Elk

Skinning an elk sounds like a lot of extra work, especially if you're very far from the truck.

If I could drive out and load it whole... maybe.
It's actually fairly straightforward and easy while they are laying on the ground and you are cutting it up for processing. Instead of making a cut up the back, you do it along the belly side and inside of the legs.

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I had my cow moose hide tanned last fall.
She wasnt a large cow and was close to the road so I saved the hide.

Flesh the hide > salt the hide > salt hide until hide is dry.
Do not freeze a rolled fresh hide because it takes forever to freeze and you risk hair slippage

Use non-iodized salt, its cheaper. It took 3-4lbs to salt the moose hide

Once dry, fold it up as best you can, then send to a tannery.

I used Moyles - https://moyle.net/
Cost about $430

Price list is on their website
They do good work


View attachment 853234
That is a fantastic looking hide!
 
I had my cow moose hide tanned last fall.
She wasnt a large cow and was close to the road so I saved the hide.

Flesh the hide > salt the hide > salt hide until hide is dry.
Do not freeze a rolled fresh hide because it takes forever to freeze and you risk hair slippage

Use non-iodized salt, its cheaper. It took 3-4lbs to salt the moose hide

Once dry, fold it up as best you can, then send to a tannery.

I used Moyles - https://moyle.net/
Cost about $430

Price list is on their website
They do good work


View attachment 853234
nice rug.
 
Came across a hide in the woods this past fall, not all that far from a wallow. Honestly thought about sitting there and draping it over me for scent control to see what might happen. Decided not to, tipped my hat to the successful hunter!

Did a shoulder mount a few years ago so a lot of work there. Unlikely to do a full shoulder again, so will leave it where it is cut off.
 
I did a rug from my first elk & it hangs over one leg of the sectional couch. The other leg has a color phase bear rug. Might not be for everyone but I like it & it gets a lot of compliments.
Hopefully I'll be able to add a moose & buffalo sometime in the future
 
It's actually fairly straightforward and easy while they are laying on the ground and you are cutting it up for processing. Instead of making a cut up the back, you do it along the belly side and inside of the legs.

Sent from my SM-S918U using Tapatalk
That's how I do all my animals anyway. I prefer to cut through the fur away from the meat and skin is thinner on the belly.
 
I had my first elk hide (cow when I was 14) tanned. It looks cool hung up on the wall in our cabin. The rest of the hides have been left in the field. I don't have a single shoulder mount, but I tend to do a lot of euro mounts.
 
I've gotten 2 cow elk hides out whole, one from my first elk that was just over a half a mile from the road, and the second cow tipped over 30 yds from a two-track and I was able to get the elk loaded whole in my pickup. I think I maybe got $10 for each hide from a fur buyer.

Looking back, I wish I would have kept and soft tanned one of the hides.
I would like to get an elk hide soft tanned and throw it over a couch or chair. It will all depend on how far/difficult the packout is though.
 
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