Cape care in field..

[gonhunting247]

Depending on weather, you'll have 36 to 72 hours to get cranking on that moose cape. If it's wet and warm outside, better get on it within 48 hours of time of kill. Best principle is to get on it as quickly as possible, but I would say that after 72 hours, even in dry and cold weather, you're running the risk of spoilage.

Turning the dewlap inside out is basically the same as turning the ears inside out. I use the ground point of my ice axe as a tool to insert into the hair side, to push against, and then use my 3-inch blade field knife and/or my skinner (knife) to separate the two "halves" of the flesh side. The dewlap goes pretty quick and isn't difficult to turn inside out, like a sock.

One thing you'll definitely want to do on a moose, is turn the nose. That takes some time. A moose nose is somewhat complicated - lots of valves and cartilage. But, nothing like a ton of salt dumped there if you don't get it turned all the way. Ditto for the lips [be sure to turn the lips as far as possible, all the way around the mouth].

And be sure to turn the eyes on a moose. Last thing you want in the finished taxidermy project is a mount that's missing eyelashes (lol).

Flesh everything real good and cut cross thatches (cross hatched cuts) where hide seems thickest, so that salt penetrates to the hair roots best and shrinks the hide effectively.

I use an entire 25 lb bag of salt on a moose cape, being especially judicious around the nose, lips, eyes and ears.

This is a lot of good, accurate info!

 

[Panhandler80]

Such an array of opinions! Hence the reason for my post regarding the “potential/possible” hunt. Research has taken me in just as many directions. Was hoping this crowd would have a more uniform response.

I think we need a Rokslide Disinformation Governance Board! Haha.

 

[Mykolaivka887]

Panhandler:

That's the nature of the game with literature, internet in general, and democracies - a million different opinions. When communicating with newbies on any topic, I present my experience that was accumulated over the course of time. In reference to moose, that's thus far been 58 years of hunting moose in Alaska. And in terms of shoulder mounts versus mere antler displays, I personally prefer European. But, that's merely MY personal preference and doesn't mean everyone has to like it (lol).

Good luck with planning things out for the future, in relation to Alaska/Yukon moose.

 

[VernAK]

FYI I weighed a green cape at 82 pounds. A good pack load!

 

[Kevin Dill]

Just idly thinking....

No way to bring in 25# of salt unless you're flying in a Beaver or paying for a freight run on a smaller plane. As I see it your best bet is to devote ALL necessary time to babysitting meat, cape and camp after a kill. Keep working that cape every day to remove excess meat and thickness. The cooler and drier you can get it, the better it will survive. Shade and air...stretched and exposed. Make it plain (ahead of time to your transporter) you're wanting to salvage a cape for a shoulder mount, if you kill. See how he responds and go with it. Generally, pilots don't like surprises. If you kill, get in touch asap and let him know 1) you killed, and 2) the earliest point at which you'll have things ready to transport. If your pilot is out flying in the area he'll appreciate being able to drop in and grab a load for the backhaul to town.

 

[Panhandler80]

Just idly thinking....

No way to bring in 25# of salt unless you're flying in a Beaver or paying for a freight run on a smaller plane. As I see it your best bet is to devote ALL necessary time to babysitting meat, cape and camp after a kill. Keep working that cape every day to remove excess meat and thickness. The cooler and drier you can get it, the better it will survive. Shade and air...stretched and exposed. Make it plain (ahead of time to your transporter) you're wanting to salvage a cape for a shoulder mount, if you kill. See how he responds and go with it. Generally, pilots don't like surprises. If you kill, get in touch asap and let him know 1) you killed, and 2) the earliest point at which you'll have things ready to transport. If your pilot is out flying in the area he'll appreciate being able to drop in and grab a load for the backhaul to town.

Yes.

He has already said wx permitting he’ll haul out harvest within 24 hours.

 

[Kevin Dill]

Yes.

He has already said wx permitting he’ll haul out harvest within 24 hours.

Then I think you have to accept his word and hope you give him a (big!) reason to follow through on it.

Keep in mind you're dealing with a lot of uncontrollable variable and sometimes things don't work out. Bears, weather, planes, and moose all need to cooperate. A cape can get damaged or just not work out. Get that straight in your mind and if you lose the cape it's a disappointment but nothing worse.

 

[Panhandler80]

Then I think you have to accept his word and hope you give him a (big!) reason to follow through on it.

Keep in mind you're dealing with a lot of uncontrollable variable and sometimes things don't work out. Bears, weather, planes, and moose all need to cooperate. A cape can get damaged or just not work out. Get that straight in your mind and if you lose the cape it's a disappointment but nothing worse.

Roger that.

If I loose cape I’ll just go euro. No interest in a different cape. May seem odd, but to me that’s kinda like fixing a broken antler on a mount.

Have already contracted with these guys. https://www.alaskatrophyexpress.com/
And fee covers meat, antlers and cape (if all works out) and they can get it all to S Georgia Right near where my sister lives and where there’s a great taxidermist. About 3 hours from me. Figured I might as well give it a shot Considering the $1000 carries all three, or carries just two. I’ve also already lined up frozen storage in Anchorage and cooler space in Village. Most of the components of the equation are solved. Just need some luck like you said on Weather, bears, Moose, plane.

 

[Mykolaivka887]

.....

No way to bring in 25# of salt unless you're flying in a Beaver .....

I can get a hunter, all his personal hunting gear, his entire camp, plus camp fuel, food for 12 days, and a 25 lb bag of salt in a PA-18 - as long as the hunter's body weight doesn't exceed 210 lbs - and still come within weight-and-balance priorities for said aircraft. Just sayin' .....

 

[jruff002]

i really think the odds of losing a cape are very low and on that same not it would be a lot of user error, by the sounds of you being worried about it that tells me you'll do everything possible to save it. I've done taxidermy for about 20 years and went on my moose hunt last fall and was worried as well. The single most important thing you can do is get that skin off the animal ASAP and let it breathe. AFter you get all your meat taken care of stretch that cape out under some willows or in the shade but off the ground and hair side up. So think of a rug floating off the ground. Unlike most and not tryhing to start argument, i think a rookie would ruin more than you'd help trying to peel ears, eyes, lips, etc the part that would worry me most would be the eyes and you laying open the tear duct. Anyways, i think if it's to point your gonna lose the cape it's not going to have mattered if you did eyes/ears, etc and just the heat off your hands/lap is going to further the problem if it's that warm outside. Just get it off the animal, off the ground and in the shade asap and you'll be fine

 

[Panhandler80]

i really think the odds of losing a cape are very low and on that same not it would be a lot of user error, by the sounds of you being worried about it that tells me you'll do everything possible to save it. I've done taxidermy for about 20 years and went on my moose hunt last fall and was worried as well. The single most important thing you can do is get that skin off the animal ASAP and let it breathe. AFter you get all your meat taken care of stretch that cape out under some willows or in the shade but off the ground and hair side up. So think of a rug floating off the ground. Unlike most and not tryhing to start argument, i think a rookie would ruin more than you'd help trying to peel ears, eyes, lips, etc the part that would worry me most would be the eyes and you laying open the tear duct. Anyways, i think if it's to point your gonna lose the cape it's not going to have mattered if you did eyes/ears, etc and just the heat off your hands/lap is going to further the problem if it's that warm outside. Just get it off the animal, off the ground and in the shade asap and you'll be fine

Interesting and music to my ears! I guess we could always go this route and hope for the best.