A lifesize full mount of a Nyala bull. (Source: Africa hunting)
There is a distinction between preparing a carcass for a full-mount trophy and preparing a flat skin because full-mount trophies should have as few cuts as possible visible on the finished mount. In addition, no part of the skin may be removed or cut off. The technique outlined below should be followed:
A. Making the Incisions
Turn the animal over and make primary cut A from the tip of the breastbone along the centre of the chest, over the middle of the stomach, directly alongside the penis and scrotum in males, and up to the tip of the tail. Only in cats and other carnivores is this incision prolonged, as when skinning for a flat skin by cutting through the middle of the underside of the neck to the centre of the lower lip. Cut B and C at the back of the leg, beginning at the base of the hooves. Follow the back of the leg to the heel and digital joints, then continue to the inside of the leg systematically such that the cuts meet opposite cut A. Cuts B and C are done for cats and other carnivores as described for flat skin. Cut D is made in all animals with horns in the same manner as specified for a shoulder mount trophy. This cut can be prolonged from the V-shape at the base of the horns on the back of the head up the upper neck until the skinned head and horns can be removed through this cut in the skin. As a result, it does not have to be as lengthy as a shoulder mount trophy.
B. Skinning, Tagging or Marking, and Salting the Skin
- The skinning procedure is the same as for flat skins and head skins. Antelope hooves are peeled to the last foot bone. Cats and other carnivores’ paws are skinned in the same way that flat skin is.
- Tag or mark the skin at this stage, as was described for flat skin, by tying the tag directly next to the tail for proper identification.
- Wash the skin thoroughly in cold water, hang it in the shade to allow all excess water to drain off, and salt it as was described for flat skin. Then dry, fold and store the skin as was described for a flat skin.
Larger Mammals: Rug Mounts
A hyena rug mount with its head attached.
Rug mounts are widely used to display carnivore trophies. It entails mounting the animal’s head while it is still linked to the remainder of the skin. The skin is tanned and mounted as a unit of the customer’s preferred felt liner. The animal is skinned in the same manner as a flat skin for this sort of mount. However, in this situation, the head is likewise skinned as specified for flat skin. Skinning the eyes, ears, mouth, and nose should be done with the same attention as flat skin and shoulder mount trophies. Because the whisker hair roots are located on the inside of the upper lip, special attention should be taken when treating it. This has been explained in terms of flat skin processing. The skin is now marked, salted, dried, and preserved in the same way as flat skin is. However, it is critical to avoid losing the skull.
A. The Treatment of Horns and Skulls
The skulls and bones should be well cleaned, but they should not be sawed or boiled. Most trophy skulls will be destroyed by this. Remove the lower jaw and clean the entire top half of the skull, taking care not to lose any parts of the skull, especially the teeth. This strategy is essential when dealing with European hunters who place a high value on horns that are merely mounted on a wooden shield as a trophy. By conserving the entire skull, a long nose mount, a full skull mount with no lost teeth, or the more common short-cut mount are all possibilities. Furthermore, by maintaining the full skull, the taxidermist’s job is made much easier when producing a shoulder mount. For a shoulder mount, each taxidermist cuts the skull at a different angle, therefore it is preferable to obtain a complete skull that can be chopped according to the specific style to be utilised.
B. Tagging or Marking the Horns
The horns should be branded as soon as the skin is removed, but certainly before the cleaning procedure begins. The label can be attached to the horn of most animals without fear of it migrating to the tip and slipping off. A label should preferably be attached to a suitable place on the skull of other animals, such as the steenbok, blue wildebeest, black wildebeest, and African savanna buffalo, or it may be attached by looping a cord or a piece of non-rust wire around the bases of both horns.
