Hair fell out of my cape...

[mallardsx2]

I shot a buck out west last season and then rolled the cape up and put it on ice for about 6 days while we continued to hunt. (Didn't have access to a freezer) Taxidermist just called me and told me that the hair is slipping beyond repair. To add icing to the cake, he told me that he ordered a new cape for the mount (Never checking to make sure it was ok with me...but that's a separate issue...)

Call it stupidity on my part but what could I have done differently to prevent this?

I am heading to Colorado in a week to go on an elk hunt and I don't want the same thing happening. Any suggestions?

 

[kidoggy]

https://youtu.be/PV3PpyHe_QU

once froze keep it froze till you are ready to work on it.freezing an thawing, freezing an thawing is a no no.

 

[elkin44]

Number biggest rule with a cape. Don't let it get wet and don't put it in a plastic bag (only if you can freeze it)

if you can not freeze in a freezer keep in a cool place with no sun in a feed bag type of bag, its got to breathe.

If you are camped out, hang it from a tree over night letting the blood drip off and dry a little. then when cold....roll up with the ears tucked inside the cape, the ears will warm and slip first.

keep it dry, if you have to dry the blood and water of a fresh skinned cape with leaves or a rag. big thing keep it dry water will speed the rotting process.

 

[go_deep]

Could have fleshed it, and salted it.

 

[mallardsx2]

Could have fleshed it, and salted it.

This was my initial thought. Then I read in about 50 places on the internet not to do that. So I don't know what to believe. I will fully cape and salt this season.

 

[go_deep]

Ask your taxi the proper way to flash and salt. Guess I've never had a problem, takes some time.

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[JimP]

And that is why most taxidermist have a disclaimer that they are not responsible for cape care. I wouldn't be too ticked off at the taxidermist for ordering another cape for you either. It is going to either be that or just a set of horns since he likely cut the horns off of the skull. But if you decided to to a euro mount there are plastic skulls that you can purchase.

Now after saying that you need to learn how to flesh and salt it. On my trip to South Africa last year that is all the outfitter would do with them. Once it was fleshed they would place the capes and hides into the salt shack and cover them in salt which soaked every bit of moisture out of the capes. In my group of hunters there were 25 or so capes, back skins, and whole skins and we didn't loose a single one of them

 

[Ikeepitcold]

Salting it would have been best. Also when you rolled it up if it was still warm the inside of the roll would hot heat for a long time even on ice. Then add water to it and you have slipped hair.

I would be a bit upset if my taxi ordered a cape without asking me first.

 

[SGM]

If you cannot get it to the taxi right away or cannot freeze it then flesh, salt and dry is by far the best route. Never heard of someone giving advice not to salt. First thing any taxi does that I know is flesh and heavely salt for shipment to the tanner.

 

[Fink]

Better to have the hair fall off the cape, than off the top of your head.

 

[bigmoose]

Salt will set the hair and keep it from slipping. The problem is that it will start to weep and you will need to leave it on a slant so the fluid can run off. You can not just roll it up. If you do, the fluid will pool and ruin the cape. Also, once you start to flesh and salt the cape you'll need to turn the ears and split the lips which may be better left to a taxidermist.

Getting the cape cool and then keeping it cool and out of water should give you a week or so to get to a taxidermist. I try to get it clean and all the meat off of it before I roll it up "skin to skin". Freezing is the best but often not possible out in the field.

It would be tough to lose a cape but the taxidermist should have consulted you first before replacing it.

 

[AT Hiker]

Bigmoose gave some solid advice. Im a taxidermist and this is exactly what I would tell someone how to proceed. Fleshing, turning and salting is great if you know what/how to do it...if not you will be in the same situation your in now.
Also, you can get a chemical called Stop Rot. Talk to your taxidermist about it and how to use it.


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[johnsd16]

As others have said rolling it if there is any heat left is problem. That fur keeps the deer warm and they you layer it five times over, even in an ice chest the middle of that roll won't cool off for a long long time. Even if the hide was only minimally warm that's all the bacteria need. Also, the wetness is a huge issue, it will accelerate the slippage process by several times. Handling fur slippage is lost money, and being dry is better than being cool. If you have a wet coon hide in 40 degree weather will slip before a dry coon hide in low 50s. Fleshing also helps both to remove heat but also moisture/oil from the hide. Lesson learned. Get it dry and cool before all else, and a deer hide will keep unfleshed for a long time rolled or not in the back of a truck in 40 degree (refridgerator) type weather. But if it is wet or rolled you are asking for trouble.

 

[ivorytip]

good thread

 

[tom338]

So if you put the cape in a cooler with ice and the ice is in a plastic bag that does NOT leak do you think the cape will be alright? Should you let the cape hang open for the night to cool. We are packing in 8-10 miles so unless we shoot one in the morning the meat and cape won't be in a cooler till the next day. We will be at 10,000' in Wyoming so temps overnight should be cool enough for meat in game bags for the night.

 

[johnsd16]

So if you put the cape in a cooler with ice and the ice is in a plastic bag that does NOT leak do you think the cape will be alright? Should you let the cape hang open for the night to cool. We are packing in 8-10 miles so unless we shoot one in the morning the meat and cape won't be in a cooler till the next day. We will be at 10,000' in Wyoming so temps overnight should be cool enough for meat in game bags for the night.

Yep, hang it out so the hide itself is dry and cool. Then into a cooler without any moisture on the cape is ok. Letting the flesh side dry a little when unfleshed is also not an issue. It's like a little crust on meat, it gets shaved off. Wet/soaked fur is your enemy dry is your friend.

 

[mallardsx2]

Lots of good posts on this thread. Thank you for everyone's input.

-Cape it out
-Flesh it out
-Dry it out
-Salt it out
-Keep Cool or freeze

Thanks for the advice everyone!

And...Yes, Lesson learned.

 

[Gr8bawana]

Just make sure you have enough salt. It takes quite a bit of salt to do the job, I'm mean like about a half inch layer all over the cape rubbed in really well. The next day the original layer of salt should be shaken off because it will be soaked with moisture. Then a new layer of salt should be applied.

 

[JimP]

And the salt should be non ionized salt if you do plan on salting the cape or hide

 

[sab]

And the salt should be non ionized salt if you do plan on salting the cape or hide

I'm a "tanning nerd", having been tanning hides of animals I've taken for several years. I think you meant iodized salt, not ionized. According to Bruce Rittel (a well-known tanning expert and consultant in the tanning industry), iodized salt is perfectly fine to use in the tanning process. The iodine has no effect on the process. There is another additive in table salt that has a very minor effect, but it is easily dealt with. Sodium ferrocyanide decahydrate (a/k/a yellow prussiate of soda) is a caking agent that is added to reduce clumping. It changes the pH of your solution, but solution pH is monitored closely, when done right, so it's no big deal. When talking about salting a hide, pH doesn't need to be monitored. The salt is being used for two purposes - to pull water out of the hide and to keep bacteria out (they don't call it the "dead" sea for nothing, you know).

I think the "no iodized salt" rumor came about because iodized salt is considerably more expensive than non-iodized salt. Professional tanneries buy tons (literally) of the stuff a year, and paying extra for something not needed is silly.

Using table salt, with the iodine and caking agent, is not going to harm your capes.

Regards,
Scott