How to Cape a Deer

Jared Mills • November 29, 2023

The way I cape a deer, there are three primary cuts to make on the hide. From these cuts, the hide can be separated from the body along with the head in preparation for the taxidermist. An important thing to consider before this process is to remember not to cut too far up the chest area during field dressing. In fact, you can end your cut where the chest bone starts so that you have ample hide to work with during the caping process. Also important to remember is that you have a very sharp knife for this process, so your cuts are clean, you create less mess with hairs, and you give your taxidermist a better hide to work with.

It's also best to cut with the blade out so you're cutting up through the hide rather than down into it. It's also best to leave as little meat as possible on the hide. Again, this is in consideration of your taxidermist, as it leaves less of a mess to clean up.

Last but not least, this process, as I describe it, is being performed on a deer hanging from its hind legs with its head toward the ground.

The Midsection Circumference

Image relating to How to Cape a Deer

The first cut to make is right around the middle of the deer, even with where the field dressing cut stops. Cut all the way through the hide and all the way around the circumference of the deer so that the cut connects back where you start.

Once you have separated the front half of the hide all the way around the deer, you can begin skinning the hide downward towards the head - not all the way down, but just enough to establish a clean start all the way around the cut. How well you start this in terms of getting clean away from the meat will determine how well the rest of the skinning process goes.

Carefully pull the hide outward from the first cut and slice downward little by little to separate the hide from the meat, cutting as close to the hide as possible without puncturing through it.

Leg Cuts

Image relating to How to Cape a Deer

Once you've established a good start at separating the hide at the midsection, you can make the cuts up the two front legs. These cuts will connect back to the midsection. To get these two leg cuts started, you will need to make starter cuts around the circumference of each leg a little before each knee joint. As with the midsection, you will want these cuts to connect around the leg so that you can free the hide completely from the legs.

Once the starter cuts are completed, you will cut back upward towards the first midsection cut until you connect. This cut will follow the natural line created by the brown and white hairline that runs the length of the body. Since that natural hairline doesn't perfectly connect where the legs meet the body at the armpit, you can cut carefully back over to that white and brown hairline and then follow it the rest of the way up. The straighter and cleaner the cut, and the more precisely it follows where the two hair colors meet, the better for the taxidermist.

Skin Down the Body

Image relating to How to Cape a Deer

After the two main cuts for each leg are done, you are ready to start skinning the hide downward off the body. Starting at that first midsection cut, continue where you left off, skinning downward - always being careful to avoid as much meat as possible while not puncturing the hide. You're grabbing the hide with one hand and pulling it down and away from the body while slicing it away from the meat with the other.

Continue downward toward the head, and be aware that the skin becomes thinner and more easily punctured as you advance toward the neck. The midsection will be easier to separate more quickly, but be careful to slow down and focus on precision as you work downward. You will stop skinning once you reach where the neck meets the back of the skull. Wearing latex field dressing gloves can help you pull down on the hide a little better.

Remove the Head

Image relating to How to Cape a Deer

Keeping the hide out of the way, use your caping knife to slice into the neck meat and cut around the neck. Your knife can cut through everything but the bone - for that, you will need a saw.

I highly recommend stopping at the base of the skull, removing the head, and taking it to your taxidermist like this for a couple of reasons. First, unless you really know what you're doing in regard to the eyes, mouth, nose, and even the glands, this is an area that's pretty easy to mess up. Secondly, taxidermists use at least a couple of different methods of cutting around the antlers, so letting them choose the method they prefer is the best option.

Keep it Cool and Dry

Image relating to How to Cape a Deer

Keep the head and hide cool and dry. Don't throw a wet bag of ice on it. Don't let it sit out in the sun. Ideally, you want to get it to the taxidermist as soon as possible -- but if it has to wait for a later date, you can always freeze the whole thing and bring it to the taxidermist that way.

For a detailed visual demonstration, be sure to check out the video above!

Good luck,

--Jared Mills