In Saskatchewan, there are ample opportunities to hunt large game such as moose and bear. Many hunters choose to have their game taxidermied to celebrate a successful hunt and preserve the memory of their experience.
Follow these tips below to guarantee that your mount will be a magnificent representation of your hunting achievement!
Find Your Taxidermist Beforehand
If you’re going for a big trophy, you’ll likely want to invest in a great souvenir to honour your accomplishments. Do some research before you head out to the field. This way, you won’t end up rushing to decide after you’ve taken down an animal and end up dissatisfied with the final product. Evaluate each person’s work and choose someone whose methods and display appeal to you.
Once you find the right taxidermist for your taste and needs, contact them or look at their website for specific tips on prepping your game. Each one will be different, so consulting them beforehand will allow you to provide them with the best tools to carry out their technique and get you the mount you’re looking for.
Pay Attention to How You Skin Your Game
Where and how much your skin will depend on the mount you want—shoulder, half, full, etc. One of the most common mistakes hunters make is cutting the cape of their animal too short. You want to leave your taxidermist some extra room to work with. Leaving about 1½ feet of excess skin is the standard recommendation.
You also want to ensure you’re cutting up, not down, through the skin and from the inside out. This will prevent you from cutting any of the root hairs and leave the coat in ideal condition for preservation.
Freeze the Hide After Field Prepping
Once you’ve finished preparing your game, you always want to take the time to let the hide cool properly. Be sure to use a game bag during this process. If you put a warm carcass in a garbage bag, you’ll just end up cooking it. Your best option is to freeze the hide immediately after cooling to keep it as intact as possible for your taxidermist.
If you can freeze the hide quickly, don’t salt it. Salting can interfere with freezing and cause other issues, particularly for large game in which the salt may not be able to penetrate the excess meat and fat of the hide fully. Only use salt if you can’t immediately get your game to a freezer.
At Lawrence Bay Lodge, we offer guided moose hunting trips and plenty of accommodations and resources for hunters of all kinds! Our large hunting area in Northern Saskatchewan offers a remarkable opportunity for taking down bear and bull moose and walking away with the satisfaction of an outstanding trophy.
Contact us today at (701)262-4560 to learn more about our hunting trips and the other adventures we offer to make your next vacation a thrill!
