Ship a raw caribou cape ?

[Chris B]

For you guys that have been how do you handle getting skins home to have mounted ? Have it tanned in Anchorage and shipped home ? Salted in with meat and shipped home ? Curious how to handle so it's still mountable once I get it home to Oklahoma.

 

[Nick Muche]

We froze my uncles last year after I caped it and fleshed it, did not salt. He took it home on the airline with his meat. Was not an issue.

 

[Bubblehide]

The regulations require it to be fully fleshed, meaning that the ears needs to be turned, lips and eyes fleshes... and salted to where it is completely dried, to cross any border, including state borders and agricultural check points, along with appropriate paperwork.

If your cape is properly fleshed.. and properly salted and dried, the hair will not slip and it is potentially good that way for years if stored properly.

 

[Chris B]

So it will completely dry in a week to ten days ?

 

[Nick Muche]

What regulations are you talking about? I've had hides inspected by USDA at the border a few times, they were not completely fleshed, or salted, or even completely dry? People fly home with green capes all the time from Alaska, no issues.

 

[Antares]

The regulations require it to be fully fleshed, meaning that the ears needs to be turned, lips and eyes fleshes... and salted to where it is completely dried, to cross any border, including state borders and agricultural check points, along with appropriate paperwork.

If your cape is properly fleshed.. and properly salted and dried, the hair will not slip and it is potentially good that way for years if stored properly.

Whose regulations?

I would roll it up, double bag it in contractor bags, pop it in a fish box, freeze it solid, and check it on AK Air without thinking twice.

 

[Chris B]

That's part of what I'm curious about . Will be flying out of Kotzebue. I didn't know if they have cold storage to freeze it before it goes on the plane . Just trying to figure out how it all works.

 

[Antares]

I'm sure they have a freezer, but call Alaska Air Cargo in Kotzebue to confirm. They should be able to answer lots of questions for you. Your not the first hunter that's been through there with a cape, they'll set you up.

 

[Chris B]

Will do .
I'm a planner and want to know the whole process so I know what to expect and how to fix it on the fly if I have to.
Plan A is thier plan
Plan B is my plan
Plan C is the oh shit plan !

 

[Bubblehide]

Whose regulations?

I would roll it up, double bag it in contractor bags, pop it in a fish box, freeze it solid, and check it on AK Air without thinking twice.

Ca regs of bringing such items into the state, and they MUST be declared. If they are not declared, you lose them. The regs refer to both the department of agriculture and Ca F&W. I would bet all states are very similar considering dept of ag is involved.

 

[realunlucky]

When we flew out of there no freezer to be found. We purchased ice (also hard to find there) and flew the capes and meat home in fish boxes. Both capes were fine when mounted. It's been a few years so hopefully you'll have better luck finding a freezer. Kotz is a place where maybe you can find it , if so it'll be way over priced and if not your shit out of luck and there's not likely to be an alternative either.

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[realunlucky]

Ca regs of bringing such items into the state, and they MUST be declared. If they are not declared, you lose them. The regs refer to both the department of agriculture and Ca F&W. I would bet all states are very similar considering dept of ag is involved.

Some people just enjoy sweating the small stuff.

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[Bubblehide]

Some people just enjoy sweating the small stuff.

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I have gone through the process more than once. Al I can say is that the reason it all turned out well is because I had all my I's dotted and my T's crossed. I was specifically told that if I had not, my capes would gave been confiscated.

 

[Erict]

The only California law or regulation I could find appears similar to the CWD laws of many other states. In any event - good luck!

California Code of Regulations Title 14, section 712 - Restriction of Importation of Hunter-Harvested Deer and Elk Carcasses.

It is unlawful to import, or possess any hunter harvested deer or elk (cervid) carcass or parts of any cervid carcass imported into the State, except for the following body parts:

(a) portions of meat with no part of the spinal column, brain or head attached (other bones, such as legs and shoulders, may be attached).

(b) hides and capes (no spinal column, brain tissue or head may be attached).

(c) clean skull plates (no brain tissue may be present) with antlers attached.

