How To?

🦌 How-To: Field Dress a Whitetail Deer (When Planning a Shoulder Mount)

If you’re planning to have your whitetail mounted, how you handle the deer in the field makes a big difference in the final quality of your mount. Follow these simple steps to protect your trophy and ensure your taxidermist has the best hide possible to work with.

Step 1: Tag Your Deer Immediately

Before anything else, legally tag your deer. Take a moment to admire your harvest, then get ready to begin field dressing as soon as possible to keep the meat and cape cool.

Step 2: Position the Deer

Lay the deer on its back with the head slightly elevated. Avoid dragging the animal by the neck or shoulders — this can cause hair loss and bruising around the shoulder area that will affect your mount.

Step 3: Start the Incision Carefully

Make your first cut from the breastbone down to the anus, stopping well short of the brisket and shoulders.
⚠️ Do not cut up into the chest or neck area — those cuts will ruin a good cape for mounting.

Step 4: Remove the Internal Organs

Work slowly, using short, controlled cuts. Roll the organs out carefully, cutting connective tissue as needed. Avoid puncturing the stomach or intestines — this helps keep your cape clean and reduces odor or staining.

Step 5: Keep Blood Off the Cape

If blood or fluids spill onto the hide, wipe them off with a clean rag or snow. The cleaner the cape, the better the final mount will look.

Step 6: Leave Plenty of Cape for Mounting

If you’re not skinning the deer yourself:

• Stop your cuts behind the front shoulders.

• Do not cut up the neck or around the brisket.

• Let your taxidermist handle skinning around the head and shoulders — that ensures the proper cuts for a shoulder mount.

If you plan to cape it yourself, cut a full circle around the body 6–8 inches behind the front legs, then skin forward toward the head, leaving plenty of hide.

Step 7: Cool It Down

Get the deer to a cool, shaded area as soon as possible. If temperatures are above 40°F, prop open the chest cavity to allow air circulation. Never store your deer in a plastic bag — it traps heat and moisture that can cause hair slip.

Step 8: Contact Your Taxidermist Promptly

If possible, deliver the head and cape to your taxidermist within 24 hours. If you can’t, freeze the cape in a clean plastic bag (hair side out) until you can bring it in. The sooner we receive your cape, the better the final results.

Pro Tip

“Treat the mount as if it was yours and if you were going to hang it on your own wall.”
— Starrett’s Taxidermy Guideline