These simple maintenance tips will keep your hunting mounts looking great for years to come

As hunters, we look to taxidermy to honour the game we’ve taken and to forever remind us of time spent afield with family and friends. Ensuring our wildlife home decor lasts a lifetime, however, does require some maintenance. I recently had the chance to visit Darren Shipp, the owner of Lorette, Manitoba’s Wild North Taxidermy, to learn what’s required to keep our precious trophies looking as good as the day we bring them home.

According to Darren, the long-term care of any trophy begins when deciding where to display it. We’ve all seen deer mounts that look ancient and faded, even though they’re not that old. Darren suggests that’s because they’ve been exposed to the sun’s damaging UV rays. With that in mind, avoid placing mounts or rugs where they’ll be in direct sunlight.

You should also avoid placing trophies where they’ll be exposed to extreme heat. While a deer, elk or moose mount above a fireplace may offer a classic look, for example, regular use of the fireplace can result in cracking, especially around the trophy’s nose and lips.

As for cleaning and preserving your trophies, the process varies depending on whether it’s a shoulder or full-body mount, rug, bird or skull mount.