Bob Dorta Taxidermy

Naples, Florida

"Haul Bass"
to Bob Dorta Taxidermy

Tell a friend about this page!
Their Name:
Their Email:
Your Name:
Your Email:
Free JavaScripts provided
by The JavaScript Source

Home | Mission | Price List | Shipping Instructions | Articles | Photo Gallery | References | Links | AwardsFor Sale | Contact
New Client Coupon

 

Shipping Information

 

To ensure a quality mount, proper care and quick shipment is vital.  In any case, the most important step in trophy care in the field is to get your trophy cooled as soon as possible.  The sooner you can get your trophy cooled, the less the chance that bacteria can begin deteriorating tissue.

For fish, I recommend subduing a fish you are going to mount as quickly as possible.  It is important to handle a fish carefully as to not dislodge scales.  A good method is to keep an old pair of lady’s nylons with you to slide a fish into after landing and subduing it.  Place the fish into a cooler as quickly as possible.  Sliding a fish into nylons will help in protecting the fish from losing scales.  Please do not gut or cut the fish in any way.

While in the field, it is a little more difficult to prepare a game head for mounting.  Again with fish, cooling the trophy down as quickly as possible is key.   Below, I have included some written instructions on caping a game head.  If you feel uncertain about this, please let me know, and I can go over it with you or send you a handout to take afield with you.

 Caping a game head

Skinning is the process of removing the hide from a game animal.

  • Using a sharp knife make initial cut 4” behind front legs and cut around the entire animal.

  • Second cut starts at initial cut at the top of the back. Second cut runs along the back of the neck and stops 2” back behind the antlers. Split the second cut to form a “Y” running to the rear base of each antler.

  • Cut hide around each front leg at the knee. Start next cut at the back of the knee and cut hide up the back of front leg to the top of the front leg. Then angle cut back to meet the initial cut. Repeat this cut for the other front leg.

On antlered game, a heavy screwdriver with a 1/4” blade is useful in prying hide loose from around the antler bases. On horned game carefully use a knife to cut between the hair and horn junction. Take the time to pull the hair down and away from the horn base to avoid cutting hair with the knife.

Begin to separate the hide along the neck incision taking extra care at the ears, eyes and lips. Cut the ear canal close to the skull. It is always attached farther back and lower than you think. If you place your finger in the ear canal it will help determine this point. Take care not to cut the tip of you finger. Again using your finger as a guide skin around the eyes cutting close to the skull. Be aware of the tear duct at the front of the eyes. You'll have to carefully cut or pry tear duct out of the depression in the skull. The lips should be cut close to the skull taking extra time leaving all lip and gum material attached to the hide.

Make sure the cape is long enough for a shoulder mount. The cape should include the area behind the front legs. Being sure to include the full brisket and complete armpits. The antlers can be removed by a saw cut from the rear of the skull towards the center of the eye socket. And a second cut starting above the eye socket connecting with the first cut.

Congratulations you've successfully caped your big game animal. At this point you should take the cape to your taxidermist. Depending on weather and cape storage conditions, determine the amount of time you have. If you can freeze or place cape in cold storage this is preferable. Treat cape as well or better than your meat. Keep it dry, cool and bug free. Take care not to have the hide dry out. Two main factors, heat and moisture cause bacterial growth, the cause of hair slip. Eliminate or reduce these factors and you increase the quality of your trophy.

When you are ready to ship me your trophy for mounting, please make sure it is completely frozen.  Optimally, you can obtain a Styrofoam container to place the trophy in and package for shipping.  However, I have found that before placing a frozen trophy in a cardboard box, lining it with newspaper helps in insulation as well. Ship your trophy next day air, and please include a note describing how you want the trophy preserved.  I also ask that you include a 50% deposit.  I also ask that you call me when you ship the trophy, so that I can make sure someone will be able to receive it properly.

            Please ship your trophy to:

            Bob Dorta Taxidermy
            3161 Eighth Street, NW
            Naples, FL 34120

 Thank you for your business, and Good Luck!

Bob Dorta

 

 

 

 

 

 

Home | Mission | Price List | Shipping Instructions | ArticlesPhoto Gallery | References | Links | Awards | For Sale | Contact
New Client Coupon

 
Copyright © 2017 Bob Dorta Taxidermy
Last updated Sunday, February 05, 2017
Email
Privacy Policy: We respect your privacy and do not sell or share your information with third parties.
Site created by
Your Professional Assistant
 
Background compliments of
 
Your Professional Assistant takes full responsibility for all typographical errors. All photographs and graphics on this page and any of the same domain linking pages are property of Bob Dorta Taxidermy and are protected under US and International copyright laws and may NOT be copied, stored or offered for sale without written permission from the owner unless so stated otherwise.