Whitetails ~ Gameheads

Skulls are cleaned using our Dermestid beetles and professionally degreased, whitened, & sealed with museum grade sealant.  

We clean  our skulls in house & can clean most any type of skull that fits in beetle tank (larger animals please contact us). 

All non-rotten skulls are beetle cleaned; degreased; whitened; sealed with museum sealant. Hangers or plaques sold for additional price. 

Whitetail (or similar size antlered & non-antlered) $150

Antelope (or similar size with horns) $175

Elk/Moose, etc with large antlers please contact us.  Some will fit in with beetles and some will have to be done differently - pricing varies. 

Minimum $230

Boar (& family) - $130

Cattle (& family) - minimum $280 (varies on size)

Bear - minimum $180 (varies on size)

Badger, Bobcat, Coyote, Fox, Opossum, Raccoon, Otter - $95

Beaver (VERY oily) - $105

Mink, Rabbit, Squirrels - $70

Spoonbill Catfish - $250

Birds (please call to discuss pricing) - you MUST have the proper paperwork for Migratory Birds

****Base skull cleaning - beetle cleaned only & disinfected only 

(not degreased/whitened) - call for reduced pricing 

(example - deer skull $100 instead of $150)  

ROTTEN SKULLS WILL NOT BE TAKEN - IF SKULL MEAT IS "QUESTIONABLE" THERE WILL BE A MINIMUM $50 EXTRA LABOR FEE ADDED TO BASE SKULL CLEANING PRICE - WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO REFUSE OR CHARGE EXTRA FOR ANY SKULL IN THIS CONDITION. 

Antler Staining for bleached antlers - $50/hr 

Antler Repair - $50/hr 

Skull Antiquing (uses a base metallic spray with antiquing over paint) & then sealed $85 additional cost to skull cleaning price. 

Custom metal skull hangers available for $15.  

Habitats and panels available for additional cost. 

Turkey Tail with Standard Plaque  $150 (includes beard, feet)

Turkey Tail with Wings with Standard Plaque   $350. (includes beard, feet) (shown in picture above)

Other birds mounts:

At this time, due to Covid, training was postponed; bird mounts will be offered and prices will be updated on Facebook and Website once available.  If you are interested, please contact me and see what we can do.  

What makes a big difference in what your final mount will look like?  FIELD CARE AND CARE UNTIL IN THE HANDS OF THE TAXIDERMIST!

If you are UNSURE, about caping out your animal, PLEASE contact us!  Some damages and improper cuts cannot be fixed and a replacement cape will be required.   

Please DO NOT cut all the way down the back when caping. Please make sure to give me enough brisket and armpit/shoulder.  It is better to give me too much cape than not enough.  I prefer if you just make the cuts like pictured above.  Again call if unsure.  I PREFER to cape out the head myself.  Taxidermists know how to properly cut around the antlers, eyes, ears, nose and mouth.  If done improperly this could result in additional fees for additional labor involved to repair mistakes.  

THE FASTER YOU GET YOUR BUCK GUTTED, AND CHILLED AND IN MY HANDS - THE BETTER!  Every minute you stall, hang, take pictures and so forth in any temps 35 degrees and above you risk bacteria breakdown.  This can result in slipping of the hair and other irreversible damages.  

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When you’re out in the field with a prize buck that you want to get mounted, there are several crucial steps you need to be aware of to ensure it’s in the best condition for the taxidermist. Here are some top tips for getting your buck from the field to the taxidermist in a few simple steps.Big game, such as deer, should immediately be field dressed.   Do not slit the throat or neck in any manner.  Be sure to stop your field dressing incision behind the front legs (see picture above.)   IF you intend to do a full body mount, do not remove any parts that we will need when you field dress it - please call us and let us guide you or bring it to us. Always lift the animal off the ground to move it, or place it on a tarp if dragging is necessary.  This will prevent damage to the hair or fur. 

Always take your time when skinning your trophy, always use a sharp blade and always cut from the flesh side (never the hair side) so as not to cut the hair fibres in half. Make a cut around the midsection, keeping well back from the back of the shoulders (fig2A).  One of the biggest mistakes is the tendency to cut too far forward on the brisket. Slack and adjustments for shoulder mounts are dictated by the brisket length so leave plenty. The diagram above shows the cut behind the shoulder, but it’s best to make your cut at the mid-abdomen section of the animal.

The following cuts should be just above or at the first knuckle or knee of the animal (fig2B). The most effective method is to ‘tube’ the cape up to the back of the head. Stop approximately 2-3 inches from the back of the head where the spine and skull meet and cut the skull from the spine (fig3). The other optional, but inadvisable, cut is directly up the spine-line, stopping at the skull. This cut is very easy to mess up so it’s best to refrain from doing this in the field unless absolutely necessary.

