Salted Capes

[easttex]

How long will a properly fleshed salted cape keep, assuming it is fully dry and is kept at room temperature? Everyone always says "get it to your taxidermist ASAP". Sometimes ASAP is not very quick.

 

[S-3 ranch]

I was in the bush for 5 days with salted moose and caribou hides , kept cool and dry under the tarp vestibule, but we froze them asap afterwards for the trip
Back to Texas,
Pronghorn get them capped and blood off hair asap and salted and in a ice chest with frozen jugs to keep them dry and cold asap

 

[BBob]

How long will a properly fleshed salted cape keep, assuming it is fully dry and is kept at room temperature? Everyone always says "get it to your taxidermist ASAP". Sometimes ASAP is not very quick.

Well judging by my taxidermist friends actions, if a cape is properly fleshed out, salted and dried it'll sit there for months on end while they collect enough hides to send in to the tannery. Properly fleshed means all remnants of fat was removed (the salt won't penetrate through the fat and into the hide and the cape will rot in that spot if it wasn't) and the ears turned. Did you or are you turning and salting the ears?

 

[Bubblehide]

I had a bear hide I fleashed properly, ears turned... for over 5 years before having it tanned.

 

[go_deep]

If it's properly fleshed, salted and dried, indefinitely, as long as no bugs get to it.

 

[Eliaj]

How long will a properly fleshed salted cape keep, assuming it is fully dry and is kept at room temperature? Everyone always says "get it to your taxidermist ASAP". Sometimes ASAP is not very quick.

Most say to get it to the taxidermist ASAP because many people will mess up the process and ruin parts or whole capes due to improper handling/salting/etc. and it can cause a lot of headache for the taxidermist to try and repair. That's while you will often see taxidermists suggesting to inexperienced hunters to leave skulls in, leave bear paws mostly intact, etc. so that they can do the finer work themselves to try and preserve the natural look without needing to patch.