(d) antlers with no meat or tissue attached, except legally harvested and possessed antlers in the velvet stage are allowed, if no meat, brain or other tissue is attached.

(e) finished taxidermy mounts with no meat or tissue attached (antlers in the velvet stage are allowed if no meat, brain or other tissue is attached).

(f) upper canine teeth (buglers, whistlers, ivories).

 

[brisket]

He's how my group did it.
Ship meat capes and split skulls in fish boxes and antler boxes via NAC backhaul from Kotz to Anchorage (the cost was like $0.35/lb to do this). Fly to Anchorage and drive down to Seward to fish for a day or two. NAC will store your fish boxes in freezers for a nominal fee per day (wasn't charged at all). Pick up your fish boxes from NAC hard frozen in Ancorage when you're done fishing and get on your Alaskan airlines flight home, checking the fish boxes as luggage. Alaska air will store the fishboxes in freezers for you if there are any delays on your trip home.

My group got sidelined in Seattle on the way home that caused a 24 hr delay. When we arrived back in Texas, the meat was still frozen solid.

Edited to add:
We didn't salt anything, nor did we flesh the hides. The only real prep was to remove all of the meat we possibly could from the skull plates so they looked clean

 

[Chris B]

Great info !

Thank you .

 

[Uintah]

He's how my group did it.
Ship meat capes and split skulls in fish boxes and antler boxes via NAC backhaul from Kotz to Anchorage (the cost was like $0.35/lb to do this). Fly to Anchorage and drive down to Seward to fish for a day or two. NAC will store your fish boxes in freezers for a nominal fee per day (wasn't charged at all). Pick up your fish boxes from NAC hard frozen in Ancorage when you're done fishing and get on your Alaskan airlines flight home, checking the fish boxes as luggage. Alaska air will store the fishboxes in freezers for you if there are any delays on your trip home.

My group got sidelined in Seattle on the way home that caused a 24 hr delay. When we arrived back in Texas, the meat was still frozen solid.

Edited to add:
We didn't salt anything, nor did we flesh the hides. The only real prep was to remove all of the meat we possibly could from the skull plates so they looked clean

I agree, great information, thanks! @brisket what time of year did you hunt and how many days/how much time did you spend in the field afterwards before you were able to freeze the cape? I'm curious because we are headed into the field on the 13 of September this year and my plan is to freeze the cape stuff it in a cooler/box and fly it home as baggage. But I am concerned about cape care during the time between kill and making it to the freezer.

 

[realunlucky]

I shot mine on day 2 of a 8 day trip my buddy shot his on day 4. I keep it rolled and in the shade during the day and completely unrolled airing out at night. I did flesh it pretty well though As I said we couldn't get them frozen for the trip home either. Everything worked out for both of us.

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[brisket]

I agree, great information, thanks! @brisket what time of year did you hunt and how many days/how much time did you spend in the field afterwards before you were able to freeze the cape? I'm curious because we are headed into the field on the 13 of September this year and my plan is to freeze the cape stuff it in a cooler/box and fly it home as baggage. But I am concerned about cape care during the time between kill and making it to the freezer.

We were there August 20ish. 2 bulls were shot on day 2, third bull on day 4. We flew out on day 5. It gets cold enough at night that if you find/create some shade during the day the meat and hide will be plenty cool. Especially in mid September

 

[Bambistew]

Handle the cape like you do meat. Keep it clean, dry, and cool and hang with good air circulation. I would get into the freezer as soon as possible though. If freezing isn't an option before you leave, or once I hit 6-7 days in the field I get nervous and flesh/salt it.

Have your taxi show you how to do it and I'm sure there are plenty of videos on youtube. Its not hard, just take your time and keep the holes to a minimum. A caribou cape will take about 10-12bs of salt to set the hair. Once done, lay it flat under a tarp to keep the rain off on a sloped surface to let the water drain off. After a couple days shake off the salt, and fold the cape skin to skin and roll up and put in a game bag. It takes me about half a day to flesh/turn one. Usually plenty of time on a hunt to do it.

Good luck on your hunt!