Pride of Africa Taxidermy prides itself on delivering the highest standard of work to our clients, but in order for us to do that, we require a well-prepped canvas, in other words, quality raw material. Animal skins, which form an integral part of the taxidermy process, can be classified as perishable goods and must be treated with care. By following some simple guidelines, damage such as hair slip can be avoided.
Shooting
At all costs, avoid shooting the head or neck. The holes that result are difficult to camouflage. Use full metal jacketed bullets (solids) on small animals.
Transportation of Carcass
Never drag the animal over the ground or onto the loading vehicle.
When loading the animal onto the hunting vehicle, use padding (dry grass or soft leafy branches) under the head and neck for protection. Cover the carcass to protect it from the sun (never use plastic).
Skinning
The animal must be skinned as soon as possible to prevent bacterial activity resulting in hair slip. It is important to ensure that all flesh is removed from the skin.
FOR FLATSKINS OR RUGS:
Cut from the tip of the tail along the center of the belly to the center of the chin to ensure an even color pattern.
CAPES FOR SHOULDER MOUNTS:
Cut a V-Line from the top of the head to the horns, cutting carefully around the horns without cutting off the hair. Then cut straight down the back of the neck to well behind the shoulders. Remove the cape by carefully skinning around the eyes, turning the ears, and splitting the lips.
For animals with manes, make the cut on the side that the mane is hanging to, down the back of the neck about 2 cm away from the mane. Otherwise, if the animal is to be mounted looking to the left, cut to the right of the mane.
Washing of Skins
Immediately after skinning, wash the skin thoroughly to remove all blood. Use cold fresh water with added bactericide, e.g., Phenol.
Salting & Drying of Skins
After drip-drying for a few minutes, the skin is ready for salting. Salt liberally, ensuring that you rub salt well into all the folds of the skin. Roll the salted skin up and leave it in a cool place. After 3-4 days, hang the skin to dry.
NOTE:
- Use pan salt rather than sea salt to prevent wrinkles and skin that does not stretch enough after tanning.
- Dry salt is better than brine (salt and water solution). If brine is used, it is essential to add bactericide.
- Salt only removes moisture; it does not remove bacteria. If you happen to put salt on a skin that is already bad and reuse the salt for a second skin, you will ruin the second skin as well.
- Ensure that skin is not in contact with metal while drying as rust stains are almost impossible to remove.
Transportation of Skins
Fresh wet skins must never be transported, as damage and hair slip can occur. Skins must always be at least partly dry before transportation. Pack skins in a bucket or similar open container. NEVER USE PLASTIC BAGS.
Cleaning of Skulls
Cut away as much flesh as possible and remove the eyes and brain. Fill the cranium with water and scratch out as much of the brain as possible, repeating the process a few times.
Leave the skull in a bucket of clean, cold water for a few days. Change the water daily to prevent discoloration of the skull.
Salt the skull well and leave to dry or cook the skull for a short while and remove all flesh. When you handle the skulls, whether you cook them or not, make sure not to damage any parts of the bone, especially the lip and nose bones. This is important especially in the case of European mounts.
Storing of Trophies
Store trophies in a cool, dry place. Use Karba-dust on the skins to keep insects away and naphthalene on the floor to keep rodents away. Deliver trophies to your taxidermist as soon as possible.