Deer (Game Heads)

_____Rehydrate Cape:  Soak dry-tanned cape in cold water for 30 minutes.  Roll with head inside.  Bag it.  Refrigerate overnight.

_____Measure:  Stretch face as "big" as possible.  (Not long.  Not wide.  Big.)  Measure eye to nose.  This is "A" measurement.  Stretch neck as wide as 
          possible.  Measure 3" below ear butts.  This is "B" measurement for McKenzie and Van Dykes.

_____Cape is ready to freeze or mount.  To freeze, bag and tag and freeze.  To mount, pull ear cartilage, do repair work, then bag and tag and refrigerate until
          form comes in.

_____Order Form:  Order form 1" smaller than "B" measurement in at least a Medium Swell.  You may back off the eye-to-nose by as much as 1/2", if you
          need it to get the right swell. (If possible, order within 1/4" of eye-to-nose.)

_____Pull Ear Cartilage:  Most ears will have approximately 1/4" of unturned ear.  Turn to the very edge and peel cartilage.

_____Thin Nose and Lips:  Thin nostril skin and trim excess skin in nose, leaving 3/8" skin, measured from hairline.  (Don't cut too short.)  Thin lips and trim
           to 1/4" to 3/8"

_____Turn Eyes:  Turn eyes to lashes and pre-orbital gland.

_____Sew Holes:  Sew bullet holes and fleshing holes.  Use football cut.

_____Fit Ear-liners:  When fitting ear-liners, make all adjustments on bottom edge of liner. 

_____Ruff Ear-liners:  Use stout ruffer to  texture liner for better hold with hide paste.

_____Clay Ear-Butts:  Determine amount of clay to use on each ear butt by the size of ball that will fit within trimmed ear-liner.  Match that size with second
           ball of clay for second ear butt, before shaping first ear butt.

_____Glue in Ear:  Use Buck-Eye Hide Paste.

_____Cape is ready to mount.

_____Level Form on Stand:  Measure from the corner of each eye socket to floor to level form on stand.  Lock it down tight.

_____Set Antlers on Form:  Cut skull so that bottom of burr is no more than 1 1/2" from back of eye socket.  (Measurement can be less than this, depending
          on variables of antler size and shape, etc, but don't set them any further back than that.)  Drill 3 holes, (2 in front, 1 in back) and screw skull plate to
          form with 2 1/2" screws.  Screw loosely.  Level antlers.  Step back.  Adjust.  Shim with popsicle sticks to raise a side or the back.

_____Profile of Deer:  Check angle of main beam by drawing an imaginary line up main beam from burr and lining it up with deer's chin.  "Sneak" or "head-up"
          mount will need to set antlers flatter.  Line up with a point behind the chin.

_____Paper Mache:  Mache over skull plate and form.  Use fast-setting McKenzie mache. It dries faster and harder than others.  Let mache dry completely
          before test-fitting cape.

_____Prep Form:  Cut out nasal passages.  Cut out lips with lip saw.  Cut out pre-orbital with lip saw.

_____Test Fit Cape:  Slip face of cape on form, and pin back edges of cape to back of form on the plywood.  (Drooping in between is OK for now.)  Pull ear
          butts into place.  Pin.  From behind form, pull cape straight up, pinning each side where it meets on the back of the neck.  Rasp (if you have to) until
          enough slack so that both sides of cape can meet in back and be held with one T-pin.