Care information

Please read over the following instructions and tips to help you and your taxidermist make the most out of your lifelong trophy. Drop off and pick up information is listed below as well. Thank you

Field care and tips for storage/transport

Once you have shot your trophy bird, the care process begins. If possible, don't let your dog retrieve the bird as this can cause damage. Though some of this can be fixed, an ideal specimen for your taxidermist has minimum damage.
The sooner you get the bird cold the better. If it’s a warm day, consider making an extra trip to the truck to put your bird in a cooler.
Try to keep your bird dry, water speeds up the decomposition process.
If the bird still needs to be dispatched, ideally kneeling on its chest to suffocate is best. Wringing the neck for obvious reasons is not ideal and finisher keys can leave brain matter on feathers causing feathers to come out.
Do not place your bird on a game strap but carry it by the bill or feet.
Bring a zip lock bag with you to place the bird inside and wipe off as much blood and dirt as possible.
Fold the neck over the back, place it in the bag and keep it as cool until you can get home to further prepare the bird for optimal storage.
Once home, inspect the bird. Too much damage and broken wings are not ideal but can sometimes be manageable for a decent quality mount. Before giving up on a bird, have your taxidermist inspect it as well.
Before placing into your freezer, wrap all the skin on the feet with a wetted down paper towel. Wrap the bill the same way and then remember to fold the neck back over the back side of the bird, this prevents the neck from breaking once frozen.
Air tight roll the plastic bag and use masking tape to bind the bag and bird within. Careful to fold wings against the bird's body and keep feathers in their natural position. Try not to bend feathers into a bag, use a big enough bag or plastic wrap to fully enclose the bird.
Label the bag with the hunter name, species, sex, date of kill, location of kill, and hunting license number.
When possible, get it to your taxidermist as soon a possible. If that's not possible, double bag the bird to prevent freezer burn.
Frost free type freezers dry out birds if they are in there for extended periods of time, resulting in freezer burn. Try not to leave a bird in the freezer for longer than 6 months.

Take home care instructions and tips

Dust your mount with a dry soft cloth, cotton ball or swiffer duster at a minimum, once a month in the same direction as the feathers. Once a week is our recommendation for homes with more dust than usual.
If storing away/moving, keep in a cool, dry, non-humid and dark area. Ideally fastened inside a crate or tote to prevent tipping and to prevent bugs/humidity from affecting the bird.
Before mounting, keep it out of the sunlight and extreme heat as much as possible. We do not recommend hanging above fireplaces and the sunlight can bleach out the original color from the feathers.
If it gets really dusty, do not use water as it will matte the feathers. Instead, use a small amount of lacquer thinner on a rag to wipe down feathers. This will leave the feathers clean and bright as the lacquer thinner evaporates.
Repairs to damaged mounts are possible, birds are forgiving but carefully consider where to position it as kids and pets are common culprits.

How to transport your mount home

Please come prepared, especially for larger mounts.
Upon receiving the OK to pick up your mount, gauge from the pictures what might work best for your vehicle.
This can mean potentially bringing a few pieces of plywood fastened in the back of your vehicle so you can hang the mount/s on the wood.
Bringing an extra person to hold the mount carefully till you get home.
Pillows, totes, handmade crates, ect.
Most mounts come with a ghost hanger, D ring picture hanger, regular hanging wire or a saw tooth picture hanger.
Remember to not leave your mount in a hot car but get it into its final resting place as soon as possible.
It's OK if you don't have the smoothest ride home, as long as your mount is cool, dry and secured properly.
Once home, remember to read the care instructions on Larsontaxidermy.com to keep your trophy as good as new for years to come.

Deposit/Pick-up

I do not require a deposit at this time, unless we discuss otherwise. I do expect to have the final mounted piece picked up within two weeks of completion. I am available most days of the week and will schedule with you the best time for pick-up.

Our family is honored to do business with you, Thank you for choosing

Larson taxidermy.