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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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 $

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

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!

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

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.

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

Yep. We found the buck in the first pic (I had many encounters with him over a 2 year period) dead, and used the cape from the second buck to get him mounted with. Came out perfect as you can see in the third pic.







Also, to add to what Greg posted, I usually take the capes from any buck I shoot and donate them to the taxidermist that Jawshooter (Dan) apprenticed with. I don't take money, but the big 6 that I shot this year and he has now I'm only paying $375 for, and he usually charges about $500.

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

I did contact the DNR this morning and I'm waiting on a call back from the warden.

Greg, great idea about selling capes to taxi's. I'll have to keep that in mind for the future.

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

Matt:

I gotta know the story behind the stick!:)

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

I've never done this before but now it looks like I'll have to. The guy that screwed me over on mounting 4 of my bucks let 2/4 capes rot! [:@]

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

Heh........I'm thankful that I don't have to fess up to that one.

That pic is from Dan's (Jawshooter)cabin in NY.

Dad shot at a pretty nice buck during the NY shotgun season a few years back, and on the first shot hit that tree. The deer ran off 50+ yards, stopped, and looked back just long enough for Ken to take another shot, and hit the same tree 10" above the first shot. [8D] We have had some pretty funny misses over the years at this camp, and I've claimed a few myself........but this one might be the funniest.

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

I have given capes to friends,used capes from present year's to use on bucks shot from prior years.I see nothing wrong with it.There are a lot of ways for a cape to become ruined.If I am dragging a deer for a long distance,I will continually flip it from side to side so I minimize the scuffing to the cape.

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

Except for this year.......;)

My taxidermist saidour buck REALLY looks sharp.
Thanks again bro!:)

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

Duc, i urrently have two mounts hanging that sport someone elses capes. I had no choice because we lost our house to fire in 2005, I had five mounts that got severaly damaged, I cleaned two of the racks up and had my taxi remount them on someone elses capes. You would never know it by looking at them, he did a wonderful job :)The only problem you will have is the tag problem, most taxis wont touch them unless you have one.

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

Exactly. They will help you take care of it.

I have mounted a buck of mine with a different cape. It looks just fine. The only bad part was that i shot my buck early season and had to use a winter cape. I wish i had that early season cape, but man they are hard to come by!

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

I haven't used a different cape yet. I am attempting to do my first mount so I probabaly will be looking for a new cape soon. lol

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

Not by choice but by a dishonest taxidermist...

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

I'm real particular about things so I'd probably be bothered knowing my antlers and my cape came from 2 different deer. Boththe bucks I have mountedhave matching racks and capes (or so I think)