C. Cleaning the Skull
Remove all of the meat from the skull before removing the tongue. Remove the lower jaw as well, unless the animal is a cat or another type of carnivore. At this point, the brains must also be removed. This can be accomplished by vigorously shaking them with a stick through the spinal cord aperture, or foramen magnum, at the base of the skull. Fill the braincase with water, agitate thoroughly, and then shake off any leftover brain tissue through the aperture. If necessary, this procedure can be done multiple times. The brains must be removed at this stage because they are high in fat, which will be absorbed by the bone when cooked later. After you have removed everything, put the skull in a plastic container and fill it with cold water. During the first day, the water will suck the majority of the remaining blood from the skull. To help eliminate the blood more quickly, salt can be added to the water. After the first day, replace the water with clean water and leave the skull in it for a few days.
The cleaning period of the cranium will be determined by the ambient temperature. Warm water will hasten the procedure. Allow the meat to partially degrade. Once some decomposition has occurred, the skull may be boiled for a brief period, but only until the meat begins to separate from the bone. By utilising this process, no blood is absorbed into the bone, and the skull bleaches completely white. Remember to keep the plastic container clean because rust and grime will permanently taint the bone. When boiling the skull, take care not to let the horns catch fire in the flames on the edge of the pot. When a taxidermist chooses an unboiled skull, the skull is prepared as previously stated before boiling. Before boiling the skull, all of its hollow portions are prepped as previously stated. The hollow sections of the skull are then filled with salt. The skull is now placed in a clean, rust-free container, and the entire bony portion of the skull is covered with salt. Before being removed to dry, the skull is placed in the container for 2-3 days. Never use the same salt twice, and throw any salt right away to avoid temptation in an emergency.
When boiling the skull, add 250 ml of sodium perborate per 10 litres of water to obtain a truly white skull. This will be available at most chemical wholesalers. Remember that if you boil the skull for too long, it will crumble.
D. Removing the Horn Casings
After boiling the skull for a brief time, it should be possible to readily detach the horn casings from the cores of a greater kudu, gemsbok, blesbok, sable antelope, or Nyala. It is possible to accomplish this by gently wrapping the horn in a cloth, tightening it in a vice, and then pushing it back and forth until it becomes loose. The horn cores can then be sawn off at an appropriate length so that the horn can be readily put back into place. At least one-third of the horn core should remain attached to the skull. This step is optional unless you are directly handling the client’s trophies or the trophies need to be packed for shipment to a taxidermist later on. A wildlife rancher or hunting outfitter should never consider doing this unless it is done directly under his supervision. This is because there are various risks involved:
- The horn casings may become mixed up.
- The horns can be damaged in the vice.
- If the horn casings are not placed back on their cores within a few hours and they are not checked continually to ensure that they are in the correct position, they may shrink. The horn casings should therefore never be dried separately from their cores.
- The skull can be damaged.
E. Further Skull Treatment
Attach the lower jaw of a cat or other carnivore in the proper place concerning the skull. This keeps the small incisors from falling out. Attach any loose skull bones tightly to the skull, or put them in a bag tied to the skull with twine so they do not go lost. Dip the head in an insecticide, as suggested for treating insect-infested skin. Alternatively, lightly sprinkle the skull with pesticide powder.
Storing the horns and skulls:
Store the horns and skulls in a storeroom in such a way that any moisture from the horns does not fall onto treated skin. Use a skull or horn salt pan that is properly protected from carnivores away from the skins.
F. Preparing the Feet
Because feet degrade quickly, it is critical to skin and manage them properly. Carnivore claws will fall out if decomposition occurs. It is also critical that the length of the feet be cut according to the client’s preferences.
Elephant, rhinoceros and hippopotamus feet:
Elephant’s feet made into an umbrella stand.
These animals’ feet can be peeled without needing to cut them open across the back. To save time and effort, it is best to cut them along the back to the soles of the feet and then skin them. Make sure the feet are skinned to the last bone in the toes. The meat and fat must be removed down to the soles. Salt them thoroughly, fold them up, and set them aside to dry in the shade. Allow a taxidermist to dry the foot in its natural state rather than attempting to do it yourself.
