Every animal, fish or bird start to decompose immediately after the die. Bears and wolves are the worst. Small mammals, fish and birds can be frozen immediately. Do not gut!! Wrap air tight in plastic. Any blood should be washed off. Bullet holes should be stuffed with cotton. Make sure bird feathers are not bent.

There are many birds that cannot be taxidermied for personal use. For example chickadee, woodpeckers, herons, loons, and so song birds. Hawks, owls, and bluejays can be done with a MNR permit. Ducks, woodcocks, ect. can be done using your duck license. When in doubt, give us a call.

When you catch a trophy fish try not to lose any scales and protect the tail and fins. Rainbow trout and salmon caught in warm water can be bad for this. Even just laying them on the dock can cause damage. For any fish that you want to have done have a pillow case with salt in it with you, put the fish in it making sure the salt covers all the fish. The salt helps set the scales. When you get home wash all the salt off the fish, wrap tightly in plastic, then newspaper and freeze flat. Don't leave him in the freezer for very long. This goes for everything. They freezer burn.

**If you catch a large fish and can't afford to get it done and you're not going to eat it please release it.**

RUGS can be skinned out using a belly incision. Keep all cuts straight and centered. When cutting the legs keep the cut straight, start at the heel and go to the belly on the front legs and to the bum on the back legs. Do not skin out the head and don't cut the pads of the feet. When tagging the animal use a very tiny cut for the tag as to minimize damage.

LIFESIZE mounts should be skinned making the incision down the back. Before skinning measure from the tip of the nose to the base of the tail following the contours of the body and then measure the biggest circumference around the belly. Do not skin out the head. Chill out well before wrapping up and freezing.

GAMEHEADS should not be skinned out. Do not cut the cape to short or cut the throat. Cut the hide well behind the shoulders and brisket. Freeze! In the case of a large moose or elk make a Y cut behind the antlers, skin around the base until you can cut them off square leaving them attached to the skull plate. Freeze the head and clean up the skull plate so there is no rot. When freezing the head wrap the ears up extra well.

Again, when in doubt phone the taxidermist and get them to do the skinning for you. This  goes for anything. Treat your future mount like you would treat the meat. You wouldn't leave your steaks sitting on the garage floor or the ground.

RAW SKINS for tanning should be frozen or salter. Not both. If salting make sure the hide can drain and change the salt every day. Hides that are fleshed, stretched, and dried can be shipped parcel post. Take the cartilage out of the ears. Royalties must be paid and must be with the hides.

SHIPPING must be on a Monday. Make sure you phone us before you ship. No guarantee on shipping. Ship frozen, wrapped in plastic, then in pink insulation and put in a sturdy box. Mark box perishable, keep frozen. Include name, address, phone number and any measurements, royalties receipts, deposit, applicable licenses and instructions.