Whitetail deer neck inscision

[Paul K]

I really like to set my eyes before I put a cape on the form, I know this method dosnt really do much for my clay work. A tail on the V (Y) about 3 1/2 " is about the minimum I can get away with , without struggling to get past the head block and not wreck my eye set. Maybe I'm missing something.

[Scott H.]

Mike Bunker,
Thanks for sharing the photos and the idea of the using a reciprocating saw. I've been doing the " V " cut for about twelve
years with a chisel.  I'll give the saw a try on the next deer and see how I like it.

Paul K. ,

There are a few different ways to doing the clay work when using a " v " cut. After you slide your hide on the deer, you can
rotate the hide to one side and clay one eye then rotate the hide back and do the other eye. If you prefer claying in
your eyes before slidding the hide on, you can make a pair of eye covers out of aluminum and pin them in place over the
clay work until the hide is on. Then just remove them from the opening on top of the head. The friend that showed me
the " v " cut, glues his eyes in the sockets of the form , slides the hide on, and then puts his clay through the eye holes
in the cape. This requires a little practice, but once you get use to it, it works really well.......This may sound like a lot of
hassle, but it's not. I like the " v " cut because it only takes me 10 to 15 minutes max to cape out a deer and I'm not very fast
nor do I like sewing. The bottom line with anything in taxidermy is do what works best for you.

[michael p.]

I still don't understand why you cut the horns off before you finish skinning it

Mike Bunker,
Thanks for sharing the photos and the idea of the using a reciprocating saw. I've been doing the " V " cut for about twelve
years with a chisel.  I'll give the saw a try on the next deer and see how I like it.

Take my advice and get a "Millwauke" if you buy a reciprocating saw, they are worth the money, you won't regret it!

[Scott H.]

I start by skinning out the mouth all the way up to the eyes. Next, off comes the antlers, then I pull the cape over the head.

When skinning a doe, I do them seamless.

[Taflinger]

Larson,alot of the veteran stuffers on here cut em all the way down.They say you can thin the cape better.A guy told me today that Jean Roll out of Michigan mounted a lifesize deer for the Smithsonian with a 16" belly cut.Some people just hate sewing I guess.

[John W.]

Michael P.,with only cutting a v incision there's not a lot of room for skinning the head out,so you remove the antlers first.This is a great incision if you don't like to sew,takes a wee bit longer than other methods but you save your time on sewing.The sawz-all has to be one of the best tools for taxidermy ever invented,buy a 10 inch wood blade and go to town.My son and I use it to not only cut antlers off but to quarter up our critters.

[Brian Claar]

Clay work through the eye holes !   I can't even imagine trying to do that!

I use the Y incision most of the time, but I have done a burr to burr (straight line) incision for competition.  I use a chisel.  Saw would be quicker and easier though.

MP,  cutting the horns off on a short incision makes it easier to get the skin off.   I only do this on competition work, or if a customer is in a hurry and wants to show off his mount.

PaulK, here is what I do to keep from messing up my eye work.
Do both eyes to make sure you have set them corrrectly.
Let them dry for about 45 min to an hour.  ( I use Critter Clay)  I have even used a blow dryer on them to speed up things.
Rough your form and finish prepping skin in this time. If your skin is thinned enough you won't mess up your eye work.
They should start to set by now.
Use alot of glue on the face and dont worry about getting it on the eyes.  Don't get stingy with glue on your head work, it helps you taxi the skin better.
 
Works for me everytime.

[jleonard44]

with the y cut done , then how do you get the hide back over the deer form with the antlers on?

[joeym]

Take the antlers off the form, slip the hide over the form, then re-attach the antlers.

[jleonard44]

thanks, but i thought you had to sculped the antlers in with mache or clay., how would you take the antlers off again after you have done all that?

[Cole]

thanks, but i thought you had to sculped the antlers in with mache or clay., how would you take the antlers off again after you have done all that?

I sculpt the muscles around the skull cap after the cape is on, and antlers have been re-attached.

[jleonard44]

thanks everbody. i guess i should be easy and not get the hidepaste on the hair....

[Randy Miller]

I can follow your pictures until the last two then I'm kinda lost..what are you hooking the metal hook into? are the skewers just there to hold the hide out of the way? Then which direction do you peel the hide off? Sorry so many questions, but it looks like a real time saver and we all know time is money...more details please !!! Thanks

I click on the Mike Bunker tutorial, but I get this thread. What's up?