# looking for advice



## Thumb Hunter (Mar 16, 2009)

Headed to Montana next week hoping to connect with a mulie. If I am successful, what do I need to do with the cape, skull, and rack in order to leaally transport it back to Michigan and to get it to a taxidermist in good condition?

Thanks in advance, and i aplolgize if this question has been asked before.


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## wildsideoutdoors (Aug 27, 2011)

Montana does not show up on the list of states affected:

Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, South Dakota, Utah, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, New York, Alberta, or Saskatchewan.

NRC order still requires that any meat that comes from a state or province where free-ranging deer or elk with a CWD have been found must be de-boned with any excess tissue or blood removed.


http://michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10363_10856-73145--,00.html


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## Thumb Hunter (Mar 16, 2009)

Thanks for the info,but does anyone have any suggestions as for care for the cape to hold off decomposition before i get it back to the taxidermist


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## neil duffey (Feb 22, 2004)

Thumb Hunter said:


> Thanks for the info,but does anyone have any suggestions as for care for the cape to hold off decomposition before i get it back to the taxidermist


one of the MOST important things you can do, no matter the animal, is cape it out as SOON as possible! depending on the taxidermist, make sure you know how they prefer to receive the cape, before you go... i for instance, much prefer a short Y incision, as opposed to a long/split, or 7 incision... different strokes for different folks you know. then clean any excess "chunks" of meat you can, and get it frozen asap!!! as the taxidermist you plan to bring your trophy to, if they prefer you salt it prior to freezing. you COULD get a box of 20 mule team borax, and sprinkle that heavily on the flesh side of the cape... it never hurts. or pick up a bottle of stop rot and apply it liberally, again to the flesh side, before freezing it. make sure to look into if the state is indeed on the cwd list or not, and this will dictate if you can leave the skull in the hide, so that the taxi can take proper measurements, if its not an option, ask the specific taxi you plan to bring it to, what precise measurements he/she may want you to take, and take them on the deer, prior to skinning it out. i say this because iv worked w a few who take different measurements than others, and i my self take more than most... as do some of my colleagues. best of luck and im sure some will brush you up on what i missed, seeing as i do mostly birds atm. most important, show us some pics of that harvest!!! i am obsessed w/ mulies and prongers... love the things we cant get here in MI.


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## taxidermist72 (Oct 24, 2010)

neil duffey said:


> one of the MOST important things you can do, no matter the animal, is cape it out as SOON as possible! depending on the taxidermist, make sure you know how they prefer to receive the cape, before you go... i for instance, much prefer a short Y incision, as opposed to a long/split, or 7 incision... different strokes for different folks you know. then clean any excess "chunks" of meat you can, and get it frozen asap!!! as the taxidermist you plan to bring your trophy to, if they prefer you salt it prior to freezing. you COULD get a box of 20 mule team borax, and sprinkle that heavily on the flesh side of the cape... it never hurts. or pick up a bottle of stop rot and apply it liberally, again to the flesh side, before freezing it. make sure to look into if the state is indeed on the cwd list or not, and this will dictate if you can leave the skull in the hide, so that the taxi can take proper measurements, if its not an option, ask the specific taxi you plan to bring it to, what precise measurements he/she may want you to take, and take them on the deer, prior to skinning it out. i say this because iv worked w a few who take different measurements than others, and i my self take more than most... as do some of my colleagues. best of luck and im sure some will brush you up on what i missed, seeing as i do mostly birds atm. most important, show us some pics of that harvest!!! i am obsessed w/ mulies and prongers... love the things we cant get here in MI.


Neil nailed it:

Ask your taxdermist how he wants it, if he can't answer EVERY question that you have, then you better move on down the road. A mulie may be a once in a lifetime trophy and you do not want to make a mess of it. I would recomend that you get it to a butcher shop asap and ask if he knows how to properly cape a deer. If you trust him, let him skin it and let him freeze it. Most butcher shops have space available for people just like you.

For transport home, DO NOT LET THE SKIN GET WET! Do not lay the deer on the ice. DO NOT PUT IN BLACK BAG. 

double white bag it and put a liner down between your ice and you animal.

did I say DO NOT LET THE SKIN GET WET?

YES

Good luck on your hunt


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## Doug Bridges (Oct 10, 2010)

Better yet. Pay a taxidermist out there $100 or so to cape flesh and salt it. Salt and let drain over night then keep it open to air for the ride home. I would gladly knock the hundy off on my end for the mount. 
My concern with you caping a deer out is experience. Hell come on in to the village taxidermist and I will train you to cape a deer out right for an hours pay.

_OutdoorHub Mobile, the information engine of the outdoors_


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## wildsideoutdoors (Aug 27, 2011)

If you can't get it to a taxidermist like Doug said, get it frozen or keep it as cold as possible. Try to wipe off as much blood and moisture as possible and keep it from getting wet. If you ice it down or have it in a cooler for the travel, put both the cape and the ice in seperate bags to keep any water from the cape.

Bacteria begins from the time the animal goes down and heat and moisture are your worst enemies.


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## Thumb Hunter (Mar 16, 2009)

Thanks guys I appreciate all your help, if I'm successful I'll be sure to post some pics


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