what do you do to a skull cap before you mount it

Aim

The aim of this guide is to provide practical guidance on the training of trophy heads.
If heads are to be cutting on a regular basis, and so it is recommended that a jig be purchased, equally this gives an accurate and consistent line of cutting.

Equipment:

• Abrupt, pointed knife.
• Tenon saw or proprietary jig, complete with purpose-made saw.
• Boiling pan suited to size and species. Clamps may assistance with the boiling process.
• Soda crystals (1 teaspoon per litre, added during boiling, aids the cleaning process) or biological washing powder.
• Long-nosed pliers.
• Edgeless pocketknife to break out unwanted nasal bone etc.
• Wire snippers/cutters to remove bone to allow admission to brain/nasal cavity.
• Hydrogen peroxide or peroxide kit.
• Rubber gloves.
• Center protectors.
• 1-inch paint brush
• Power-washer.

Antler mount preparation

As part of the full general lardering process, the head and in sure cases, the jaw of the animal will be removed*.

Skinning

• Skinning the head prior to boiling is optional. If pare is to be left on, make a cutting through the skin over the top of the olfactory organ and through the sinew in the roof of the mouth.
• Peel the head by incising from the back of the mouth opening, and cutting in a direct line to the back of the head. Then skin upwards towards the eye sockets, nose and coronets, post-obit the contours of the skull

Humid

measuring guide. A Full skull: Teeth remain part of trophy.B Long cut: No teeth, center sockets left intact, full length of palate. C Short nose cut: Cut through the eye sockets. D Skull cap: More usually used on larger species.For exceptional trophies, it is recommended that the skull remains uncut with the lower jaw removed.

Boiling time is dependent on the animal's age and species and can vary from 15 to 30 minutes, or more than for larger species. The smaller the species and younger the animal, the less time boiling time required, otherwise the basic will fall apart. If the two olfactory organ bones at the front come up away, then bleach separately, dry out and superglue into position.

• Before humid the head ensure the eyes have been removed or punctured.
• Place the skull in boiling water with added soda/washing powder and with the coronets to a higher place the water line. Clamps may assist with the boiling procedure.
• Take care not to over-boil particularly for long and full cuts (Figure ane: A & B). A proficient indication that the head is ready is the splitting and shrinking of the membrane over the nose.
• Dip the head in cold water and remove the meat and sinews with a edgeless knife or a pressure washer.
• From the underside of the skull break out the unwanted bone and nasal passages using pliers and a pocketknife.
• Finish off past scrubbing the skull with a potent nailbrush or like implement, taking intendance around the fragile olfactory organ basic in the long and full cut.

Cutting

D Skull cap: More than commonly used on larger species.For exceptional trophies, it is recommended that the skull remains uncut with the lower jaw removed.

• Cutting can be carried out earlier or after boiling depending on preference. Laying the head on its side, marker out a line to cut with the point of a knife.
• Before performing the short nose cut, remove the eyes.
• Place the caput in an adjustable cut clamp or concord the skull and antlers firmly on the bench. Carefully, using a saw, make the desired cut.
• Without use of a cutting clamp, take intendance to continue the cut square from side to side. Once cutting has started, sight along the saw bract across the nose to ensure that the line volition emerge at a similar level on the other side.

Whatever unevenness in the cutting can be removed after past sanding when the skull has dried out completely (a mask should be worn for this process). Remove the brains after cutting.

Bleaching

• Ensure necessary protective clothing such as prophylactic gloves and eye protection is worn for this office of the process.
• Carry out this process while the skull is still wet. If it has dried out, and then re-soak for a number of hours.
• Use a solution of hydrogen peroxide (xxx%). Comply with the manufacturer's recommendations and annotation any warning labels relating to Command of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH)¹,².
• Have care not to get bleach on the coronets or antlers.
• Before bleaching the outer skull, pigment the cavities on the underside with bleach. This helps cure information technology and remove unwanted smells.
• Place cotton fiber wool or absorbent newspaper round all the contours of the outer skull, catastrophe immediately below the coronets, then paint with bleaching amanuensis. Paint again later on three hours if required.
• The bleaching fourth dimension volition again depend on the species and age of the animal and the concentration of the hydrogen peroxide used. If using 30% concentration the bleach may be left on for several hours upwardly to 12 hours (i.due east. overnight). Weaker solutions may require longer. The utilise of household bleach should be avoided as this may weaken the skull and cause the os to crumble.
• Leave the skull to dry.

Trophy Measurement

Accredited judges of the CICⁱⁱⁱ assess trophies past measurement and weight using CID Measurement Formulas. Where a head may be worthy of a medal, present for measurement equally full skull trophy, prepared as described with the lower jaw removed. Heads should exist prepared in the normal style with the lower jaw removed. Note, the use of artificial colouring will not exist accustomed in trophy measuring.

Export

Trophies should be cleaned of all flesh and bleached (disinfected). Antlers should be wrapped and packed deeply and then as to present no sharp edges. Heads prepared in this way may exist transported as baggage.
Where there are national animal health restrictions in place check with the local Beast Health Office for guidance ⁴ .
Total-mounts and accompanying capes require to be prepared at point of origin and are best transported to a taxidermist by carrier**.

(click for gallery)

Aim

The aim of this guide is to describe the skinning or 'caping' process required to produce a full-head trophy mount.

Full general information

If the caput is to exist mounted by a taxidermist, the head is commonly removed complete with the greatcoat. The skinning off of the greatcoat is critically of import to the look and quality of the completed mount. A short neck on larger head mounts may await unbalanced and 'forepart heavy'. It is therefore better to skin off also much cape rather than too petty.
If the head is required to be skinned equally well, specialised advice should exist sought. If the caput and cape is going to the taxidermist it is advisable to ask in accelerate how they would like information technology skinned, stored, packed and delivered.

Skinning

• Bleed the deer back through the diaphragm to continue the neck skin intact.
• Remove any blood splashed on the coat during carcass training and transportation.
• With a abrupt knife brand a cut circumvoluted the trunk behind the shoulder at approximately the mid-fashion point of the rib cage behind the front legs. Cut the skin around the legs just in a higher place the knees. An additional slit will be needed from the back of the leg and joining the body cut behind the legs.
• Peel the skin forward up to the ears and jaw exposing the head/neck junction.
• Alternatively brand one long cut upward the middle of the dorsum of the neck to between the ears which stops 2" dorsum behind the antlers. Brand a 'V' shaped cut from between the ears up to the base of operations of the antlers.
• Peel back the skin from between the shoulder blades and skin forward towards the head.
• Cutting into the neck approximately three" down from the head/cervix junction. Circumvolve the neck, cutting down to the spinal column. Subsequently this cut is consummate, grasp the antler bases and twist the head off the neck.
• The skin can then be rolled up fix for storage or transportation.

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Source: https://bestpracticeguides.org.uk/carcass-preparation/trophy-preparation/

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