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.

 

[easttex]

When Covid hit it had a negative impact on all aspects of international permitting, Cites, import and export permits. There was a huge backlog of capes that were awaiting permits, some for years. Most taxidermist advise to not freeze salted capes.... salt or freeze not both.

 

[TaperPin]

Properly salted and fleshed capes last as long as needed, the problem is hardly anyone knows how, even professionals who should know often don’t. It’s a lot of work and judging by the large number of hair slipping stories told every year not done well on average. It’s hard enough to get guides to make cuts in the correct places and not cut off portions of eye lids, lips or screw up the ears. When a hunter is going to cape their own trophies, the time to practice isn’t with an animal down trying to google instructions.

 

[svivian]

Properly salted and fleshed capes last as long as needed, the problem is hardly anyone knows how, even professionals who should know often don’t. It’s a lot of work and judging by the large number of hair slipping stories told every year not done well on average. It’s hard enough to get guides to make cuts in the correct places and not cut off portions of eye lids, lips or screw up the ears. When a hunter is going to cape their own trophies, the time to practice isn’t with an animal down trying to google instructions.

Nice

 

[taxidermybycam]

Needs to be 100 percent split meaning eyes,ears,eye lids ,lip line,glands in the lacyrmal crease ,nose and nostril wings . Needs to be 100 percent fleshed and turned inside out, and salted ,it doesn't take much salt at all to do capes. The most important part is that it's hanging or has airflow on top and on bottom so the blood and liquids drain off the skin. And I salt and resalt capes in my shop ,if it was a customer ,I want it to be safe is tell them to salt it three times ,that's a bit overkill. You want it to be at room temperature but also at like 35-45 percent humidity. You dont want your skin hanging outside when it's wet and nasty out ,it'll cause the skin to rehydrate. So it needs to be indoors and in a controlled setting .
I've got some skins that were salted a few years before getting tanned. Sometimes when they aren't tanned right away depending on rehydration process they don't have As much stretch or give to it. Like it doesn't meet the dimensions it was to begin with
Do not salt the skin and then freeze it. Your putting it in limbo ,the salt will prevent the skin from freezing and the skin won't lose the liquids and the salt won't work and do what it needs to do when in the freezer
You either totally do the fleshing splitting turning process and then salt and dry or don't do it at all. Or toss in the freezer to let it cool down and then roll it up

 

[taxidermybycam]

I made a video on my YouTube of the process if you look it up

 

[butcherboy]

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.

It will last a long time if everything is turned and fleshed properly. I fleshed the face by hand on a beam usually and used a 3000 psi power washer on the cape and full hides. It’s magic! I could flesh a whole beef or buffalo hide in about 15 minutes. Hang to let the extra moisture drip off then salt. Hang to allow moisture to drip again in a few days then resalt. Once I pulled it the second time I would hang it for a few hours then fold it up hair side in and place on a wire rack for airflow. Let it sit and dry hard then take it to my tannery.