Compliments on tastes in art make many hunters a little edgy, at best. After all, hunting — big game hunting in particular — is stereotyped with masculinity synonymous with Monday Night Football and porterhouse steaks.

Some hunters limit their artistic appreciation to Terry Redlin prints or whichever artist happens to gain notoriety through the latest round of Ducks Unlimited banquets. On the other hand, most hunters have a genuine appreciation for the art of taxidermy, which in today’s world can go far beyond simply stuffing a deer head or duck.

“We try to capture as best we can precisely what the hunter saw at that exact moment in time,” relates Jody Slusher, Fargo,ND an award-winning taxidermist.

Planning on having your deer mounted?

Since it’s deer season, many hunters will bag a trophy they want to mount. Slusher has some advice for those who would even consider the possibility – this year and in future years — once an animal is tagged.

“Hunters should take extra time and do things the right way in the field, which will pay off in quality when the trophy is displayed,” Slusher said. “First and foremost, after you’ve secured your deer there is no need to slit the throat or bleed it. The animal is dead, and needless cutting of the hide should be avoided.”

Preserving the hide is important for a realistic. One good trick Slusher recommends is to spend $10 and buy a plastic sled for use in transporting the carcass from the field. “I’ve seen rope burns around the neck and hide worn off from dragging deer across the ground,” Slusher sated. “Once the hide is wrecked it’s impossible to salvage.”

Also avoid hanging the carcass from a rope in a warm environment. A cold garage is not good enough. Skin the animal and freeze the cape solid, or deliver the cape promptly to your taxidermist of choice. Exposure to the elements for needless days will only further diminish the quality of your final product, Slusher says.

Skinning it out

Skinning the hide out is easy if a few tips are followed. Stop behind the front legs and cut around the knee joint to push the leg through. The pits areas of the front legs will show on the mount, Slusher noted, so be careful.

Another common mistake is skinning too far up the neck. Hunters do this to ease extraction of the esophagus when field dressing, but a good rule of thumb is to stop cutting behind the front legs and then reach up into the chest cavity. When you’ve finished skinning out the cape, it will look like it’s wearing a short-sleeved t-shirt if done correctly.

The latest trends

Big game hunters often look for something different once they have a shoulder mount or two decorating a wall. Free-standing pedestal mounts that would even seem at home in an art gallery are the latest trend. And yes, fine taxidermy is an art that relies on intricate details, such as the look of the eyes, to set each animal apart from others.

If you’ve never had a trophy preserved, whether it’s a deer or fish or bird, be aware that this all takes time, and realistically expect to wait nearly a year for a deer mount.