okay, it probaly is and has been talked about but i haven't ever read about it on here.
When i asked about sawing off antlers, several people said to stick the nose in a 'hole in your workbench' or 'cinder block'. Really good suggestions except, i cut the nose off my deer when i cape em.....
I know george or bill or johnc are gonna think 'what in the heck do you think you are gaining?' but it really does help. I skin the nose out and back to the glands at the eyes ( 'tear ducts' as most call em), then cut the snout off and slide the face over the front of the deer and then i already have my "short,short Y" cut made, and the ear butts severed and i just skin it back off the neck, no need to cut the antlers off even. I think it gains me a little sewing ( shorter incision) and i don't have to cut the antlers off with the cape still partially attached, risking a mishap with the hide and my saw while performing the one handed sawzall technique. And since the antlers are still attached alot of times i hang the head by that and let the weight of the cape skin itself so to speak.
So does anyone else do this? Am i gaining anything? Or am i fooling myself?
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I think you are a nut case. Not really, but Im trying to piss off coyote by being a know-it-all in here!
Actually, it comes down to, is it working for you? You know that famous phrase, "Theres more than one way to skin a cat". Heck I still cut them all the way down the back. I like handling the capes better that way, even though I hate sewing, so go figure! My sawzall must not be that heavy, because one hand on the saw and one on the antler seems ok to me. The small concrete block idea seems logical too. Hey, happy caping!
I use the short Y and cut the neck at the first vertabrey. Role the neck down as you go and work the skin over the front of the face. Then take the neck meat out of the cape and your done no sawing untill your ready to cut the horns off the skull. Its the way I was tought and it works. I have yet to try th saws all to cut the skull cap but plan to this year. Oh yeah loosen the lips and tear ducts nose first through the mouth.
I had a friend that passed away several years ago that was the best taxidermist in our area for many years. Bill had an unusual way to cut off antlers. He would stick the nose of a caped out deer in the vent pipe coming out of his in-ground storm shelter and cut the antlers off with a chain saw! Yep, with a chain saw. (Let me tell you, you want to wear an apron, goggles and keep your mouth shut for this procedure.)
sounds like a texan....LOL
Anyways, i used to do it that way to jack, but i found it was easier to whack off the nose(which is not at all dense, just thin bone and nasal passages), than it was to dull my knife/scalpel on cutting meat and seperating vertebrae. But like bill says to each his own. And it was easier getting the neck roast out this way. Funny thing is i usually end up cutting up the roast feeding them to my dog anyways
I do the same thing as you do (cutting off the nose) at times, especially when the customer left me with too much neckmeat. I like my Y incisions extremely short and if I can't pull the hide back over the neck then I cut of the nose too to avoid making a longer incision.
I was the first one to ever do it LOL :)
After the front cut, I open the mouth a little and slip it over the edge of the garbage can so the neck is facing towards the inside of the can, then holding the antlers in one hand I just cut them off and the whole thing falls into the can, never to be touched again.. That's my way, it took years of development and research to find the procedure that works for me.....