Fire on the Mountain, A quest for Mountain Merriam Wild Turkey

Planning for a Mountain Merriam's Turkey hunt started in the late fall of 2012.  Myself and two other buddies had committed to head out in mid April of 2013 to the Black Hills National Forest of South Dakota.  Months of planning, excitement, and purchased tags met an ill fate on April 11th.  The Black Hills received a record snow fall of over 30" of snow!

Black Hills National Forest, SD

The Hills were now white, so these three country boys did what any other man with previously granted permission would do.  We left town anyways!

The truck was not pointed North however, we reverted to plan B and headed to Oklahoma to try our luck at some Rio Grande Turkeys on the Black Kettle WMA.  

Less than one hour on the road and we had already worked our way to the middle of the alphabet of plans.  Needless to say we drove to Las Vegas, NV!  This I will save for another post, likely titled The Hangover Redux.  "The three best friends that anyone could ever have" left a permanent impression of three Tennessee Country Boys in the Sin City. 

Now on to the story...

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And there's fire on the mountain, lightnin' in the air
Gold in them hills and it's waitin' for me there 

-Marshall Tucker Band

Paha Sapa (Lakota, for "hills that are black") is now part of my Walking Home.  Fortunately for me, I got to share the experience with my best friend and wife, Angela.   

Angela at our first stop, Badlands National Park

  I will admit, I am a very lucky and fortunate guy.  To have a wife that enjoys the outdoors and to encourage me to go out and explore is a gift, one that I truly appreciate.

Angela knew I was a little bummed out because I didn't get to go to the Black Hills in mid April, so she made a proposal "I have a few days I need to take off, so let's go out West to the Black Hills".  Before she even finished the sentence I was packing our bags!

The plan was simple; we were to leave Friday after work, drive straight thru, camp 3 nights in the tent and 2 nights in a primitive forest service cabin.  I was going to hunt the mornings and then we would explore the hills during the afternoons.  Simplistic plans make a trip like this so much more enjoyable, keenly to an exploration.

The gold in them hills is waitin' for US there...

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-Friday May 3rd

The path will take you there, your fear will steer you away...

The trip started a little after 3pm, motivated to make it to SD we hit the road in full force.  Other than Obama's brilliant stimulus plan,"the road to recovery", we hit very little traffic.

view of the many butte valleys in the Badlands, NP

We drove all through the night and made it to the Badlands National Park,SD around 10am.    At first glance this place is pretty "bad" but the negative-sounding name is really the only bad part about it.  The rich history this place has is extraordinary; ancient mammals like the miniature horse and saber-tooth cat once roamed hear. Explorers later introduced cattle, which proved to be a little less efficient than originally planned.  Now on this 244,000 preserve you will see bison, big horn sheep, prairie dogs, antelope and the seasonally invasive species...tourist in over-sized motor homes.

Bison burgers and micro brewed beers at Firehouse

The Badlands have a lot to explore on foot in addition to the wonderful driving tours through the park.  We took a couple short 1-2 mile trips off the beaten path and discovered wonderfully colored buttes and valleys carved by erosion that look like a lunar landing scene from a Sci-Fi movie.

The Badlands are a must stop for sure, but this trip was about the Black Hills.  So after a couple hours exploring we continued on our way.

A trip to South Dakota is not complete without a stop to one of the famous tourist traps in the world, Wall!  This is marketing at its best, a small failing town in the 1930's turned mega tourist stop just by advertising and capitalizing on Route 16A.

After our nickle coffee and free ice water we left Wall and made a quick trip to Cabelas in Rapid City (quick only because Angela had to lure me out) and stopped for lunch at the Firehouse Brewing Co.  After 20 plus hours of driving the medium rare bison burger and brown ale at the brewery was absolutely delicious! 

