here are other methods of mounting horns and antlers, but I have found
the above to be the most substantial and neat, and not very difficult.

CHAPTER XIX.

MOUNTING FEET AND HOOFS.

Many sportsmen now preserve the feet of their large game to have them
made up in various articles of use and ornament which they can
distribute among their friends or use in their own homes. Some of these
articles are gun and rod racks, furniture legs and feet, ink wells,
match, cigar and ash holders, thermometers, paper weights, umbrella and
cane handles.

[Illustration: WOODEN CROOK FOR DEER FOOT.]

It goes without saying that for such things as racks, furniture legs,
handles and thermometer mounts the leg skin attached to the hoof should
be left six or more inches in length while for ink wells, etc., it may
be shorter.

[Illustration: SKINNED DEER FOOT.]

[Illustration: DEER FOOT INK WELL.]

In fairly cool weather the feet and lower legs of deer will keep for
some days without skinning as they contain but a small amount of flesh.
Still it is safest and but the work of a few minutes to split them up
the backs, skin down to the toe joints and cut them off there. Dry them
with or without salting and they are easily packed up to carry home or
send to the taxidermist. If one foot and shank is received in the flesh
it will aid in mounting them up as racks, furniture legs, etc., as for
such purposes the skin is mounted over a piece of wood of the size and
shape of the skinned leg. For preparing feet for racks and handles it is
well to supply yourself with a number of natural crooks of about the
size of a deer's leg and nearly of a right angle. Sassafras, gum or some
soft wood work up easiest. When skinned place in pickle or give foot
coating of arsenic and alum--pickle is best. Be sure and leave enough
skin attached to hoof; a little experience will teach you this. Now
remove foot from bath, rinse well and sew up same as far as the claws;
next bore a hole through the claws from inside of claws, where it will
not show. Get two wire nails and nail these claws to a board, as shown
in A. Now arrange the hoofs as shown in illustration and put a screw
into each from underneath, to hold them down (B), or you can nail a
cleat across them by nailing to the block on each side of hoof; the idea
is to get these parts firmly placed in position. Now finish sewing up
the skin and stuff it full of chopped excelsior, shaping the foot as you
pr