Field guide

Working notes from the bench — taxidermy field-care articles by Grant Gullicks. Practical guidance from a working studio, written for hunters who want their trophies to come back the way they remember them.

Dall sheep ram with full curl horns standing in dry alpine grass

01 · BY GRANT GULLICKS

Sheep Trophy Care

Proper field care techniques for Dall sheep — what makes their hide different, how to clean and skin in the field, and how to keep a cape worth mounting.

Read article →

Antlered deer lying on dry grass with a long straight incision running down the center of the back of the neck

02 · BY GRANT GULLICKS

Skinning a Cape in the Field

Body cuts for caping a trophy in the field — back cut, leg rings, and removing the cape from the body up to the base of the head, before head work begins.

Read article →

Two side-by-side photos showing a hand making the Y cut along an antlered animal's hairline, then the resulting Y-shaped incision between the antler bases

03 · BY GRANT GULLICKS

Skinning a Skull out of a Cape

Head work for separating the cape from the skull — the Y cut, antler bases, ear butts, lip line, eyes, pre-orbital gland, corners of the mouth, and the nose.

Read article →