We paid our tab and headed South on Hwy 16 to Custer.  We had reserved a spot at Beaver Lake Campground, only 3.5 miles West of Custer on U.S. 16 and bordering the S.E. portion of the national forest this was a great place to stay for our first leg of the journey.   A friendly, safe, and non crowded private campground with a heated bathhouse for $22 a night.  We could have camped in the NF, but temps were getting down in the 20's at night so we opted for the warm shower over the primitive solitude. Plus, most developed forest campgrounds are still closed and primitive camping has a fire ban in place. 

After setting up camp we headed to the forest to scout out some areas and hopefully roost a turkey.  After studying google earth, I decided on focusing my efforts in the area South of Jewel Cave National Monument.

We arrived in our area a few hours before sunset and quickly found a high ridge to park and begin hiking on.  This area is the Southern portion of the Jasper fire of 2000 that burned 83,000 acres, 64,000 which burned in the first 7 hours.  The careless arsonist devastated this beautiful area which still shows little sign of recovery, but if you study closer you will find that native grasses have reestablished.  This provides excellent habitat for the Elk, which appear to be doing great at this time.  The turkey can benefit from the new grass openings, but they are also easier prey.  With this in mind we decided to hike to the nearest tree line and scout. 

Devastation from the 2000 Jasper Fire

This portion of the forest resembles a post apocalyptic battle field at first, but the views and miraculous amounts of wildlife you see shadows that first thought.  We saw a small herd of cow elk and over 50 whitetail less than 1/2 mile in, after I saw the elk I started keeping my eyes open for sheds.

hit hard last year with EHD, mule deer seem to be isolated to certain areas in the hills

We hiked close to 5 miles and did some locator calling with no response from a turkey, the sign was limited as well.  We decided to head back to the truck and stop on a few ridges to locate a turkey for the mornings hunt, luckily we stumbled upon an elk shed from this year.  The first day out was already a success.

On our way back we did hear 2-3 birds gobbling on a side of a mountain, bad news was it was surrounded by private ranchettes.  Accessible, but it would be a mile hike in over a mountain.  I decided against it for the first morning.

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-Sunday May 6th

 The hills will provide solitude, she will give the love and God will provide the way...

Sleep came quick Saturday night and was much needed.  I decided to sleep in Sunday morning to energize for the rest of the week, glad I did as it was still in the low 20's at 8am when we awoke.  If you do any front country camping in cold weather I recommend a Mr. Buddy Heater, this makes cold weather camping tolerable.

Angela relaxing by the fire

After a hearty breakfast of pancakes, bacon, eggs, and hot coffee (another benefit of front country camping) we drove into the forest.

We headed back to the area South of Jewel Cave.  We ran into some locals who were shed hunting and graciously gave me some spots to check out that might hold turkeys.  I would check them out at sunset.

We looked over the forest map and picked a spot with very few roads, this is where we would go and hike.  The one down fall I have so far about the Black Hills in SD is the amount of roads, very few places can you find that are away from the roads.  Luckily though, the hills are over 1 million acres in size so you have lots of places to check out.

We parked at the ridge we planned to walk out on, packed a lunch and headed in to the mountains.  We hiked close to 7 miles, saw a couple turkey tracks but did not get any response to the calls.  We hiked in on a closed forest road and on the way back we bushwhacked  back to the truck.  Beautiful views all along the way, but still no turkey.  So far the hills seemed void of the gold I was after.  I wouldn't be fooled though, as I was in gorgeous country with a beautiful wife and enjoying the solitude together.

Elk shed

As sunset neared, we headed toward the spot the locals told us about.  I hiked a little over a mile to the top of a ridge that bordered private property.  The locals had heard a bird gobbling here a week prior and claimed they usually hear them behind the private property all through this area.  The reason is a lot of landowners feed them and they don't wander too far from the private property, but usually roost in the forest.  I wasn't to fond of hunting this way, but I had yet to be able to get on a bird so I figured I would give it a shot.  At the least I would hear one gobble on roost within hearing distance of the ridge I was on and be able to make a plan for the morning.

