Welcome
Country Critters is owned and operated by Shannan Pardue. Shannan has been preserving wildlife memories since 2016. He is an avid outdoorsman and lifetime member of the Oklahoma State Taxidermy Association.
Field Care
Caping for a shoulder mount
After you have legally harvested your trophy it is very important NOT to cut into the brisket (chest) or neck area. Make all cuts behind the front shoulder. Try not to drag your trophy as this will damage the hide and or hair. Remember it is better to have to much hide then not enough.
Hair slippage is one of the number one issues Taxidermist see. Hair slippage is caused by bacteria on the skin. Skinning the animal right away to get it cool is the best thing you can do, bacteria thrives in warm, dark and moist places. Avoid contamination with the digestive juices and/or fecal matter.
1. Cut the hide around the body at approximately the mid-way point of the rib cage behind the front shoulders. Cut around each front leg just above the knee. Connect the cuts by cutting up the BACK of the leg and angle toward the belly to the mid-section cut. (Figure 2A &2B)
2. Skin your trophy up to the head neck junction and then remove the head from the carcass. Leave approximately 3 inches of neck attached to the head. (Figure 3)
3. If you are unable to deliver your trophy to us immediately, wrap the hide and head in a heavy plastic bag and place it in a freezer until you are able to bring the trophy to us for mounting.
Small Mammals
Coyotes, bobcats, etc. It is very important to cool the hide as soon as possible as these animals can spoil quickly and ruin the hide. Do not field dress your trophy. If you are unable to deliver your trophy immediately to us then wrap your trophy in a heavy plastic bag and place it in a freezer as soon as possible.
Birds
Do not field dress the bird. Do not wring the bird's neck. Rinse off any blood or dirt with water taking care not to damage any feathers. Make sure that the wings are tucked and that all the feathers are laying flat. This will protect the feathers and help cool the bird. If you are unable to deliver your bird to us immediately, place a wet paper towel around the head and each foot, place the bird in a heavy plastic bag and place it in a freezer until you are able to bring the bird to us for mounting.
Life-Size Big Game
Contact us to discuss the type of pose you are requesting as this will determine the best type of skinning method.
Mount Selection
Just as important as choosing your taxidermist is choosing your mount style. Some things to consider would be, Where in the room will the mount hang? Is there a certain area of the room you would like the mount to be focused on? Will the mount be at eye level or not? Can the mount be viewed from multiple angles?
There are many different commercially available mount styles. If your unsure what will work in your room, Google search the Mount. You'll find many examples of mounts and you can always send the image to your taxidermist as a reference. If a commercially available form doesn't fit your needs, your taxidermist should be able to custom alter a form for you