Hunting season is quickly approaching, and it’s time to ask yourself if you have room for new taxidermy trophies. What if you already have too many to fit on the walls of your house? There is a solution: You can store these mounts in a safe and pest-free way. Just follow these steps to keep them stored in pristine condition even when they’re packed away.
- Store Taxidermy Indoors
Leaving your taxidermy mounts outdoors can leave them exposed to sunlight and dangerous UV rays, which may cause fading to the fur or skin. They may even be invaded by insects if they’re not properly insulated. Remember that an attic or basement may not have enough space to store all of your trophies. And if they do, your trophies still may end up in direct sunlight from windows. Keep them protected, and therefore the best place to do that is at a secure, safe, clean storage facility.
- Buy or Create Wooden Crates
The best way to prevent scratches and harm as you transport taxidermy is to store it in a wooden crate. You’ll be able to screw the mount to at least one side of the crate using wood screws and carrying it that way. You can build your own crates, or ask a local taxidermist or tannery for one.
- Wear Gloves
Not all specimens are dangerous to touch. Most taxidermy done these days is maintained with a dry preservative or tanning method, so that they can be handled even while not wearing gloves. However, some mounts will contain toxic materials, therefore you’ll have to use caution. It’s best to simply wear gloves in all instances.
- Protect Them From Pests
Place poison pellets, Not pest strips, and silica gel packets within the crate(s). As an alternative, you’ll coat the crates with a chemical sealer to keep pests out. Lastly, make certain you’re cleansing the area where you store your animal mounts frequently.
- Measure the Doors
If you’re using wooden crates, for storing a number of the larger mounts, can measure the doors before renting a space to make certain that the storage unit will fill your needs.