As the sun started to set and no turkey located, I decided to head back to the truck and hit a few other places before it got to dark.  After still not having any luck getting one to gobble we headed back to camp.  We finished the day off with grilled venison loin and a few Crow Peak IPA's from a local brewery in Spearfish, SD.

No turkey was located the first full day, but man was it still a success.  We met some nice people (oddly enough no other turkey hunters) and hiked in some beautiful country with complete solitude.

A.B. Donaldson, a newspaper correspondents with General George A. Custer's historic Black Hills Expedition, wrote the following:

"The lover of nature could here find his soul's delight; the invalid regain his health; the old, be rejuvenated; the weary find sweet repose and invigoration; and all who could come and spend the heated season here would find it the pleasantest summer home in America."

I say you could find your soul and be invigorated here any season.  Here is to you Mr. Donaldson, Cheers!

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-Monday May 6th

Many have come to see the king of spring, few take him home...

4:30 a.m. and I was standing on a ridge waiting to hear the woods come alive.  As the sun broke the horizon only a few song birds and few stray deer shared the woods with me, I headed back to the truck to try a few more ridges before the turkeys would fly down.  

Private property strutter

I parked on a ridge that was surrounded by larger mountains to the West and a large block of woods to the South.  I grabbed my gear and headed out to the point of the ridge, immediately I heard birds gobbling.  With the country being so large it was hard to determine where exactly they where at.  The map showed another ridge just beyond me and a large block of woods just below it.  I guessed this is where they were roosted.  I covered about 1/2 mile in 4 minutes, sweating in my wool pull over and trying to listen over my labored breathing, I was able to hear them again.  Sadly, they were still a few hundreds yards to my N.W. and a 500 foot bluff kept me from going to them from my current location.  

When I arrived back at my truck I quickly studied my map a little more.  I discovered a small private parcel in the general vicinity of the gobblers.  As I drove to the base of the bluff my fears were confirmed.  They had flown down off the bluff and were proudly strutting in private pasture.  Oh well, I still had a little over a million acres to find one.  

I covered about 30 miles in my truck after sun-up, stopping periodically on high points and ridges to call and glass the open spaces.  From what I can tell this is the method a majority of hunters do, not my cup of tea but with the amount of roads you are almost at a disadvantage if you do not opt for some version of this "road hunting" method.  Nothing like walking to the top of a ridge and discovering a road.  Road-less places do exist but turkeys are not always in there either.  

many limestone outcroppings of the hills

An observation while driving this much, so far I have not seen another hunter and I'm not sure if it is a good or bad thing yet. 

I took the long way back to camp and headed North of Jewel Cave.  After a few stops I finally got a bird to gobble.  My strategy was to hen call every two stops then coyote howl the third, this happened to be the third stop so it was a shock gobble and the tom happened to be less than a 100 yards away.  I quickly grabbed my gear and went after him, I presume since I was so close and used a predator call the bird went the other way.  I circled the pasture in case, but he seemed to have vanished.

Once back at camp we ate another delicious breakfast and made plans to head up toward Hill City and check the forest out there.  Very little of the burn hit this area, so there is still a lot of green here.  The forest is also pretty thick as well but offers some absolutely beautiful country.  There also seems to be a little more water as well, something we haven't seen a lot of lately.  

After literally 50 miles of driving, sight seeing, and calling I finally discovered some birds.  Besides the turkeys I saw in the private pasture this morning after fly down, these were the only other birds I had seen.  

The thought had been running through my mind ever since Saturday afternoon..."what if I saw one from the road, would I go after it?" I had also started feeling guilty because we had been here for over 2 days and I have been focused mainly on hunting.  Angela insured me she didn't care if I focused on hunting, she was "here to relax and enjoy the hills from a non tourist view".  

 lions are thick in the hills, they kill as many deer as hunters do

Quickly I made my decision, I was to go after this bird.  Based on two main reasons; 1.) there had not been many opportunities, one bird was on private and the other gobbled once then disappeared.  2.) I had never killed a Merriam so I was excited to see one I could actually hunt!  

