AFTER THE SHOT

Picking A Taxidermist

EDITOR'S NOTE: The decisions you make once your game is down are what make for the best of memories or the worst of nightmares. This week we'll look at the best ways to take care of your deer once you bag it.

You also need to thoughtfully select a taxidermist to mount your trophy deerhead. All taxidermists are not equal in their skills or careful attention to details. With a wide variety of deer forms available on the market today, the taxidermist can give your deer almost any attitude you want it to have. A taxidermist can mount your buck ...
* with his head up looking to the left,
* with his head up looking to the right,
* with his head gazing straight ahead,
* with his ears behind the antlers or ears parallel to the antlers to appear more alert,
* in the semi-sneak position to the left,
* in the semi-sneak position to the right,
* in a straight semi-sneak,
* in a full-sneak,
* with his mouth open,
* with his mouth closed,
* with a smooth neck,
* with a thickly muscled neck,
* with a slender neck,
* with a rutting neck,
* with a mounting plaque or without one.

You can have your deer mounted almost any way you want. If you have seen a deer mounted in the past that you particularly like, take a photo of that deer to your taxidermist. Then he can understand how you prefer your deer head mounted. Ask to see different deer-form styles. Look at various mounts in his display room. Some taxidermists offer both museum mounts and a commercial grade of mount. The taxidermist has to spend much more time bringing out all the details in the deer for a museum mount than he does with the commercial mount. Many taxidermists win taxidermy competitions. However, the trophies they've won don't necessarily indicate the quality of deer mount you can expect to receive. Most taxidermists spend far more time mounting a deer head for competition than they do mounting individual customer's deer heads.

To learn more about preparing and cooking venison, go to Night Hawk's home page and click on books to see the "Deer & Fixings Cookbook," written by John and his wife, Denise, who now have more than 80 combined years' experience of cooking venison. Call (800) 627-4295 to order with a credit card, or you can send a check or a money order to 4112 Camp Horner Road, Birmingham, AL 35243.

TOMORROW: SAVING A POSSIBLY LOST TROPHY