By:  Frans Basson, Kaapjag Trophy Measuring Conveyor
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As we head into the peak hunting season in the Western Cape (May to September), many hunters turn their thoughts to preserving their hard-earned trophies. To ensure your taxidermist can deliver a mount that meets your expectations, proper field preparation is essential. Animal skins should be treated as perishable goods and handled with great care.

By following a few basic guidelines, you can prevent common issues like hair slip and ensure your trophy is preserved in top condition.

Shooting

Avoid shooting the head or neck unless you intend to preserve only the skin. These areas are difficult to repair, and holes are hard to conceal, making it challenging for your taxidermist to deliver a high-quality mount.

Transporting the carcass

Never drag the animal across the ground or onto the vehicle. When loading it onto the hunting vehicle, protect the head and neck with padding such as dry grass or soft leafy branches. Cover the carcass to shield it from direct sunlight.

Skinning

Skin the animal as soon as possible to prevent bacterial activity, which can lead to hair slip. Be thorough in removing all flesh from the skin.

• Flatskins or Rugs: Make an incision from the tip of the tail along the belly’s centreline to the centre of the chin. This ensures an even colour pattern for display.
• Capes for Shoulder Mounts: Cut a V-shaped incision from the top of the head to between the horns, carefully avoiding cutting hair. Continue with a straight cut down the back of the neck to well behind the shoulders. Carefully skin around the eyes, turn the ears, and split the lips.
  Animals with Manes: Make the dorsal cut on the side where the mane falls to, about 2cm away from the mane itself. For example, if the mount is to face left, cut to the right of the mane to maintain visual balance.

Washing the skin

Immediately after skinning, rinse the skin thoroughly with cold, fresh water to remove all blood. Adding a bactericide such as phenol helps prevent bacterial growth.

Salting and drying of skins

After allowing the skin to drip-dry for a few minutes, apply salt liberally. Rub the salt thoroughly into all folds and creases. Roll the salted skin and store it in a cool, shaded area. After 3 to 4 days, hang it to dry completely.

Important notes:

• Use pan salt, not sea salt, as sea salt can cause wrinkling and reduced flexibility after tanning.
• Dry salt is preferable to brine. If you must use brine (saltwater solution), ensure bactericide is added.
• Salt only draws out moisture; it does not kill bacteria. Never reuse salt that has been applied to a spoiled skin—it will ruin the next one.
• Avoid contact between the skin and metal surfaces during drying, as rust stains are extremely difficult to remove.

Transporting skins

Do not transport fresh, wet skins. Always allow skins to dry at least partially before transport. Use a bucket or open container - never use plastic bags, as they trap moisture and encourage hair slip.

Cleaning skulls

Trim away as much flesh as possible, and remove the eyes and brain. Fill the skull cavity with water and scrape out the brain thoroughly, repeating this process several times.

Soak the skull in clean, cold water for a few days, changing the water daily to prevent discolouration. Then salt the skull well and allow it to dry, or briefly boil it and remove any remaining flesh. Always handle skulls with care, particularly delicate parts like the nasal and lip bones - this is especially important for European mounts.

Storing trophies

Store prepared trophies in a cool, dry place.

• Use Karba-dust on skins to repel insects.
• Place naphthalene (mothballs) on the floor to deter rodents.

Deliver trophies to your taxidermist as soon as possible for best results.

Birds and reptiles

Freeze birds and reptiles immediately, without removing the intestines.
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Preserving the Hunt, Honouring the Harvest

This article is shared with the kind permission of Karoo Taxidermy, featuring expert guidance from Tim van Heerden. Kaapjag extends heartfelt thanks for their generosity in sharing these valuable insights.

As passionate hunters, we know the importance of respecting every part of the hunt. By properly preparing your trophy in the field, you not only ensure a quality mount but also pay tribute to the animal and the experience. It’s this level of care and respect that defines ethical hunting and stands at the core of what we believe in at Kaapjag.
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Maak die meeste van jou Trofee

Jag seisoen is op ons en soms wil ons daardie pragtige trofee behou.  Jou taksidermis het ‘n goed voorbereide produk nodig om seker te maak jou trofee voldoen aan jou standaarde.  Wild velle moet soos bederfbare goedere hanteer word en moet dus baie versigtig hanteer word.  Deur ‘n paar maklike ruglyne te volg kan skade aan die trofee vermy word.

Skiet van die trofee.