I parked a few hundred yards out of sight and got a visual on the birds.  It was a hen followed by a Jake.  They were crossing a creek bottom headed to the mountain, likely making their way to roost as it was getting later in the afternoon. 

The birds were quickly making their way to the mountain across the bottom, that is where I was headed as well.  I set-up quickly and made a few soft yelps.  They seemed to pay no attention to me, so I decided to cutt.  Still no response from the Jake, but the hen seemed to notice so I made a few more soft yelps.  Whether it was me calling, my set-up, or likely the combination of the two, they made there way toward me.  

"white-tipped" King of Spring

I was really hoping for a good show from a mature tom, but I was also prepared to take an immature bird as well. He closed the distance and the rest is history.  

As I stood over my first Merriam's turkey it all hit me at once, I was blessed to share this experience with my wife in some of the most beautiful country God has blessed us with.  No, it was not the hunt I pictured when originally planning this.  It was not for the lack of trying either, as I had put in close to 15 miles of hiking in the back country and countless miles on the forest two-track roads. However, this was a trophy and for sure ranks as one of my top turkey hunts.  

It was the end of the third day and our trip was halfway over, bittersweet in a sense but tomorrow we would pack up and head deeper into the hills to finish the rest of our trip off in a remote forest service cabin on the WY border. 

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-The last leg

We are guest hear, received more than we gave...

 We made our way to Jewel Cave National Monument and participated in a Ranger led cave tour.  Now as the 3rd longest cave in the world, it is a sight to explore. The elevator ride DOWN to the cave is worth the trip!

6 bull Elk

After exploring the cave we made our way to the WY/SD line and then North to Summit Ridge Cabin.  This cabin is in the only forest service cabin in the Black Hills for rent.  It is primitive with solar LED lighting, wood stove, and plenty of solitude.  The cabin is eligible for listing to the National Register of Historic Places  We were to stay here for two nights.

Once we unpacked we were anxious to get back in the forest and explore.  We decided to hike the WY/SD border and leave from the cabin. We planned a 7 mile loop, with a lunch break half way.  I grabbed my turkey calls to try and locate one, already planning for next year!

The hike was beautiful as expected with plenty of elk, deer, and cougar signs.  This area is higher elevation and Mule deer tend to inhabit a little more than the lower elevation ranges.

We made it back to the cabin with a few hours before sunset, so we made our way out to a point to listen for birds and watch the sunset.

Summit Ride Lookout Cabin

Once back at the cabin we made a fire in the wood stove and began to cook dinner.  After dinner we roasted marshmallows for smores outside in the cool mountain air then climbed into our toasty sleeping bags in the historic cabin.

We wrapped the trip up with a few more short hikes, a driving tour of the central hills and Custer State Park (we skipped Mt. Rushmore as we had already been there).  The elk, mule deer, and whitetail were plentiful.  The turkeys were still elusive, even though my tag was filled.

Another majestic sunset and warm dinner ended the last day of our Black Hills trip and it was over, for now.  We explored off the beaten path, toured caves, and shared the solitude with local wildlife.

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- Fools gold no more

 Now my widow she weeps by my grave
Tears flow free for her man she couldn't save
Shot down in cold blood by a gun that carried fame
All for a useless and no good worthless claim

 -Marshall Tucker Band 

The rich natural and cultural history of the Black Hills runs deep.  Cheyenne and Lakota Native Americans fought over this sacred land, later European Gold miners came after Custer's exploration.   With the gold rush famous, Western characters came to inhabit the area like Wild Bill and Calamity Jane and tales of miners murdered; "killed by Indian's beyond the high hill" as told in the Thoen Stone.  

sunset on the WY/SD border, the valley behind us is WY

This was not your typical hunting trip, it was so much more.  To spend time away from the real world with your best friend in some of Gods most beautiful country is truly a blessing.  This trip was successful in more ways than one as I describe in a Muir fashion below...

