My goal as a taxidermist is to produce a quality product that you will be proud to display for years to come.
One of the ways for me to produce a better looking mount is having a quality hide to work with.
Below is a diagram showing how to properly skin for a shoulder mount. It is best to cape the animal as soon as possible so that it will cool down faster, the warmer the weather the more critical it is to get your cape cooled off before the bacteria has a chance to cause the hair to slip. If you choose not to cape the animal in the field extra care must be taken while dragging and loading the animal. When dragging the harvested animal do not allow the front half of the animal to drag on anything or hair loss will occur.