Archive for the ‘Hunting’ Category

beautiful stag in richmond park © by snappybex

Previously I talked about the best method of hunting an animal for the purposes of taxidermy. This article will look at the best ways of carrying that specimen back home after it has been killed. It is important to read this article as a lot of unnesscessary damage can be created if the animal is not carried back properly after the hunt.

With the animal killed it is useful to bring some cotton along with you so that it can be placed into wound holes that have been created. You need to do this otherwise the blood can stain the hide. The animal can then be wrapped in paper and this can be used as padding when placing the animal in the bag. For most small animals a leather bag with a strap is the best way of carrying a specimen back home to your hunting lodge.

Because of their size, the carrying of a bird back from a hunt tends to be fairly easy.  First place a piece of cotton in to the throat of the bird. You can use a small twig to help this insertion. This helps to stop any juices following out of the bird which can damage the plumage. Also, because birds are much more delicate than land creatures you need to handle them with more care. If this is a small bird such as a pigeon then one simple solution is to use a large paper magazine. This can then be rolled up around the bird to protect when it is placed in a bag. String can then be used to tie the rolled up magazine together and then paper can be stuffed down both ends to stop the bird from falling out.

However, for larger animals such as deer this can be much more difficult. Here are some of the best solutions, in order of easiest first:

• The easiest way is to drive a truck as near to the deer as possible and then to load the deer on it. This will often require you to hack away at the undergrowth so bring a saw or machete with you.
• The next easiest option is to bring along a small trailer or sledge to carry the game by hand back to your truck or lodge.
• The next easiest option requires you to have a friend present and for you to carry a pole. Bind the animals feet with some rope at both ends and sling the pole through it. Then each person can lift either end of the pole and carry the deer back on foot.
• If you have brought some rope along then tie the rope around antlers of the deer and use this to drag the carcass.
• Finally the least recommended solution. Drag the deer along the ground by holding it’s antlers. However this last two methods are the least preferred because of the damage they usually inflict to the taxidermy specimen.

Did you find this article useful? Please check out Taxidermy Made Easy which covers everything you need to know about the art of taxidermy.

DSCF1089 © by joelogon

The use of a hunting rifle is the most effective way of killing an animal for the use in taxidermy. A much easier way of collecting a taxidermy specimen is to simply buy what is required. However, buying a specimen costs money and since many taxidermists are also hunters, it is a good idea to follow a few pointers when hunting for the specific purposes of taxidermy.

Firstly when aiming for an animal, the shots should be fired at its chest or main body. It is this part of the animal which can most easily take the damage of the bullet without being distorted. Try not to aim for the head as otherwise you may have created a lot of work for yourself later on when trying to fix the damage.

Take into consideration the power of the rifle or weapon being used. Some rifles can be simply too power and leave a too large bullet wound when they exit through the other side of the creature.

You must learn how to kill a wounded animal quickly so as to put an end to its suffering. Large game such as deer can usually be killed off with another shot or two to the animals main body – however this can damage the hide. Alternatively a hunting knife can be used to kill the animal but this shouldn’t be done unless it has been demonstrated to you beforehand and you really know what you are doing.

Birds up to the size of a small eagle can be quickly killed by compressing the lungs with your thumbs and forefingers. The advantage of this method is that it does not harm the quality of the taxidermy specimen. If it is a larger bird then it can be killed by plunging a hunting knife underneath the left wing of the bird aiming for its heart. Be careful when handling larger wounded birds as their talons can be quite vicious.

Some hunters like to bring their dogs along with them when they are hunting. However, most dogs, especially if they are not well trained are definitely not fit for this purpose. Spaniels tend to be one of the best breeds for this however, generally it is not recommended to bring a dog along when hunting. The main use tends to be if you are hunting small animals and have difficulty finding the creatures after they have been shot. Dogs such as spaniels can sniff out the kill and can retrieve it for you, and with proper training – without damaging the animal.

If you found this article useful I recommend you click here to read about how you should carry back an animal after it has been hunted. It is important to know this as a lot of unnecessary damage occurs to taxidermy specimens when they are carried back from a hunt.