Joel Swecker is a firefighter, taxidermist, writer, hunter, and American family man. He is a return guest and joins me this week for April's installment of the School of September. We spend a lot of time discussing how to locate, call to, and strategically place a lethal arrow into an elk. We also gloss over what to do after an elk hits the ground. As the owner of one of the busiest taxidermy shops in Washington, Black River Taxidermy, Joel has seen and heard about a lot of mistakes hunters make when trying to keep the cape for a sweetass shoulder mount. In this discussion, we go into great detail about proper caping, skinning, meat care, butchering, and lots more of the little details that make a big difference once an animal is down. Joel knows his stuff as well as anyone with the added perspective of being a taxidermist. If you plan to notch a tag on a worthy wapiti this year, make sure you know how to get that bull off the mountain so your mount looks fantastic and saves you money! Joel Swecker on Instagram (Black River Taxidermy) SCHOOL OF SEPTEMBER EXCLUSIVELY BROUGHT TO YOU BY PHELPS GAME CALLS Show Sponsors! Phelps Game Calls - The game call company of The Western Huntsman! https://phelpsgamecalls.com/ -Use Promo Code "Huntsman10" for 10% off! Silencer Central - Get started with a suppressor for your next hunt by going to the website here: https://www.silencercentral.com/ They make it very easy to get licensed, purchased, and set up so you can find out why getting a suppressor from Silencer Centrals is so popular! Hoffman Boots - Best hunting boots you'll ever own. Specifically, check out the Hoffman Explorers, hands down the finest mountain boot for Western big game on the planet, I guarantee it! Use promo code "HUNTSMAN10" for 10% off! https://hoffmanboots.com/hoffman-mountain-boots Savage Arms - Don't skimp on your next big game rifle. Savage Arms has redefined high-performance rifles built specifically for guys and gals like us! Check out the 110 with Accu-Trigger, I promise you won't regret it. www.savagearms.com Barnes Bullets - Since 1932, Barnes Bullets has been a leader in hunting ammo. The world-famous X-Bullet was the first expanding all-copper bullet known for its exceptional knock down power and performance. I have personally been using Barnes Bullets since 1998 and wouldn't recommend them if I didn't know for sure how well they perform. Check them out at www.barnesbullets.com Eastmans Hunting Journals - What Western Hunter doesn't know Eastmans Hunting Journals?? I've been a fan and subscriber to the magazine since I was a kid, and you should too. Between the magazine, Eastmans TagHub, and the new Mule Deer eCourse, Eastmans has something for everyone and the tools every Western Hunter should have! Check it out at https://www.eastmans.com/ Hit me up at jim@thewesternhuntsman.com