Drop Camps 
 
Thinking of a Drop Camp? I took the Pope & Young Caribou in the picture on the Taxidermy home page on a drop camp with Safari Nordik 1-800-361-3748. If you are a seasoned hunter drop camp's can be good and less expensive, but what if you shoot a trophy that you want to mount? No problem after you read this! (Take a copy with you.) 

1. Take a lot of pictures, then you can start to work. You need a flexible tape like they use in a fabric store and paper/pen. Write this on the paper:
• E-N=
• Neck=
• Neck 3" down=
• Nose to Rt antler burr=
• Nose to Lt burr=
2. These measurements this will get you a nice accurate shoulder mount. If you want a life size Email me and I will mail you a measurement form.
• Take a measurement from the front of the nose to the front corner of the eye (where it meets to go into tear duct) write this down as E-N=.
• Now right under the jaw to behind the ears (pull tape tight, I know you would like it to be the biggest possible but trust me pull it tight for your Taxidermist) write this down as the Neck=.
• Same place under the jaw but now drop down behind the ears about 3-4 inches pull tape tight and put this measurement at Neck 3' down=.
• Last but not least measure from the front of nose to the antler burr and write them down. This will assure you that when your Taxidermist places those antlers on the mannequin they are positioned in the right place. Remember the more information and care you provide your taxidermist the better the end results will be.
3. OK Now start skinning that trophy.
• First cut off the front legs at the knee joint, with a little care you can do this with a knife only, just cut the ligaments. Start about 5" behind the front legs (don't cut yourself short better to be long than short) and go all the way around and meet back at the belly.
• Grab a front leg and cut down the back side to the arm pit, from there go toward the rear and meet where you have already cut in the center of the animal. so from arm pit to arm pit it will be a "V" with the two ends meeting in the center at the rib cage.
• Now just pull up on the hide as you cut, keeping your knife next to the meat and not the hide ( you don't want to cut the hide if possible). Skin all the way up the neck as far as you can go ( should be close to the back of head as possible), cut through the meat until you get to the spinal column, go all the way around with your knife.
• Now start twisting the head clockwise until it breaks free. Now It is best to get this to the Taxidermist as soon as possible. OK Now what if you still have another week in the bush . . . hmmmmm.
4. The next step should be done by a Taxidermist but you can do it if you follow my instructions and go SLOW. Oh, while you are doing this tell your hunting bodies they can now start gutting and quartering up your trophy for the pack out. There are a lot of ways to do this but this is as easy as any.
• You will be making a "T" cut. The top of "T" will be between the two antlers and the long leg will be down the center of the back. Remember any hair you cut is gone FOREVER so be careful. You will need a pretty sharp knife, part the hair down to the skin line and cut from antler to antler.
• Next put your knife under the skin at the center and cut upwards till you get to where you cut off the neck (should only be about 5" or so).
• Now like before put upward pressure on hide and cut close to the meat (where the white hide meets the red meat) When you get near the ears just stay close to the skull and cut through the cartilage. When you get to the antlers be careful and pull and cut the hide away from the bone I like to use a dull screwdriver and sort of pry it away instead of cutting, just take your time this is not easy.
• Now we are near the eyes, take a minute and say a prayer, also ask one of your hunting buddies to kick you in the seat of your pants for not taking me on your trip!! Go slow put your finger in the eye socket and keep steady pressure away from the skull just cut close to the skull as you work your way down the face. You may have to jump back and forth between eyes as you work your way down. When in doubt leave as much on the hide as possible and let the Taxidermist clean it off later.
• Do the tear duct the same way, stay close to the Skull. Your knife should be right on the bone at all times on the face area.
• OK are you still with me, I bet you wish I was there now!! At this point I like to open the mouth and cut the gums loose at the teeth line upper and lower, and do the same as before, stay close to the skull and skin them loose.
• The lower jaw is pretty easy, just skin back until you get to the back of the jaw.
• The top is a little harder, we got a nose to deal with--no big deal--keep upwards pressure and cut through the cartilage where it meets the skull until you reach the bridge of the nose where it meets the skull and cut through the nose cartilage. It is now loose from the skull.
• OK flip the hide back over and just continue to skin down until it comes away from the skull. See that was not so bad was it!
5. Now we have a set of antlers to deal with, (you will need a saw for this) stand head up on its nose, cut away the meat at the back till you get to the skull, now cut from the back of skull to the center of the eye socket. Now from the top cut down through the eye socket and it will pop off.
6. You are now done and ready to pack out. Keep the Hide as cold as possible, cutting off as much meat as you can when you get back to camp.