How to Cape an Elk

Learning to cape an elk or deer is an important skill for hunters. Caping the animal removes and prepares the skin for taxidermy. The caping process also exposes the meat for quartering and processing. Many hunters gut the elk before caping but gutting is a messy and unnecessary process. Making precision cuts allows you to remove the cape and meat without touching the guts. The end result is a clean cape that is prepared for mounting or tanning.

Things You'll Need

  • Knife
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Make a shallow cut at the base of the skull. Place the knife under the skin with the sharp end of the blade facing toward the tail. Push the blade from the base of the skull to the tail. Ride the blade along the spine and maintain a shallow incision. The forward position of the blade prevents cutting into the meat.

    • 2

      Make an incision around the circumference of each leg. Make the incision immediately above the leg joint and only cut the skin.

    • 3

      Measure 1 foot below one of the shoulders of the elk. Make an incision from the spine to the belly. Stop when you reach the belly and cut across to the front leg. Continue the incision down the leg until the cape is free from the front shoulder.

    • 4

      Roll the head section of the cape from the shoulder to the skull. This exposes the shoulder meat for quartering.

    • 5

      Move to the hindquarter and make an incision beginning at the tail and ending at the joint on one of the hind legs. Run the knife down the back of the leg to make the cut. Peel the skin back to expose the meat on the rib cage and hindquarter.

    • 6

      Roll the elk onto the opposite side and repeat the shoulder and hind leg incisions to complete the caping process. Twist the head to separate it from the body and leave the top section of the cape attached for the taxidermist. Pack out the lower section of the cape for tanning or use it as extra material during the taxidermy process.