Burchell’s zebra, African savanna buffalo and antelope feet:
Cut the back open down to the base of the hoof. Now remove the bones with all their meat and fat down to the last bone in the hoof. Salt it well and allow it to dry in the shade.
The paws of cats and other types of carnivores:
The paws are part of the trophy regardless of whether the client wishes to maintain it as a flat skin, process it as a rug mount, or prepare it as a full mount. As a result, the paws must be skinned and treated properly. Paws are not normally cut away from the skin, but rather form part of it. The cut is an extension of cuts B and C, which at this point divide the pad in two at the back of the paws. The cut extends along the front of the pad until it reaches the recess between the front of the pad and the toes. Turn the skin inside out and clean each toe carefully to where the last toe bone is linked to the claw. Cut the skin loose at this point and remove the excess fat, paying special attention to the tissue on the inside of the pad. Cut the skin around the claws loose so that the salt can seep into all regions of the paws, but do not remove the claws.
While the paw is still turned inside out, liberally salt it. Rub salt into all of the components. The paw can be dried while inside out or returned to its original orientation and stuffed with salt. Normally, a paw takes longer to dry than the rest of the skin. It is best to cushion the paw with clean, dry grass or straw to allow for appropriate ventilation and faster drying.
Small Mammals
Small grey fox in a full body mount.
Small mammals can be skinned using the same method as indicated for a full mount of a cat or other carnivore. When skinning a tiny creature, the cuts are made in the same way, but a smaller knife with a sharp point, or even a pair of sharp medical scissors, is used. However, considerably more care should be taken to avoid tearing the skin to bits. If the bottom of the skin is slick, rub it with dry maize flour to absorb moisture and provide a stronger grip when separating the skin with the fingers.
A tiny mammal is skinned as stated for a cat’s flat skin and any other carnivore. Do not cut off toes, but rather make a carnivore-style cut under the foot. Skin and prepare the head as if it were a cat. Mark, salt, dry, and store the skin in the same manner as specified for flat skin. The skull must be preserved. Because many taxidermists want the skull for a full or rug mount, clean and preserve it. Small mammals can also be frozen intact for an extended period and given to the taxidermist in this state.
Protecting the Skin Against Insects
Karba powder insecticide used by taxidermists to protect trophies from insects.
There are numerous products on the market, and a dealer can be consulted to find an appropriate insecticide. Karba power is an excellent product that is popular among taxidermists. It is applied from a container with a lid, such as a pepper pot. The most important thing to remember while using pesticides is that certain liquid poisons might interfere with skin tanning. As a result, never apply poison on damp skin. It is also not advisable to soak the skin in poison before gaining the requisite expert information about the poison and the procedures for applying it. Formalin should never be used to preserve a trophy in any location or at any stage. Formalin will damage your skin. If sodium fluoro-silicate must be used, it must be done under strict supervision. Furthermore, a 1:5000 diluted weak solution purchased on veterinary prescription should be used. 10% salt must be added to the volume of water utilised. As a general rule of thumb, 0.5 kilograms of salt per 5 l of water is safe. Bacteria may grow on skin that has been immersed in a salt-free solution for more than an hour, accelerating eventual hair loss. After being removed from the solution, skins that have been soaked in a liquid for any period should be salted again and dried as if new. Immersion of raw skin in insecticide is thus exceedingly dangerous. As a result, this approach of insect or microbial control should be employed only when essential. The chance of hair loss increases every time bare skin gets wet.
Beaver mount which has been severely damaged by insects.
The most damaging to trophies is the Dermestes spp., which is a skin beetle and other types of moth larvae that live in skin hair and damage it. Fortunately, they are simple to manage. The simplest and safest technique of bug management is to maintain the storeroom clean, never leave raw meat or fat lying around, and routinely dust the floor and racks with Karba powder. When the skin is completely dry, immediately before folding it, sprinkle it on both sides with Karba powder. Repeat this step monthly. Remove any excess raw skins and horns because these attract flies and provide an ideal habitat for rats.