The path will take you there, your fear will steer you away

The hills will provide solitude, she will give the love and God will provide the way.

Many have come to see the king of spring, few take him home.

We are guest hear, received more than we gave. 

                                                                     -Walking Home

Take a kid fishing and freeze his water, then you have a fishing buddy for life

I am not sure what the official definition of child abuse is but I can assure you my grandfather and uncle both would have been accused of such.  In the late 1980's  they had me on a bass boat in the middle of the Cumberland River in February. It was so cold that they had to take me back to the boat ramp for my aunt and grandmother to pick me up so that I could thaw out and use the bathroom.  Yes, my water froze and now the whole world knows it!

Sabrina with her boys, Youth Turkey Hunt

Over 20 years later and I still remember that day like it was yesterday and it was some of the most fun I have ever had.  If they would have left me at home that day and not taken me, my whole life would be different, that in my opinion would have been child abuse!

Why would anyone like the torture of freezing river water being splashed on them in the middle of winter you ask?  Because I am a male, it's inert to test my limits, my internal workings are not designed to be inside all the time. I wanted to be a grownup like my Uncle and Granddad and most importantly I absolutely LOVE being outside.  I also cried during Bambi after which I went outside and built a fort with my buddy and acted like GI Joe and shot invisible bad guys with our stick machine guns, not sure what the subliminal message behind Bambi was but whatever it was I didn't pick up on it.  See...I was a normal boy.    

Why would I NOT want to defy death just to be a bit closer to nature, it beats being tortured by having to stay inside all the time.

Not all boys were like me but I venture to bet a very large portion of them are. It is not just boys either, girls are meant to be outside and with nature as well.  I am fairly certain Adam and Eve didn't have a HVAC and high speed internet... 

Heather Davis, a great hunt with her dad

It may sound like my outdoor experiences as a youth were a little harsh but never fear, as an adult I still have those experiences.  Last spring I barely dodged a flood hunting turkeys off a kayak on the Cumberland River and this summer I was caught in a horrendous lighting/thunder storm while hiking in the Smoky Mountains,  but for the most part my adventures are safe, at least that is what I tell my wife!

Back on topic; "Take a kid fishing and freeze his water, then you have a fishing buddy for life" This is a perfect recipe to start the process of teaching our young people the meaning of conservation and in my opinion the meaning of life.  Plus you can teach them a little psychics about water molecules while your at it. 

In the latest Urban Hunting DVD you can watch two youth hunts from the Spring of 2013.  These two hunts are arguably the best on the entire DVD, to watch the expressions of the young hunters as they watch the sunrise and listen to the glory of the thunderous wild turkey gobble will bring back memories to those of us lucky enough to enjoy the outdoors at an early age and will spark an immediate interest in all of us to find a youngster and take them on a adventure.

One of the hunts takes place on the opening day of the 2013 Spring Turkey season in TN where Scott Davis invited Christian on his first turkey hunt.

Scott and Christian shared a very memorable outdoor experience with turkeys gobbling to the melody of the spring woods. This experience will forever be ingrained in both of their minds. 

myself and my youngest brother hiking

They shared an experience that sadly not many people are fortunate enough to have any more, that is why it is so important to take an initiative and do our part with the younger generation by introducing them to the outdoors.

Christian was not able to punch his tag on a turkey that morning but he did leave the woods with more than he brought.  He summed the hunt up with one word, "brilliant"!  When I heard that I immediately knew his hunt was a success.  For one he had not been hunting in a quite some time and another he had never been turkey hunting, so this adventure was destined to be memorable.  He also mentioned one other thing that caught my attention and that was the excitement of the chase.  Scott and Christian followed rule number one of hunting, fair chase.  This common sense approach is about respect to the game we hunt and it is also a standard we base our ethics on.

"at the end of the day it was all around a really good time. I was really thankful Mr. Scott invited me, and I'm looking forward to going again."
                                                                    -Christian M.

