shoulder mount with the gutless method

[apphunter]

I have only used the gutless method once on a small whitetail and I only did it for practice. It took me a while but I understand that being the first time it was not going to go smoothly.

I was definitely able to harvest more meat than I had in the past from just hanging it up and not gutting it.

my only question is how to use the gutless method while getting a shoulder mount?Most of the taxidermist in the Southeast want the cape more of a tube skinned method than cut up the back. I have never killed a buck worth a shoulder mount but want to be prepared for when I do. Has anyone made a video specifically for a shoulder mount witht the gutless method? I have watched dozens of gutless videos but none of the videos mentioned mounting and if they did they only glanced over it.

 

[cody covey]

Ive never heard of a taxidermist complaining about cutting them down the back. Most will do it anyway to get it fitted on the form. You have to cut from your Y on the back of the horns down its back anyway to remove the cape from the face.
edit: cut with your knife blade facing up so you dont cut the hairs off as you go down the back. Make sense?

 

[Jason Snyder]

I've done a few with the gutless and never tubed the neck, nor have I had a taxidermist ask for one. We just split up the back and do a "T" cut at the head. I can't imagine trying to tube an elk cape.

Make sure you leave plenty of hide behind the shoulder.

 

[muleman]

Ive never heard of a taxidermist complaining about cutting them down the back. Most will do it anyway to get it fitted on the form. You have to cut from your Y on the back of the horns down its back anyway to remove the cape from the face.
edit: cut with your knife blade facing up so you dont cut the hairs off as you go down the back. Make sense?

+ 1

 

[Retterath]

good info

 

[gelton]

I used the gutless method on 3 whitetails, a javelina and an elk within the last couple of years and will never go back. The guys at the deer lease though I was crazy and after watching they will probably never gut another animal again either. Last months elk hunter magazine had a funny article in it where the editor talks about the first couple of elk he killed that he drug out whole! I cant imagine it but he talks about the internet and how even he had never heard of the gutless method until ten years ago or so and jokes about all the years of heartache he went through before he learned the right way, which also happens to be the easy way, to do it which is definitely gutless.

I think it would be just as easy to mount an animal that has been cleaned using the gutless method as it would be the old way.

 

[RamDreamer]

Here are two videos from Stuck N the Rut. They are the same deer, but one describes the process of taking the hide off for taxidermy and the other has more description for deboning it through the gutless method.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqkFjPQhXaQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=469IL1CspQM

 

[5MilesBack]

I've seen a couple different gutless methods, but I've always just cut straight up the backbone from the rump all the way to cut the Y to the base of the antlers. Just seems intuitive to do it this way if you're going to keep the cape anyway. Then just make sure you cut down far enough behind the shoulder to give the taxidermist enough to work with for a shoulder mount.

 

[Jason Snyder]

I've seen a couple different gutless methods, but I've always just cut straight up the backbone from the rump all the way to cut the Y to the base of the antlers. Just seems intuitive to do it this way if you're going to keep the cape anyway. Then just make sure you cut down far enough behind the shoulder to give the taxidermist enough to work with for a shoulder mount.

Exactly like we do it. Can't imagine an easier or cleaner way.

 

[SethH]

Here are two videos from Stuck N the Rut. They are the same deer, but one describes the process of taking the hide off for taxidermy and the other has more description for deboning it through the gutless method.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqkFjPQhXaQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=469IL1CspQM

I watched the video which was pretty good, but I personally when caping wouldn't cut further down than the elbow. You run the risk of having a couple of big seams along the brisket of your mount. I'd go to that elbow and just work / roll the cape down the rest of the leg

 

[dangerousD]

I've seen a couple different gutless methods, but I've always just cut straight up the backbone from the rump all the way to cut the Y to the base of the antlers. Just seems intuitive to do it this way if you're going to keep the cape anyway. Then just make sure you cut down far enough behind the shoulder to give the taxidermist enough to work with for a shoulder mount.

Same here for me. Did my first elk last fall that way. No problems. Now I do my whitetail the same way. I won't go back to field dressing/gutting/dragging.

Never heard of not splitting the hide up the back of the neck. How would you get it off without doing this?

 

[thru-hunter]

On the last two sheep I worked on we started at the belly and just didn't cut through the viscera so its still "gutless". Ring the hide near the last rib and peel the front off like a sock. The legs I ring at the knee, then cut the scapula loose and pull it out like skinning a rabbit. Once the legs are out I work hide up so its over the head inside out then chop the head free at the atlas. Once the head is loose I load it up for the initial pack out then finish the rest in typical " gutless fashion". Once back at camp I make a Y cut from both horns back just far enough to pull the rear of the skull through then work the rest of hide loose from the face. There are no cuts in the majority of the cape if I do it right.

I haven't tried this method on a moose and it may be tough on something as big as an elk. Should work fine on caribou and smaller though and it could be done down the back just as easily as the belly. I just don't like all the guard hairs that cutting along the spine releases.

 

[Blackhorn]

Randy Newberg has a good video also. Just Google randy newberg gutless method. Sorry can't figure how to post the link from my phone.