Caping
 

What are some of your tips and tactics for caping?I just learned how to cape and don't want to spend 3 hours caping. What tools does everybody to use to make caping faster and easier? The biggest time issue that I have is cutting the hair around the horns...what are some good tools to get to use around the bases? It takes me a long time but most of the deer I have caped have been a few days after they were shot, does it go a lot faster and is it easier when they are fresh and warm? Thanks for the advice..I'm possibly looking into taxidermy and want to learn some tips and techniques. Thanks again.

RE: Caping
 

Bigbuck, I think that a good pointed knife is fine. It cuts the heavy stuff as well as sneeks under the rosette of the antler so you get the true cape edge. Some guys use a screwdriver to pry the skin away from the antler base, but Im in too much of a hurry to switch from the knife. Fresh or cold the cape comes off about the same, in my opinion. I wish I had a video camera, Id love to tape the process to help guys out. It takes me about 15 minutes to cape one of Im daydreaming, and the fastest I ever did was about 5 minutes racing with a friend. I still havent found my one finger tip though. (just joking) Good luck!

RE: Caping
 

Spending less time will come with experience and doing many until you are sure what your doing.
I found smaller knives work better for me, I use a 21/2 stainless steel blade, that I made from a vitorinox 4 inch blade that broke and I made an antler handle for it.

RE: Caping
 

when I was doing the work , I had a knife I ordered from Touchtone Taxidermy Supply Co. the blade was 2 1/2" curved. mad from a kinda tin metal. sharpened real easy,(only 2 or 3 strokes and it would shave) and staied sharp real well. the blade was flexiable and would run around the horn burrs real easy.it worked the nose and ears good also.
the small flexable blades are the best (for me anyway)

RE: Caping
 

It all depends on what kinda mood I am in when i cape a deer out. SometimesI don't want to spen time looking for my screw driver andI will just go ahead and use my #22 scalpel. Either way itis just as easy. Like Bill it usually takes me about 15 minutes to cape a deer off the skull.Fleshing them is a whole nother story.....