Vermy ten alle koste om die kop of nek te skiet (tensy jy natuurlik die vel wil behou en nie in die kop/horings belangstel nie).  The gate wat veroorsaak word is moeilik om te verdoesel.

Vervoer van die karkas.

Moenie die trofee oor die grond of op jou voertuig sleep nie.  As jy wel die trofee op jou voertuig laai, gebruik sagte materiaal (droe gras of sagte beblaarde takke) onder die kop en nek vir beskerming.  Bedek die karkas om dit van die son te beskerm.

Afslag

Die trofee moet so gou moontlik geslag word om bakteriese aktiwiteit te vermy en haar verlies te verhoed.  Dit is belangrik om alle vleis van die vel te verwyder.

Vir plat velle of matte: Sny van die punt van die stert al langs die middle lyn van die maag tot op die middle van die ken om seker te maak jy kry ‘n simmetriese patroon.

Vir skouer montering: Sny ‘n V-lyn van die bokant van die kop tot by die horings.  Sny versigtig om die horings sonder om die hare raak te sny.  Sny dan reguit op die agterkant van die nek tot ver agter die skouers.  Verwyder die vel deur versigtig om die oe te slag, die ore te draai en die lippe te skei.

Vir diere met maanhare, maak die snit op die kant waarheen die maanhaar val omtrent 2cm weg van die maanhaar.  Andersins, as die trofee na links gemonteer moet word, maak die snit op die regterkant van die maanhaar.

Was van velle  

Was die velle onmiddelik baie deeglik na dit afgeslag is om alle bloed te verwyder.  Gebruik koue vars water met anti-bakteriese middels soos Phenol.

Sout en droog van velle

Na die vel gewas is, hang dit vir paar minute om meeste van die water te verwyder (“drip-dry”).  Dit is dan gereed om gesout te word.  Gebruik baie sout en maak seker dat die sout goed in alle voue van die vel ingevryf word.  Rol die gesoute vel op en los dit in ‘n koel plek.  Hang die vel om droog te word na 3-4 dae.

Nota:

• Gebruik sout vanaf ‘n soutpan eerder as seesout om plooie te voorkom asook ‘n vel wat nie genoeg rek na dit gelooi is.
• Droe sout is beter as pekel (sout en water oplossing).  As jy wel pekel gebrui is dit noodsaaklik om anti-bakteriese middel te gebruik.
• Sout verwyder slegs vog, dit verwyder nie bakterie nie.  As jy dus sout gebruik wat reeds vol bakterie is van ‘n vorige vel, sal jy die tweede vel ook beskadig.
• Verseker die vel kom nie in kontak met metaal tydens die droog proses nie aangesien roes vlekke bykans onmoontlik is om te verwyder.

Vervoer van velle

Vars nat velle moet nie vervoer word nie aangesien skade en haar verwydering kan plaasvind.  Velle moet altyd ten minste gedeeltelik droog wees voor dit vervoer word.  Plaas die vel in ‘n bak of soorteglyke oop hour.  Moet nooit ‘n plastiek sak gebruik nie.

Skoonmaak van skedels

Sny so veel moontlik van die vleis van die skedel en verwyder die oe en brein.  Maak die skedelholte vol water en krap so veel moontlik van die brein uit die skedel.  Herhaal die proses ‘n paar keer.

Los die skedel vir ‘n paar dae in ‘n bak met skoon koue water.  Vervang die water daagliks om verkleuring van die skedel te verhoed.

Sout die skedel goed en los om droog te word of alternatief, kook die skedel vir ‘n kort periode om alle vleis te verwyder.  As jy die skedel hanteer, of dit gekook word of nie, maak seker dat geen van die bene van die skedel beskadig word nie, spesifiek die lip en neus bene.  Dit is veral belangrik in die geval van Europese monterings.

Berging van trofee

Berg ‘n trofees in ‘n koel droe plek.  Gebruik Karba-dust op die velle om insekte weg te hou en naftaleen op die vloer om knaagdiere weg te hou.

Handig die trofee so spoedig mootlik in by die taksidermis vir montering of om te looi.

Voëls en reptiele

Vries so spoedig moontlik sonder om die ingewande te verwyder.
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Hierdie artikel vertaal vanaf die oorspronklike Engelse weergawe van Karoo Taxidermy met die toestemming van Tim.  Dank aan Tim vir die bereidwilligheid om hul artikel te gebruik.