I was thinking of doing my first deer head this fall if I get one. I was just wondering what I would need. And how much of it I will need.
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Order the Large Mammal tanning kit from WASCO.com to tan your deer. It also comes with a pickling solution but it is better to send it out to a Tannery. You will need to take your measurements of the Deer while in the field. Cape (skin it out) it immiediatly after it has been shot or within 3 Hours to prevent hair slippage. Take the measurements from around the neck (thickest point) and measure the length nose to back of eye. Your normal deer is typically 7 inches Nose to Eye and 20 inches around the neck. You will then order the appropriate size form according to your measurements. You can order from McKenzie.com or WASCO.com or any other companies you know of. You will need these Basics:
Form for the Deer--McKenzie or WASCO order accoerding to your measurements.
Hide Paste-- Buckeye Supreme--McKenzie Supply
Modeling Tools--WASCO.com
Lip Tucking tool
Breakthrough Magazine..Breakthrough.com A MUST!
Eyes--32mm--Tohickon or McKenzie
Earliners--McKenzie.com
Fungicidal sealer for the skull plate and nose.
Critter Clay--for modeling around the eyes,ear butts. McKenzie.com
Burnt Umber Airbrush Paint for detail work--McKenzie.com
A Scalpel with number 10 blades for final fleshing---WASCO.com
Salt--10 pounds or better if you plan on tanning it yourself. After you cape the deer out immeidiatly split the eyes,lips,and nose and apply a heavy coat of NON-Iodized Salt (WASCO.com) to the cape. Let sit for 24 hours. Shake off old salt and apply a new coat. let set for another 24 hours or until dry. At this point you could ship it off to be tanned or could do it yourself, but for a beginner you should send it out. Then you are ready to mount it after you recieve it from the tannery. But before you do PLEASE buy a Book or Video from WASCO.com or McKenzie. These Great tapes will help you through the process. I hope I didn't forget anything. Good Luck.
I believe you meant front corner of eye!
Get the syncron eyes kit from Van Dykes. It hass all you need.
all you need for a great job is a phone book look up a taxidermist and take it to them, or see if for a fee they will teach you the basics then you can see if you want to perfect your skills.
Mark
Get yourself the Rhinehart catalog ( www.rhinehart.com).
The eyes right system with their tanning cream is about as easy as you could ask for a beginner and still get good results.
After you get a few heads under your belt you can move on to the more professional systems.
Just be sure that the heads you are learning on aren't so important to you that you feel sick if they are not perfect.
If it's really an important mount see a pro.
I would like to know where i can send a deer cape out to be tanned. Thank you.