Documentation
The professional hunter and the wildlife rancher should be familiar with the required documentation regarding trophy hunting. The following are applicable for trophy hunting:
A. CITES Regulations
The wildlife rancher or professional hunter must be familiar with the current provisions of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) that apply to the animals for sale. The CITES agreement is internationally recognised by the countries that have signed on to it. It specifies that all animals mentioned in Schedule I may be exported from the country of origin only when the country of destination has received an import permit. However, petitions for such import permissions are rarely regarded favourably by the member countries. As a result, exporting such awards is nearly impossible. These rules have an impact on some species and subspecies in South Africa. Because restrictions change from time to time, it is best to contact local conservation authorities regularly to receive the most up-to-date information. When an animal of this type is engaged, this information should be communicated to the client ahead of time. The client should also be asked to apply for the requisite import permit in his own country and to carry it with him on safari if at all possible.
B. Trophy List
It is critical to end the safari with a formal trophy list signed by both the client and the wildlife rancher or hunting outfitter. This list should be given to the client, and another copy should be submitted with the trophies to the taxidermist. All specific wildlife ranchers or hunting outfitters’ trophy lists should have sequential serial numbers. Each list should have the following details:
- The name and address of the client.
- The address to which the trophies should be shipped.
- A complete list specifying each item of each trophy that the client expects to receive.
- Detailed instructions concerning the preparation of the trophies when the taxidermy is being done locally.
- A number that is attached to each item of each trophy of a specific client, except when a special number or name tag has already been used for this purpose.
C. Veterinary Documentation
Certain veterinary restrictions apply to the export of certain animals and their products from particular places. This must be pre-approved by the local state veterinarian. If a document is required to transfer a product from a specific area, it should be secured ahead of time because it must accompany the trophy to the taxidermist. Products subject to these regulations are not permitted to be exported until a proper document is presented.
D. Conservation Documents
Three conservation documents are really important. They are as follows:
- Export permit – When an export permit for an animal product from a certain location or area is necessary, such documentation should accompany the trophy items. It may, however, be sent individually to the destination.
- Hunting licences and letters of exemption – The trophies must be accompanied by the original or copies of these documents. Without the documents, the export agent will be unable to get export permits for trophies.
- Ivory registration – All ivory should be registered with the nearest conservation authority in advance. Ivory may not be transported or exported unless it has been registered in this manner, and the trophy’s owner must have the necessary registration certificate.
Packing
Trophies should be carefully packed into wooden crates for shipment.
Once all the formalities are done, the trophy may be packed for shipment to a taxidermist. The following guidelines are important when packing a trophy for shipment:
- Ensure that all the trophies are labelled, especially if there is any chance of confusion.
- Ensure that all the horns and skins are completely dry before they are packed for dispatch. If there is no other option than to transport wet skin, it should be placed in a plastic bag.
- The trophy must be packed in a sturdy container so that the horns and skull are not damaged in transit. Preferably use a wooden crate that can be sealed properly so that small items do not fall out. There are also specially designed, sturdy cardboard boxes available commercially for this purpose.
- Secure the trophies firmly in the crate. It is advised to pack the skins at the bottom and the horns on top. Use packing material between the skulls so that they do not break. Ensure that all the contents are firmly secured, and anchor them with one or more cross-struts so that they do not move around.
- Long horns that have been removed from the horn cores can be packed easily in a much smaller container.
- Ensure the contents of the consignment against damage and loss.
- Forward a copy of the consignment note and all the necessary documentation by registered mail to the addressee immediately.
- Follow the specifications for packing as laid down by the relevant transport authority when making use of its services. These specifications are usually available on request from the head office.
It is advised to consult a taxidermist, as this was just an overview of the basic handling of trophies.