After skinning the cape lay it out, hair-side down and let the flesh-side cool. After the heat has gone from the cape, fold it over on itself, roll it up (hair side out) with the head inside the roll, double bag it,  get it cold and get it to your taxidermist immediately. Bacterial damage starts immediately.  The fact that your specimen is not slipping hair does not mean it has not begun to deteriorate.  If temperatures are close to freezing, you can safely hold your animal one day before getting it it to your taxidermist.  But if it will be a few days before doing this get it into freezer.  To avoid freezer burn of delicate facial/ear tissue, again make sure the cape is covering the face/ears when you bag it.  Always double bag it removing as much air/water as possible.  This will help minimize freezer burn.  Besides bacteria setting in, freezer burn around eye tissue, on ears, and nose/mouth are very damaging to the tissue.  If you choose to take your trophy to a locker for processing, be certain to give the locker complete instructions about your trophy.  Find out exactly when it will be ready for pick-up and if it will be refrigerated or frozen.  Never assume it will be handled properly.  Be prompt in picking up your trophy and delivering it to your taxidermist.

1. Keep the cape clean: Sometimes it’s next to impossible, but a clean cape free of debris and large chunks of meat are much appreciated and facilitates prepping the cape for form mounting.

2. When in doubt, leave more: Don’t try and guess where the skin needs to be cut for the minimum amount needed for the form. More is better! Granted, more skin equals more weight for the pack out, but it could save you money if the cape ends up being too short and additional work is needed for patching or moderate/major repairs.  Some of the biggest mistakes are in the brisket areas…cut well back from the brisket areas.

3. Leave the head in: Unless you are proficient in removal of the skin over the head don’t try and attempt this yourself in the field. Eye, nose, lip, ear, and scent gland membranes must be retained for adequate and effective mounting. The best practice is to leave the head/skull in the cape and deliver to your taxidermist so they can take care of the final removal.

1. Cutting too close to the brisket or damaging the armpit/shoulder areas:  When gutting, it’s a common mistake to come too far up and cut into the brisket skin, inadvertently splitting part of the cape. Or cutting off the armpit area or putting holes in that area.  This requires repairs by the taxidermist and can cause potential problems, especially for early season/warm weather animals that carry shorter hair. 

2. Not making the round/midsection cut far enough back: Stay at least 4-6 inches back from the shoulder blades when cutting around the mid-section for the cape removal to ensure you have enough skin to cover a shoulder mount form.

3. Incorrectly cutting lines or using a dull knife: If you decide to make the cut up the back of the neck line, make sure your animal is squared up. A ‘wavy’ cut or one that goes down just one side of the neck presents potential problems and more work for the taxidermist. The best practice is to ‘glove’ the neck and leave the cut up to your taxidermist. Use the sharpest knife you can, a dull knife will make rough cuts and damage to the skin and hair.

4. Not cooling the cape down: Capes spoil almost quickly so make sure to cool it as soon as possible. Keep it cold (either in a freezer or ice)  and get it to the taxidermist within 24-48 hours.

See our Blog Post About this for Images:

At Feather Creek Taxidermy, we offer a product for customer use that, when applied twice a year, deters insect infestation, makes cleaning easy, restores natural sheen, and repels dirt.  We also offer a UV/Artificial Light protectant to minimize fading of your mounts over time.   Ask about it & pricing when you stop by to visit us! 

• Your mount will look best at eye level and with adequate lighting.  However, avoid direct sunlight.
• Use a screw that has a large enough head to lock into the hanger where it will not slip off.
• Anchor your screw securely in a wall stud.
• Do not hold your mount by the neck when hanging it; you will push the hair backwards. Place one hand under the brisket (or panel) and the other on the antlers.

• Dust weekly with a soft, dry cloth.
• About four times a year, sweep the mount down with a soft brush attachment on a household vacuum sweeper.  As long as you sweep in the direction the hair lies, you will not hurt your mount.  After you have swept your mount, you may use a soft cloth lightly dampened with water on the entire mount.  Do not do this unless you have just swept the mount, as otherwise you will turn the dust into mud.
• If needed, you may occasionally lightly dampen the cloth with water to remove all dust from the nose and eyes.

• Occasionally sweep the mount down with a soft brush attachment on a household vacuum sweeper.
• After sweeping, re-fluff the fur with a hair dryer on cool.
• If needed, you may occasionally lightly dampen a cloth with water to remove all dust from the nose and eyes.

• Simply dust weekly with a soft cloth.  It may be dry or slightly dampened with plain water.
• Do not use paper products such as paper towels or tissues.
• Never use dusting compounds (such as Pledge) or products such as Windex or Sparkle.

• Dust weekly.  The best thing to use is a wool duster.  If a wool duster is not available, simply dust with a soft, dry cloth.

• Gently blow the dust out of the habitat using a hair drier set on cool.
• After many years habitats can be refurbished if necessary.

 It is far, far better to keep up with the cleaning than to let it get bad and then try to get it clean again.

• Do not, on any part of your mount, use anything for cleaning besides water as described above.
• Never use dusting compounds (such as Pledge) or products such as Windex or Sparkle.  These may dull the gloss on the nose and eyes, soften paint where the finish work was done, and cause other problems as well.
• Do not hang your mount in direct sunlight, which will fade it over time.
• It is not recommended to have your mount over a fireplace that is used often.  The dry heat is hard on it.
• Avoid extreme temperatures, such as in an attic or a garage.
• Cigarette smoke will rapidly discolor your mount.

Try to keep people, especially children, from handling your mount.  Overmuch handling will result in oils from people’s skin getting on your mount.  If the hair gets messed up, sifting it back and forth with your hand will usually remove the problem.  If it does not, use a comb to get the hair back in line.  Then sift the hair back and forth to remove the comb lines.