While talking with Scott about this hunt he brought about a good point, the kill is not part of the ultimate goal;

Christian in a ground blind enjoying nature

  "The goal is to build a relationship around the outdoors, and plant the seed that allows them to grow in that experience.  For the rest of their life, when they see me, or remember me, it will bring that experience back to their memory.  It is another way to impact the future generations in a positive manner.  I hope that when these young people reach decision making positions in life, they will opt to support and cherish our hunting heritage!"

I could not agree more with him, actually my fondest memories afield do not include a kill or catching any fish.  Every single one of them is about the time I got to spend with the ones I love, the ones I look up to and the ones who took the time to make sure I had a great experience. 

Anthony with his first deer

Another youth hunt on the DVD involves two very young hunters, at this age it is very important to make sure they have a great time.  Their attention spans are almost non-existent and all they care about is having fun.

Having a good ground blind and some snacks is trick of the trade.
Lets face the facts, not many of us are good at sitting still and we all get hungry and when you are knee high to a grass hopper sitting still is not in your vocabulary and eating is a necessity!

In this hunt the young hunters actually have a shot opportunity as a boisterous tom comes strutting down the ridge to their blind.  Lets put ourselves in the shoes of a early school age kid ( 5-8 yrs old), you have some crazy thanksgiving turkey that dodged the supper table last fall and he is making his way through the woods in your direction, for all you know he is looking for redemption! At this point you have some serious thoughts going on in your head; 1.) can I shoot this thing before he jumps in the blind with us 2.) I wonder if I dad has any more snacks???? 

The shot was a clean miss, though one could argue it may have been a warning shot to deter the turkey from breaching the walls of the tent - therefore the boys saved the day!

acting goofy in the duck blind

The point of that hunt was not about killing a turkey, heck I am willing to bet the adults in that blind were actually shocked by the fact that they actually even got to shoot at one.  The purpose of that hunt was to expose them to a passion of the outdoors, to wake up that inner wild heart, allow them to share the joys with family and friends and to teach them something that cannot be taught in any formal educational setting.  I promise you a classroom that comes with a early morning sunrise, fresh dew and song birds beats any brick and mortar room they will ever sit in and it is up to us to make sure they have that chance to be there. It is also our responsibility to make sure they get the most benefit out of it.

After watching both hunts I was convinced that the objective was accomplished.  All three young hunters were excited and the adults were equally ecstatic. 

I am now at the age where my focus has shifted to introducing new people to the outdoors, both young and older.  It is an absolute joy to share my knowledge (albeit limited) with them and experience the euphoria they achieve that only a sunrise can grant.  I asked Scott about why this experience is so fulfilling and he described it as a connection with his past.

He mentioned that he didn't quite understand the full extent until later in life but when people took him hunting it was a blessing, I would also venture to say those experience helped shape Scott into the person he is today.

You are never to young to go fishing, just don't let your water freeze

One selfish reason to take a young person hunting is self gratification. Scott and I both agree that taking new and young people afield is as rewarding for us as it is for them.  Keep focused on them, show them a great time, teach them something new and I can promise you that EVERYONE will be rewarded.

If you don't believe me then I invite you to sit around our dinner table during the holidays after a evening hunt.  Stories will be told about the big one that got away but eventually a decades old story will surface about a young man's water freezing during a February stripe fishing trip.  We will all laugh but the best part is we will all relive it like it was just yesterday, my Uncle and Granddad both benefited from my water freezing almost as much as I did!

Take a kid fishing and freeze his water, then you will have a fishing buddy for life

Months (maybe even years) of preparation finally meets opportunity.  The trophy of a lifetime is actually in your hands and the feelings of mixed emotions cloud your logic.  Text messages, phone calls, and post to Facebook are immediate.  You search for the perfect location to stage a photo and take full advantage of the digital age by snapping multiple images of different poses.  You have a thirty minute discussion on the phone with your hunting buddy to determine if this is the "elusive" buck you have on trail camera from two years ago or if this is "tall" antelope the rancher described in his alfalfa field.

