Big Game Hunting New Zealand Jul/Aug 2015 | Page 16

has been a great knife for hunting in
New Zealand and if you want a knife that
packs down small but can be used for all
applications a pocket knife like this is ideal.
With a blade size of 3 ¼’’ and drop point to
stop accidental punctures while skinning,
this is a good little knife that has done its
shear of caping while I have been guiding.
Now we have got a knife sorted we should talk
about things we should do if we wish to use the
original cape for your trophy

1)

Do not cut the throat of the animal,
once this is done the cape is pretty much
unrepairable

2)

Give the taxidermist plenty of skin,
it’s easier for him to cut it off later than try
and stitch it on.

3)

Make your cuts clean and straight and
try to follow the hair seams

4)

Take your time taking the cape off and
enjoy the task as it’s the trophy you have
always been after

5)

Make sure the cape is cooled after it

The white line shows the cut
around the knee and then up the
back of the leg into the armpit and straight back along the
flank.

is removed and not stored in a plastic bag
as it will sweat and cause its hair to slip.

6)

The cape and head can be put in the
freezer but it pays to bag the skin with only
the antlers exposed to stop freezer burn

7)

Where possible get it to your
preferred taxidermist as soon as possible so
that it can be head skinned and prepared for
mounting.

8)

Try and keep the skin as clean and dry
as possible and free of meat, dirt and blood,
as soiling can lead to hair slippage
Now we have made it to the hands on task of
removing the cape.
The first cut I like to do is straight up the back
bone cutting from up underneath the skin to
prevent cutting the hair. This cut starts just
in front of the pelvis bone and will stop just
between the ears, try and make this cut nice
and straight with a smooth knife action. The
next cut will be around the animals waist just
in front of the pizel, starting at the back bone
cutting down towards the belly. Then do your
matching cut on the other side meeting up with
The white lines show the spinal cut
and the cut around the middle just
in front of the pizel meeting back at
the spinal cut.

your other cut. The last cuts will be around
the knee joint and then up the back of the leg
following the hair seam up until you reach
the armpit, then continue following the colour
change or seam straight back along the flank to
meet up to the cut around the middle doing this
on both sides.

1)

2) Starting in the bottom corner where
your cut along the flank meets your centre
cut, you can lift the skin off with the knife
until you have enough to grip and then
using your fist, punch/push the skin away
from the meat up to your spinal cut. Then
pull the skin forward knifing of any tough
bits. You can use the knif