Caping a Whitetail?

[Ronyag]

Can anyone give me instruction on caping a Whitetail? I have been paying people up to 50.00 to do it for me. I would like to know how. Let's hear from he Taxi guys, like the perfered for a mount.

[Fritz]

Easy to do. Get on ***-tube and search it. Be careful around the eyes and tear duct. Take your time and use a small sharp knife.

[Roadkill]

Remember to skin the ears, lips and those tear ducts. Patience fellow!!!  Use a ice-cream stick to help you. It can pry into spaces without damage  and you can edge it to get it thinner. Sharp devices are a must.  Nostrils take some care too.  Flesh with a salt sprinkling to help grip and use a little borax.  I have the fancy tools and still takes me time.  It pays off in flawless mounts.  Fritz has good web advice

[Kudu Kid]

$50.00---Wow

As a taxidermist, going on almost 30 years now, and in Minnesota, we have always capped deer out for free...if they are having us work on it.  We cape all the time out of the back of pickups.

If you are not in the bush, where you have to cape the deer out, just hang the deer upside down, peel all the skin, all the way down the neck as far as you can go. Avoid cutting up into the brisket.   Cut the neck through the meat and vertebrae, leaving the skin attached to the skull.  Bring in the whole skin with skull attached, that way the taxidermist can cape it out the way they want.

[JimB]

I doubt seriously if he is talking about having the same taxidermist cape it,that is going to mount it.

I don't charge for caping deer I mount either but I do charge $50 to cape,split turn and salt capes to take home.

That brings up another point.Are you talking about learning to skin off the cape or do the complete fleshing,turning of ears,splitting of lips,eyelids,nostrils and lips ?

If you are going to do all that,ie get it completely ready for salting,you need to work for someone and learn to do it properly or at least get a video and go through several practice capes before working on one you want to keep.

Caping a deer and doing the complete caping and fleshing,are two entirely different things and one requires a lot more skill.If you are doing the whole 9 yards,you may wish you paid $50.

[Kudu Kid]

Jim, I figured he was taking to a locker plant.  Around here, some meat cutters charge the hunter to take it down to the base of the neck as I described.  

BTW Jim, Tommy's still has one the wolverines you put together many years ago in the showroom .  It still looks great.

[Cory Mattson]

JimB - excellent point - I do most all my own caping over many years but would still be ineterested if someone knew of a very good video - I think the skill to do the whole 9 adds a great deal to ones woodsmanship.
<><
<--------------<<<<<<<

[Cruiser78]

I use a dull screwdriver around the antler burrs & a razer knife (box cutter) for everything else. Like others have said use caution around the eyes, tear duct, & nostrils.

[Guru]

Originally posted by JimB:
I doubt seriously if he is talking about having the same taxidermist cape it,that is going to mount it.

I don't charge for caping deer I mount either but I do charge $50 to cape,split turn and salt capes to take home.

That brings up another point.Are you talking about learning to skin off the cape or do the complete fleshing,turning of ears,splitting of lips,eyelids,nostrils and lips ?

If you are going to do all that,ie get it completely ready for salting,you need to work for someone and learn to do it properly or at least get a video and go through several practice capes before working on one you want to keep.

Caping a deer and doing the complete caping and fleshing,are two entirely different things and one requires a lot more skill.If you are doing the whole 9 yards,you may wish you paid $50.

Couldn't have said it any better    

[Trad-Man]

It 's a good skill to learn especially if you do any remote hunting.  Packing out a skull can be a lot of added work...

[Scott Teaschner]

I always cringe when I get one fully caped out by some one. Even some not all outfitters and guides that should know dont. Corners of the eyes and lips missing is common along with chainsaw like inscisions down the back of the neck. With Elk I get what I call the spiral cut. Starts out on the back of the head and then comes down the side and back up to the top of the shoulder. This happens because the animal is so big and they dont see there coming off the top of the neck when the animal is on the ground. These things are fixable and for the most part not noticable when the mount is finished. Just adds a lot mor work. I would say if at all posibble get it to the taxidermst with out full caping. If that is not the possible now is the time to get over to a taxidermy shop to watch or bring something you do not intend to mount for practice.

[Razorbak]

here is one i saw recently...real easy to do if you take your time and it might take a few deers to perfect it but in the long run it will be worth it
 

[Ronyag]

I guess I am getting screwed. These guys have been skinning the deer up to the base of the skull and cutting off the head whole costing me anywhere from $40.00 to $50.00.
The Taxi is doing the final work as included in the mount fee.
I just want to know how to get it ready for caping I guess [and save the $$$]. Do you cut the hide up the back of the neck and if so, how far? Do you salt it? I had one done and they rolled it up a certin way? Looked like a pro did it.

[Fritz]

I hang the deer head down and start skinning well behind the front shoulders. I cut the front legs off at the knee joints and skin all the way to the base of the neck, cut off the head(don't cut the hide)and then roll/fold up the hide and lay it in between horns. I never make any cuts to the hide, other than the initial cut to start skinning. Take your time and use a sharp blade. I try to not leave any meat on the hide, but just be careful not to cut your hide. I don't salt it. Either get it to your taxidermist quickly or put it in the freezer. Just don't soak the hide down with water and try to clean it. Use a damp rag or let your taxidermist clean it. Guru and some of these other taxidermists can give u more advice, but that's how I do it.

[YORNOC]

I didnt do a good enough job on the ears once and ruined it. I agree, learning from someone is well worth it.

[Kudu Kid]

Razorbak, excellent video find.  That is how we like to have deer brought in.  Pay attention how far back those cuts are made.  

Don't salt the hide, but keep it cool as possible. DON'T put on ice.  You want to keep moisture off the hide, but you don't want it to dry out either.  You don't need to roll the hide in any special way. Bring to the taxidermist within a couple days, if not, freeze the whole thing in a plastic bag.

Keith