Proper field care is the most important thing to consider!!!
 
Never put your trophy in a plastic bag unless it is going immediately into the freezer. Use a cloth or canvas product, game bags, sheets or pillowcase.  Do not leave blood on white hair. This is especially important with Sheep. You can easily remove blood and dirt from the hair before it dries.  Use clean water.   It can be a creek, river or stream. It is a good idea if you have access to rinse all of your trophies.  The cold water will keep the skin hydrated and will help keep bacteria from causing problems.  Do not salt your hide.  Do not dry your hide in the sun or by the fire.   For the best quality mount possible keep it cold and moist.  Do not cut throats. If you are gutting the animal it will bleed out plenty from there.  Do not put holes where there isn't one already. This includes ears!  If you have to attach a tag directly to an animal without horns put it through the tongue.  Do not use wire to attach tags or wrap hides; It will damage the hair; use string.
 
SMALL  ANIMALS
Any animal the size of a coyote or smaller should not be skinned or gutted. If you can not bring the small game animal to us immediately wait only long enough for the carcass to cool completely.  Then put it in a plastic bag and freeze it.
If you do not have the space to freeze the entire animal just remove the body; leave the skull, tail and paws in the skin.
Please refer to our 'skinning guide' for additional information.
 
DO NOT GUT YOUR BIRD
Bring the bird in immediately or freeze it.  If you are freezing your bird and you believe there to be an extreme amount of blood; you can carefully rinse any blood from the feathers with clean water. You can place the bird in a nylon sock or plastic bag head first being careful not to damage the feathers. Do not bend the tail feathers if they do not fit in the bag. Allow the tail to stick out of the bag and tie the bag loosely so you do not crush the feathers.   For a more detailed explanation with diagrams and photos go here... Birds - Field to Freezer
 
DO NOT GUT YOUR FISH
If you cannot bring your fish in immediately; wrap it in a very wet towel and put it in a plastic bag. Make sure all of the fins are pressed flat against the fish's body (this will prevent breakage). Be sure that when you put it in the freezer it is not pressing against anything that will leave an indentation - this will distort the scales and effect the appearance of the mount.   
 
CATCH AND RELEASE
If you will be releasing your fish or eating it; you will need to take a length measurement from the tip of the nose to the base of the tail and take a girth measurement around the widest part of the fish.
If it is possible take several good photos in natural light.  Your specimen will start to loose its vibrant color as soon as it is dead or out of water. Time is a factor for accurate color matching.