You then decide you do not want to field dress the animal in your hunting spot, so you walk out to get your ATV.  You strap the trophy on and begin to make your way back to camp, all the while dodging limbs so they do not knock you off and using the critter strapped to the front to deflect those briars you cannot go around.  After arriving at camp you gather up your rubber gloves and knives and begin field dressing the game. While doing so your hunting buddies, fully aware of your success, start making their way back to camp to take a glimpse of "the big one that didn't get away".  By doing so it takes you a little longer than usual to field dress, by this point hunger has set in and you decide to treat everyone to breakfast to celebrate your success.  The trophy is loaded in the back of the truck and the trip to the nearest check station (which happens to have an excellent breakfast sandwich) is underway.  As you pull up to the check station you notice the typical hunter crowd is sipping coffee and searching the beds of each pick up truck in the parking lot to critique each harvest.  They immediately notice yours and crowd your truck like a pack of hungry wolves.  You finally grow tired of telling "the story" a dozen times, so you head back to camp to start processing the animal for the freezer.

I could go on and on, but I will spare you the torture. Everyone that reads this either knows someone who has done this or has some variation of the story.  Whats the point you might ask?  Let me explain it as "the moral of the story".  My grandfather once told me;  "the real work begins once you pull that trigger" and he was right.  Field care is extremely important.  It doesn't matter if the animal is a "trophy" or purely for the freezer.  Immediate cooling down of the body cavity is a must!  This begins with quick field dressing and complete removal from direct sunlight.  If the animal will be taken to your taxidermist for some kind of preservation, then additional precautions should be taken.

I have listed the typical steps involved in trophy field care.  Most steps have different methods and variations, I suggest doing what is comfortable to you.  However, their are certain steps that should not be altered.  These are my steps I suggest to my clients and I strongly encourage you to talk to your taxidermist about their preferred methods.

Things to remember

• Cool down the animal ASAP
• Avoid dragging the animal
• Avoid heat,sunlight, and other fluids like oil
• Get the animal skinned and to your taxidermist ASAP, or freeze the cape/head immediately
• Do not saw antlers off skull
• Do not cape the animal unless your taxidermist has trained you
• Clean all blood and fluids from cape
• Avoid shooting/cutting the animal in front of the shoulder
• Talk to your taxidermist before season begins to refresh field care 
• Animals like Pronghorn Antelope are very delicate, DO NOT drag them and be VERY careful with the hair.  The use of Stop-Rot will aid in preventing the hair to "slip".  Talk with your Taxidermist about this product.  

Field Dressing for a Shoulder Mount
Due to the growing concern of zoonotic diseases (easily transmitted between species) you must use extreme caution while handling game.  Shoulder length gloves like, Hunters Specialties Field Dressing Gloves 2-Pack, help protect your skin and clothing and make clean-up much easier.

