Caring for animal's skin in the field?

[gudspelr]

I've never mounted anything or kept a skin to have tanned.  I don't want to get the cart before the horse, but just in case everything works out in the field, what do I need to do to preserve the skin?  I'm not necessarily expecting to do a big shoulder mount (unless I manage to get a monster)-is that any different than the main body portion?  I've heard stuff about lots of salt, washing it in a creek, rolling it up, etc.  Any info from you experienced guys would be much appreciated.


Jeremy

[bornagainbowhunter]

If it is warm outside you need to get the skin off of it asap to keep the hair from slipping (pulling out).  If you can clean your deer withing an hour you should be OK.  If it is cold outside you have a little more time to play with, depending on temp 2-4 hours.  I always try to get the clothes off as soon as I can.

After the skin is off, just wrap the flesh side together when folding it and put it in a trashbag in the freezer.  That is what I always do.

I don't use salt or wash it in a creek, but I do roll it up after I fold it in half.  You just don't need the flesh against the hair when you freeze it or the taxidermist could pull patches of hair out.

A shoulder mount is from the front shoulder forward.  You can position the deer to be looking any direction or sneaking or whatever, just talk to your taxidermist.

[FerretWYO]

The very basic info on caping can be found here.

  Shoulder Mount  

Main things to remember dont salt it just keep it cold or freeze it. Let your taxidermeist take care of the details. Try not to let it get hot or the hair will slip quickly.

[Dave McDaniel]

Do not wash the hide in the creek. Moisture and heat is the enemy of any skin. Remove blood with a cold damp cloth, if you do not know how to remove the cape for a mount get help or learn before you cut, your taxidermist will appreciate it. Double bag and freeze. Get to taxidermist in a timely manner to avoid freezer burn.

[ozy clint]

here in australia we don't have the luxury of having a taxidermist in every town. we almost always salt the hide. DO NOT wash in the creek! bacteria need water to live. thats the purpose of the salt, to dry it out below the moisture level needed for the bacteria. salting does absolutely no harm to the tanning process.  if it did us aussies wouldn't have trophies on the wall.

[Chris Shelton]

Ozy is right, salt does not effect the tanning process. If it is warm out I would throw some salt on roll it up and get it on ice or in a freezer as fast as I could.  If it is cold I would just salt and roll it up and probably prop it up in the bed of the truck(truck has a cap), or inside the tent.  

The only thing salt will do is remove moisture and almost guarantee the hair wont slip.

Seriously if you guys knew how much salt was in the tanning process  . . . you would go crazy.  I went through a entire 25lbs with one deer, 4 squirrels, a couple coons and a beaver just this last season alone!!!

[KSdan]

Chris- if you salt it, you would not want to roll it up in a freezer would you?     PLEASE CORRECT ME IF WRONG.  That keeps the hide from freezing and the bacteria will feed on the moisture.  

I was on the understanding that if you need to salt (because you can't get to a freezer ASAP) then lay it out so the moisture can drain off of it while the salt draws and dries the moisture.

BUT BEFORE ANYBODY PUTS A SALTED HIDE IN THE FREEZER I hope someone in the know clarifies this.

I hope this helps the education process for all of us. . .

Dan in KS

[FerretWYO]

Originally posted by ozy clint:
 salting does absolutely no harm to the tanning process.  if it did us aussies wouldn't have trophies on the wall.

Clint is very much correct. You do need to clean the hide well. Salt will not penatrate thick chuncks of meat and fat. I have work in the taxidermy field preparing hides for several years.  If the hide is clean and salted there is not problem. Salting a hide and putting it in the freezer is somewhat pointless. When salting the purpose is to draw moisture from the hide. That is better done laid flat in a cool dry space. Not rolled up or in the freezer.  

Having been the person to deal with many different hides in different stages of duress. I would rather recieve a hide frozen with no salt. This way I can properly flesh the hide before salting. Salt is hard on knives.  

As Ozy Clint mentioned if there is not a way to cool it, freeze it, or get it to a taxidermist/ tannery. Then it is perfectly ok to salt the hide thoroughly after cleaning it up well.

[shikari]

If you want to make doube sure then add 1 part alum and 2 part salt and dust the flesh side with this mixture very well and air dry,once completely dry the hide will stay good for 6 months.

