How many of you have mounted your deer with a different cape?

Finch · 03-10-2008, 07:32 AM

Does it seem weird to you to mount a deer using another deer's cape? Have you had this done before? I'm just asking because I'm thinking about having it done to my buck I just found. I probably would have mounted him at the time of kill in November.

I'm also wondering what I'm going to do about the absence of a tag. Usually, the taxi wants a tag or proof the deer had been checked in. I wonder if they would give me a hard time over a buck with no tag? I do have a tag from last year of another 8 pointer I shot. If it came down to it; I would use that one.

huntingson · 03-10-2008, 07:36 AM

I have no idea about the tag, but a call to the DNR should solve that in short order.

My father had a cape swapped out after the old one cracked due to a combination of poor taxidermy work and just plain old age. Looks great and the "new" cape had great character as its one ear was all torn. I don't think that it is ideal, but you have to do what you have to do.

Brknarrow1970 · 03-10-2008, 07:49 AM

I have had to use another cape - on my first buck back in 97 - had a beatiful reddish coat and the taxidermist - did something wrong and hair was falling out- normally they will charge you for the mount and then extra for the cape around $50 if I remember correctly

Finch · 03-10-2008, 08:00 AM

Thanks fellas. In my case, I'm wondering about all the measurements and such since I only have the head and bottom jaw. Its not like it was previously mounted and having the cape replaced. I guess it won't be exact but I'm sure the taxi could get it close. I'll give him a call today or tomorrow.

mobow · 03-10-2008, 08:04 AM

TECHNICALLY you've got an illegal buck. It was never checked in, never tagged. You're going to have to contact the DNR for some type of permit to have it mounted.

EDIT: It will need to be treated as shed antlers I believe, and there is some type of permit required to have those mounted.

Greg / MO · 03-10-2008, 08:09 AM

Unfortunately, hunt long enough and at one point or another, you'll end up learning about using other capes on your own mounts.

Yes, I learned the hard way on a beautiful double-white throat patch buck that had especially sentimental value as my wife helped me locate it in a very tall bean field carrying my four-month-old son in one of those pappoose-style carriers as we walked grid searches together. She was actually the one that found the pin-prick of blood that pointed us in the right direction to where he lay.

I stupidly took too long to get him to my taxidermist and his cape was slipping by the time I got him there.

In your case, your taxi is probably going to have to buy a cape and he'll just measure it to determine the size form he needs to order; no biggie at all as far as that aspect goes. Make sure he has seen the rack to know what general size to order (you don't want to put a really big rack on a smallish-sized deer, or vice-versa).

Good luck.

GMMAT · 03-10-2008, 08:12 AM

I was wondering about this. I emailed Germ and he confirmed my fears. He said "Nope". He said he wears the same cape every time.

shed33 · 03-10-2008, 08:14 AM

you've got the skull plate, he will have no problem matching a cape to your bucks size.. you'll be out at least another 100.00 I would imagine.. often the larger the cape you purchase the more $

Sliverflicker · 03-10-2008, 08:50 AM

I killed one a few years ago thats face was pretty messed up from fighting, luckily my son killed a nice one the same year and wanted a euro mount done on it so I got his cape for my rack, it looks great and I could care less that it is the right cape.
I have one that a taxidermist in kansas did for me, lucky for him I had moved to Mi and my daughter picked it up, because we would have went to the dirt it was such a bad job, it will be geting redone with another cape.
A 10pt that the yotes got to befor I did (just got a cape done for this one)
A 22" 11pt that I had in the freezer in the shed when it quit working, so I need a cape for that one.
And I have one of the first book deer I ever killed that did not hold up well that drumed and split all over, I took apart, that I need a cape for.
So once you been doing this for a while sooner or later you will more than likely need a cape to get a rack mounted, I know I have had my share!

Greg / MO · 03-10-2008, 09:00 AM

Sliver's post brought something else to mind... Since there's a strong and ready market out there for these, on the "marginal" bucks I've been killing the last several years, I take them to my taxi and sell him the cape. He completely capes it out for me (he'd rather do this for me anyway to assure it's done to his satisfaction) gives me the skull back so I can do a Euro mount on it (looks better on this size buck anyway) and I get $75 for the cape.