes where there shouldnt be 

Another "Common Mistake" that comes to mind, is when a guy fronts the money for a lifesize then never gets the taxi the pelt........

That too 

[Skyvalhunter]

Is this talking from the voice of experience?

[muleyhunter]

Another good one is where they gut the animal and continue all the way up to the bottom lip. You ask them where did they come up with that idea they just give you the dumb deer in the head light look. Another good one is they don't cape it out right away they go back to camp get all s*&*&t faced and then decide that they need to cape the animal out. I had one I swear the guy had it hanging up and started spinning the animal while he worked his knife up.

[jackelope]

How much more work is it for you taxi's to cape the skull yourself?
In other words...Cape your buck out all the way up to the antler bases then stop and give the taxi the skull and cape and let the taxi(he/she who knows WTF they're doing) deal with it. That's what I did. I didn't know what the hell I was doing so I quit while I was ahead.
Just thinking of this as maybe a recommendation or some advice you guys could give to prevent an irreversible mistake.

[bucklucky]

If I get to cape the animal myself, I know it will be perfect. I have not seen very many customer caped animals that were really that great. Always something wrong with them that I have to fix. Its not that I dont want them not caped , I mean there are certain instances where it is unavoidable which is perfectly fine. I just prefer to cape myself. A perfect mount starts with a perfect cape.

[turkey slayer]

One of my pet peeves is with skulls. People bring me deer skulls in February or march and they just been sitting on the wood pile or hanging in a tree when they could of brought them strait in. Then the hide is hard as a rock on the head.

[gasman]

From personal experiance of losing two capes at the Taxi.

The last two capes I cut to far forward of the arm pits 

I was recomended to tube out the front legs. This will make sure there is enough hide left.

[Skyvalhunter]

Turning the ears seem to be very difficult and seems to be better done by the professionals.

[daydreamn]

What really gets me is all the premium capes that go to waste because hunters dont realize their value.  Always have hunters bring me cut off heads to do europeans or horn mounts.  If they only knew the cape they just wasted could of cut a big price out of their mount.   Of course this always happens with what would of been the best capes.

[throttlejocky20]

just marking this for reference 

[muleyhunter]

In other words...Cape your buck out all the way up to the antler bases then stop and give the taxi the skull and cape and let the taxi(he/she who knows WTF they're doing) deal with it.
To me this is the best thing to do. Jackelope you did the right thing. Gasman, Another right thing to do.
The last two capes I cut to far forward of the arm pits  Bash

I was recomended to tube out the front legs. This will make sure there is enough hide left

[jackelope]

Mine was a learning experience.  I watched a buddy do mine. Very straight forward once I saw someone who knows how to do it. I won't be caping any skulls though, too much room for error. I will never cut a cape off at the head again.

When in doubt cut more.  Tubing the legs has got to help.

[elksnout]

OK. It's Saturday am on a 3 day hunt. I just took a nice buck but I'm 3 days away from coming home. I want to have a shoulder mount done perhaps. How do I keep the cape in good enough shape until I can get it to one of you? Or a out of state hunt? I think I've learned enough to leave more hide than I think and to cut up to the base of the antlers, etc. But I do not think I'd trust myself to flesh out the lips and turn the ears decent enough not to ruin it.

[Skyvalhunter]

Do you have access to salt or a freezer or are you wilderness hunting?