All,

Does anybody have any tips for prepping a bobact for the taxidermist? I do not simply want the hide, but I want the classic bobcat launching in air to catch a quail.

So what do I need to remember when field dressing? Since the mount pose I want will expose the belly, how much cutting can I get away with?

First, choose a taxidermist and then pose the question to him/her. If possible let them do all of the skinning. If you can't get it to the taxidermist asap, get it frozen whole. If you shoot it, try to keep blood to a minimum. Carry some paper towels and stuff in the bullet holes... Treat it like you would a fine fur coat. A good taxidermist will produce a quality mount you can admire for a lifetime.

You can get pretty good advice in here definetly. Piedoe is a pretty good taxid so she could also give you good tips and advice as well

DO NOT field dress the cat, you don't want any cuts the taxidermist doesn't need. It is best to just freeze the cat whole in several plastic garbage bags asap after you kill it.

Let's go a step farther. There are the big 3 for "slippage", hair loss due to bacteria, they are coyotes, bobcat and fox. Taxidermist have more problems from those 3 than all other species combined. When you shoot one, the first thing to do to insure a quality mount, is to leave the field and put it in a freezer. Do not continue to hunt, do not gut,skin, disect or do anything to it. Try not to even handle it anymore than necessary, especially the face and ears. Now let's step back for a minute, find a taxidermist that you like before shooting anything you want mounted. I get calls every year from guys who say, "My mount looks like crap, can you fix it? I shot this ______ and took it to this guy I heard about from_________ and they did a crappy job!" Find a good taxidermist now, who can mount what you want. I don't do fish, I have friends that don't mount anything but fish. Some do great deer but can't mount a yote to save their lives. Do some research before you kill that trophy. IF you find a guy that you like but is too expensive for your tastes, see if you can make payments. Hope it helps

NC and Piebald told you everything you need to know, take it right to the freezer and drop it off at your taxi, no cuts are a good thing.

Thanks for all the help guys! I have seen several Bobcats while deer hunting, so hopefully I will be able to call in and bag one quickly. I will have an ice chest with dry ice in the back of my truck ready to go.

Now I just need to borrow something smaller than my 30-06 to make the hole.

How much will a full body coyote or fox or bobcat mount cost?