Here are some of the basics for the field to preserve your trophy for a quality mount.

Large Game

1. Make sure you skin your large game as soon as possible. If you are unable to skin it, freeze it, or get it to your taxidermist ASAP!
2. Make sure when skinning, that you leave enough skin for the taxidermist to work with.
3. Don't slit the throat of the animal to bleed it out. The animal likely has bled out from the gunshot, and any remaining blood will be drained when you gut and hang the animal.
4. Look for any distinguishable characteristics on your trophy, and take pictures to give your taxidermist so they can recreate that characteristic in the finished mount.
5. Clean as much blood off the horns, antlers, and hair of your trophy.
6. Don’t drag the animal, this can cause hair breakage or damage.
7. Take measurements if you can.
8. When skinning, don't clean or wipe your knife off on the animal. You could damage the fur.
9. Don’t worry about holes, in most cases the taxidermist can fix them. If the cape is destroyed, your taxidermist will tell you.
10. Keep skin out of sunlight.
11. Talk to your taxidermist about proper handling and skinning for the mount you want.

Small Game

1. It's best not to skin the animal.
2. Never put a still warm animal in a plastic bag.
3. Freeze the animal whole and take to your taxidermist.
4. Talk to your taxidermist about proper handling.

Birds

1. If you down a bird, and want it mounted, retrieve the bird yourself. Dogs can be a little rough.
2. Don't wring the birds neck. This damages the feathers and skin of the neck, and can be noticable in the finished mount. Squeeze the breast until the bird succumbs.
3. Don't carry the bird by the neck. This can cause the feathers to fall out, or slip.
4. Remove any blood from the feathers as soon as possible.
5. Stick bird in a stocking, with it's head tucked into the wing, and tail unwrapped. Freeze. This keeps the feathers from getting damaged.

Fish

1. When landed, cover whole fish in borax. This keeps the color in.
2. Wrap fins in paper towels.
3. Wrap whole fish in a towel.
4. Put wrapped fish in a plastic bag.
5. Get whole fish into a freezer as soon as possible.
6. Don't skin or gut the fish yourself, get it to a taxidermist.

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