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Guide to Taxidermy 



Mounting Deer Heads 





The instructions that follow apply equally well 

 for mounting any kind of an animal head, large or 

 small. 



Before skinning the head, take measurements 

 from the base of the horns to the end of nose, cir- 

 cumference of neck at smallest part and also lower 

 down, at about the point that you decide to cut it 

 off. 



Skinning — All horned animals must be opened 

 down the back of the neck, and must never be split 

 up the throat. Start from between the horns and 

 make a clean cut down the middle of the neck to 

 the shoulders ; thence around the neck both sides, 

 meeting at the base of the fore-neck. This wih 

 leave plenty of skin to work with, no matter how 

 long or short you may afterward decide to have the 

 neck on your specimen. Most guides and market- 

 men make the mistake of leaving too little of the 

 neck and the taxidermist is often forced to make 

 his mount fit the skin without regard to its best ef- 

 fect. 



From the opening cuts you have made, gradually 

 fold the skin back, cutting it away from the flesh 

 with a keen-edged skinning knife; this work re- 



