Proving Grounds Taxidermy

*Field Care is crucial to a quality mount.

General Field Care:

Wipe or wash as much blood as possible off of the specimen before freezing or delivering the animal to PGT.
Bag or double bag in a heavy mil. plastic bag(s) all specimens before freezing.
When bagging deer or other antlered animals make sure ears are in the bag to prevent freezer burn.
Keep all specimens out of direct sunlight.
Sunlight and heat are the main factors causing bacteria growth which results in hair slippage.
When freezing birds it is best to place them head first in pantyhose and then double bag.
Never wrap birds in newspaper (this will speed up freezer burn).
Furbearers: Freeze immediatly or bring directly to PGT.

Caping Deer and other Related Animals:

Hang by hind legs.
Go approx. 12 inches behind front leg. Then ring around the entire body being careful to fade the cut back instead of forward.
Next ring the deer at the elbow joint.
Face the deer, starting at the elbow ring, you will see where the brown meets the white of leg, then cut all the way back to the main body ring.
Now carefully skin up the neck as far as you can go, then cut the neck off.
If cape is super bloody it can be washed inside and out with a garden hose.
Let drip dry for 15 minutes before bagging and freezing.

Note: The above instructions are for a standard shoulder mount. For pedastal mounts more or all of the hide will be required. If you have any questions about how much extra hide is needed please call PGT.

European Mount Field Care:

*We will not accept rotten skulls.

Procedure: Cape the deer and put it in the freezer or cut the head off and put it in the freezer, or simply bring it directly to PGT.
We will only accept fresh or frozen european specimens.

Notes:

If at any time you have questions regarding the caping process, feel free to call. We at PGT will walk you through the process. If you are unsure we will do the job for a nominal fee of $15.

I would like to cape everone's deer for free, but I take in approx. 100 deer each year, making it impossible to do them all in a timely manner.

When in doubt call with questions.

Remember we are also offering $25 european mounts in exchange for good capes.

Please remember to bring all applicable permits, licenses, and stamps when you deliver your specimen.

Specimens must be properly checked in, tagged, and confirmation numbers documented.

Specimens lacking any of the above will be rejected.

Also, feel free to bring pictures depicting how you want your specimen to look.

Personel habitat and base material can also be brought in to use on your mount.

Final Tip:

Remember to wear your safety belt at all times and Happy Hunting.