I'am caping my first proghorn,and need to know how far up under the horns do I go when caping? I've done a serch but nothing came up!
Thanks,Derek
Return to Gamehead Taxidermy Category Menu
Cape the antelope as you would any other horned or antlered game. In the cale of an antelope you must cut the skin arount the horn base where the hard horn ends and the soft tissue begins. Then when you remove the horn sheaths you will not lose any skin at the base of the horns.
Derek, feel down the horn and find were it softens. Use a pin or the point of your knife. Carefully slide the hair away and cut slowly around the horn were the soft turns to hard. Most likely this will be an iregular cut moving up and down as you move around the horn. Watch out and do not cut the hair.
Notice how the hair lays over the outside of the horn. When it comes time to mount the head, build up around the skull with sculp all or clay so the skin will be at the level so the hair will be like it was before you started skinning.
Before you rot, soak, boil or what ever you do to remove the horns you may want to drill a very small hole thru the horn into the pedical so you can slide a pin into the holes to align the horns when you glue them back on. I will say that I will usaully lower them a bit because the edge of the horn will shrink a bit while drying.
Good luck!