Below is a field dressing recommendation from McKenzie Taxidermy Supply.  I use a similar variation of this method, basically I start at the rectum and work my way to the brisket.  Sharp knives make this process much easier.
With the deer on its back, make a shallow cut through the skin just below the breastbone. Make sure that you start your cut well away from the brisket, allowing plenty of uncut skin for your shoulder mount. Insert two fingers of the free hand,cradling the blade, to hold the skin up and away from the entrails.
The dotted line is the caping line, usually 6" behind the shoulder is adequate for a shoulder mount.  Consult your taxidermist first.	Cut straight down the belly and around the genitals, separating but not severing them from the abdominal wall. Slit the belly skin all the way to the pelvic bone. Note: Start the incision below the caping line.
Cut deeply around the rectum, being careful not to cut off or puncture the intestine. Pull to make sure the rectum is separated from tissue connecting it to the pelvic canal. Pull the rectum out and tie string tightly around it to prevent droppings from touching the meat. Lift the animal's back quarter a bit, reach into the front of the pelvic canal, and pull the intestine and connected rectum into the stomach area.
If you want to make a full shoulder mount, do not cut open the chest cavity. Cut the diaphragm away from the ribs all the way to the backbone area. Reach into the forward chest cavity, find the esophagus and wind pipe, cut them off as far up as possible and pull them down through the chest.	Reach inside chest cavity, do not split brisket if a shoulder mount is wanted.
Roll the deer onto its side, grab the esophagus with one hand and the rectum/intestine with the other. Pull hard. The deer's internal organs will come out in one big package with a minimum of mess.
*Caping, the process of skinning out a trophy animal for taxidermy purposes, is best left to the taxidermist. Their experience skinning, especially the delicate nose, mouth, eyes, and ears is invaluable toward producing a quality mount. Damage to a hide is costly to repair. Some types of damage simply cannot be "fixed" by the taxidermist.
Many trophies are ruined in the first few hours after death. As soon as the animal dies, bacteria begins to attack the carcass. Warm, humid weather accelerates bacteria growth. In remote areas, or areas not near your taxidermist, a competent person may be required to cape out the hide in order to preserve it. "Partial" Caping for a Shoulder Mount This method should make your taxidermist happy, I call this the partial method because you leave all the delicate work for your taxidermist to do.  I personally prefer to do all of the full caping myself because I am picky about my incisions and have had bad experiences with holes, blown out eyes, not enough skin left for tucking, etc.  Once again talk with your taxidermist on how he/she wants a full cape if you are hunting in a location that caping and quartering the game out is needed.  If you need to do this, it is imperative you practice on heads before you go afield.  A couple hours in a taxidermist studio will give you great respect for this process.   (Figure 2A) With a sharp knife, slit the hide circling the body behind the shoulder at approximately the midway point of the rib cage behind the front legs (6'"-12"). (Figure 2B) Slit the skin around the legs just above the knees. An additional slit will be needed from the back of the leg and joining the body cut behind the legs.  I suggest tubing the leg skin off the bone like a sock or leave the legs (detached from the shoulder) and let your taxidermist cape that part. (Figure 3) Peel the skin forward up to the ears and jaw exposing the head/neck junction. Cut into the neck approximately three inches down from this junction. Circle the neck, cutting down to the spinal column. After this cut is complete, grasp the antler bases, and twist the head off the neck. This should allow the hide to be rolled up and put in a freezer until transported to the taxidermist. These cuts should allow ample hide for the taxidermist to work with in mounting. Remember, the taxidermist can cut off excess hide, but he can't add what he doesn't have.   I cannot stress these issues enough... When field dressing a trophy to be mounted, don't cut into the brisket (chest) or neck area. If blood gets on the hide to be mounted, wash it off with snow,water, and a clean rag as soon as possible. Avoid dragging the deer out of the woods with a rope. Place it on a sled or a four-wheeler. The rope, rocks, or a broken branch from a deadfall can easily damage the fur or puncture the hide. If you do need to drag it out with a rope, attach the rope to the base of the antlers and drag your trophy carefully. Don't cut the brisket area when field dressing Don't cut the neck or throat Warm weather, blood, bacteria, and water can ruin a cape.  Make sure oil and other fluids do not come into contact with the cape either, i.e., clean your truck bed out!  A little water is OK, but do not spray it down to clean it off A bag of ice in the chest cavity helps to cool the carcass until you can quickly get somewhere to cape the animal If placed in a freezer to be frozen, make sure you wrap the head with multiple garbage bags. A cape can freezer burn easily, the quicker you can get it to your taxidermist the better Using a clean white cloth or paper towel, wipe off any fluids or blood from the cape.  Especially from the white hair on the animal I will be making more post on my preferred caping methods and temporary preservation methods, but a blog post will never replace hands-on practice.   Once again I strongly suggest you talk with your taxidermist before season begins.  If you have any questions or would like to consider Natural Creations as your next taxidermist please fell free to contact us.   Happy Hunting!