This mount holds a lot of meaning for me—it was special in so many ways. It was the first animal my husband ever successfully hunted, and his first buck harvest. It was also the first time I worked on a large animal and the first hide I ever tanned myself.

I had no prior experience, so I learned everything as I went—reading guides, watching instructional videos, and putting in the hands-on work. Every step was a challenge, but also deeply rewarding.

This mount isn’t just a trophy; it’s a memory, a milestone, and a symbol of the things we accomplished together for the first time. 

I began working on this taxidermy project in November 2022. Since my small business specializes in small mammals, I don’t have the tools or equipment to process a large animal quickly. I spent nearly an entire Saturday skinning out the head and fleshing the cape by hand.

After that, the cape had to wait in the freezer for several months. Between my day job and family life, there just isn’t much free time.

In the meantime, I began ordering the form and other materials. I dragged my feet a bit—honestly, I was nervous about tanning the deer myself. I did a lot of reading and research before finally deciding on a tanning solution.

Surprisingly, the tanning process ended up being easier than I expected. I soaked the hide for a good four days, and it came out beautifully.

Still, the cape went back into the freezer again for quite a while.

Finally, in June 2025, I had a free Saturday with no other obligations—and I knew it was time to finish the mount.

I spent the whole day preparing the form, leveling the mount, setting the eyes and ear liners, doing the clay work, fitting the cape over the form, and pinning everything into place.

I’ll be honest—I struggled. There were moments of frustration, times I felt totally lost and unsure of what I was doing. There are definitely things I would do differently next time. But standing back now and seeing how it turned out, I’m proud. I’m proud that I stuck with it, pushed through the hard parts, and finished this mount on my own.