What could give someone more satisfaction than proudly displaying a trophy animal? How about creating that quality trophy yourself? That's exactly what I thought to myself when I picked up a beautiful male whitetail a few years ago. I've always been interested in the taxidermy hobby and finally had something that was worth the time and effort to try, not to mention it was a lot cheaper than paying someone else to do it. The first thing you will need to do is take measurements of your deer coat. Each supplier will have a reference guide detailing where and how to measure the deer coat so it fits the form. Once the reference measurements have been taken there are still a couple of decisions to make in order to begin the mounting. First, the pose of the frame, which is a personal preference, but keep in mind that the shape must meet the reference measurements. Furthermore, the modules can be almost completely ready for assembly with pre-set eyes and positively positioned ears. This makes everything easier and can save time, but it is more expensive. When ordering the module, it is good practice to also order the other necessary materials at the same time to reduce shipping costs. There are also kits available with everything you need to do a shoulder mount, which could also be an option for those who are just starting out. The last thing to consider is the tanning of the coat. I use a wet tan instead of sending it to a tannery. There are a couple of reasons for this, namely costs and delivery times. It costs me ten dollars to do the wet tan and about ten dollars just to ship the cape to the tannery. Another is the delivery time, it takes no more than five days to meat, salt and tan a hide if I do it myself. It will take anywhere f... the center of the paper... with the form. Check the reference images and don't guess. This is where playing the drums can become a big problem. Although the skin is thin in this particular area, it dries out and shrinks and without proper fixing it is more than likely to become drummed. Then, once in place, pin the chest area with as many pins as necessary as they can always be removed after the backing has dried. Rotate the module to the upright position once more and staple the cape to the back of the module about an inch or two from the edge. Trim away the excess cape and knot the cape stitching thread. Let the frame dry for at least a week or two and keep an eye out for any drumming or any movement due to shrinkage. Complete the finishing work after the drying time has elapsed. The mount is now ready to be displayed not just as a trophy, but as a work of art to be proud of.