I would suggest NOT putting your cape in a plastic bag! Plastic will hold in the heat and provide a warm environment for bacteria. Also, if you have blood on the cape it will likely spread all over the cape. A guy I know used a plastic bag on a mtn goat once and he ended up with a red cape!
A couple other recommendations: In super warm temps use a plastic bag to dip cape into a cold creek to cool cape and meat down (separate bags). Also bring paper towels to stuff in mouth, nose, and bullet holes to keep blood from spreading (especially true with mtn goats). You can also use the paper towels to get rid of some of the blood. Use cloth bags or game bags to prevent flies and dirt from getting on cape. Most taxidermists I know would recommend NOT to turn ears, slit lips, etc. Hunters that don't have experience doing this will likely do something wrong and the taxidermist will likely spend more time making repairs than the good it will do! I have never salted a cape in the field in my life and I usually sell life sized and head capes to taxidermists every year. Bring plenty of coolers! Put your cape in one and meat in the other to keep blood from spreading. Obviously get ice in cooler ASAP and wrap cooler with sleeping bags, blankets, coats, etc. I would advise opening the drain of your cooler so it can drain as the ice melts. Spread out our cape on top of the ice with a couple garbage bags between the ice and cape. Remember not to place the cape inside garbage bags inside the cooler! Get your cape frozen ASAP! Possibly see if anyone where you are staying can freeze the cape if you have a long ride/flight home. Fold with skin against skin and roll up. Freeze with head (nose, ears, eyes, mouth) rolled inside the neck.
A couple other recommendations: In super warm temps use a plastic bag to dip cape into a cold creek to cool cape and meat down (separate bags). Also bring paper towels to stuff in mouth, nose, and bullet holes to keep blood from spreading (especially true with mtn goats). You can also use the paper towels to get rid of some of the blood. Use cloth bags or game bags to prevent flies and dirt from getting on cape. Most taxidermists I know would recommend NOT to turn ears, slit lips, etc. Hunters that don't have experience doing this will likely do something wrong and the taxidermist will likely spend more time making repairs than the good it will do! I have never salted a cape in the field in my life and I usually sell life sized and head capes to taxidermists every year. Bring plenty of coolers! Put your cape in one and meat in the other to keep blood from spreading. Obviously get ice in cooler ASAP and wrap cooler with sleeping bags, blankets, coats, etc. I would advise opening the drain of your cooler so it can drain as the ice melts. Spread out our cape on top of the ice with a couple garbage bags between the ice and cape. Remember not to place the cape inside garbage bags inside the cooler! Get your cape frozen ASAP! Possibly see if anyone where you are staying can freeze the cape if you have a long ride/flight home. Fold with skin against skin and roll up. Freeze with head (nose, ears, eyes, mouth) rolled inside the neck.
