Has this ever

[snd]

happen to you guys and gals before? I had a customer drop off 2 whitetail bucks to have mounted that were taken this past season. They were caped out placed in their freezer wrapped in plastic.They didn't look bad at all, so I proceeded to let thaw a rough skin/flesh and remove the racks.The first one wasn't all that bad to do, nice 8 pt. with a kicker.The second has a little story, it was shot and ran into a ditch, so this is where I get to the question. It seems that the buck must of sat in the water for some time, the head looks like it has swelled.It looks like a 2 yearold buck narrow rack, not much mass.It is the customers first one so that makes it very special.When I was skinning/fleshing the water seemed to keep seeping from the hide.There was no definition to the head at all,sort of bull nosed. Just wondering if anyone has had this situation before?

[PLTannery]

Quite often... Either the animal is snared or they thru a bag of ice in the chest cavity while it was hanging up.  It should tan out fine... You can squeeze most of the water out of the skin with a towel before you salt.

[dsbragg]

I've seen deer swell from hanging head down for a while. Fluid settles in the neck and face. Just skin and measure as normal.



What PL said.

[snd]

Thanks, I thought that I might of ran into a mutant,LOL. I guess there's a first for everything and I'm sure there is plenty more first to come... first for me that is...I'm sure the pros have seen much more,to much to talk about at this time....This is a great site for when things like this happens, you can get some great advise on what and what not to do.

[mr.T aka mr. friendly]

I am learning,, that no matter what shape, condition, color, or how strange the animal comes in, or what story comes with it,,  these "certain "facts" disappear when it gets glued to a manikin, and takes on a new shape, the shape of the form.