[Chris Shelton]

Originally posted by KSdan:
Chris- if you salt it, you would not want to roll it up in a freezer would you?      PLEASE CORRECT ME IF WRONG.  That keeps the hide from freezing and the bacteria will feed on the moisture.

I should have clarified, thank you so much for pointing that out. When I salt and realize that I don't have the immediate time or patience to tan the hide I will salt it, but before I throw them in the freezer I will shake off the salt.

I seem to always do it that way, and only twice have I not salted before throwing them in the freezer and they both slipped on me.

However it is also important to point out that when I salt the hide is fleshed clean and decreased with laundry soap to remove dirt and blood then salted, usually when I throw them in the freezer I would have shaken the hides and added another layer of salt so any salt on the hid e was soaked . . .

Hope this helps!

[JimB]

Never salt a hide that is going to be mounted unless you know how to split lips,eyelids and nostrils,plus turn the ears inside and completely flesh the lifesize skin or cape just like the taxidermist does.The salt will do no good on those detail areas and they may spoil.If they don't,the salting will draw up and shrivel the hide,making it a pain for the taxidermist ti split and turn these parts.

If you aren't trained to do these things,don't salt a skin to be mounted.It will save you a cussing by the taxidermist and it will probably save your skin.

Never,ever salt a skin and freeze it.Salt prevents freezing and draws a lot of fluid out of the hide.While it is not freezing,it will swim in it's own juices and most of these hides slip.It is OK to freeze a dried,salted hide but what is the point?

It would be OK to salt a hide without head or feet but you should get all the fat and the heavy meat off first.It can be dried-but not in the sun or by a heat source.Just dried in the shade.Don't freeze.

If you have a cape or lifesize skin for mounting,Skin it but leave any details you are unsure about like head,lower legs and feet,for the taxidermist.First choice would be to freeze it or at least refrigerate and get it to a taxidermist as soon as possible.

A hide hair slips because it spoils.Don't let it spoil.It is that simple.Meat will spoil.A hide will spoil.Keep it as fresh as you can.You may age meat but you don't want to age a cape.If it spoils,you will pay for it anyway.Keep it fesh.

If it is important to you,get it off the carcass and don't procrastinate,regardless of how tired you are.Get it off and get it cool.

Ideally,you should pick a taxidermist you have faith in and ask him how to handle it.He will be glad to take a few minutes to explain  to someone who cares enough to ask before hand.This benefits both of you.Good hunting.

[plentycoupe]

I hunt here in AK and need to care for most of what I kill for days.

I best advice I was ever given was to talk to a taxidermist and ask them what they want to recieve in the shop, and ask them how to get to that final product.

In the mountains I rely on the tools that I saw used on Wilderness Taxidermy. A pack of 5 single edge razor blades, scalpel a small knife and lots of salt!!!!! About three pounds for a dall sheep cape.

You really need to learn how to flesh the cape, turn the eyes, ears, lips and split the nose. Getting it fleshed and turned, then salted will preserve the cape and keep the hair from slipping.
Salt, lay skin to skin, role and stand up so it can drain. You really want the moisture to drain away.

Oh and all of this has been mentioned above.

The last sheep I killed I WASHED in a creek, had lots of blood in the hide. Then I flesh, turned and salted with a product called TTC. We kept the  cape in perfect condition for 9 days! Now it is an awesome mount on the wall.

Talk to a taxidermist. Watch some videos!
AND practice the lips and ears and nose on small game! Practice makes great mounts

[TxAg]

We hunt near camp...we having running water and electricity in camp  

I generally on save the hide if I'm doing a shoulder mount (this could be a whole thread in itself), but I hang it overnight....this hasn't been a problem even with our warm early season in TX. I sock out the deer from mid body all the way to the neck and leave the head/antlers attached. This means the taxi can make his cuts where he likes and doesn't have to work around anything I've done.

Socking a cape can be more troublesome, but I feel it's worth it. Also, it makes folding it up and freezing that much easier since all the flesh is still on the inside.

[gudspelr]

Thanks for all the advice, guys.  I'm thinking if I get something I don't want to shoulder mount, I'd kind of like to just tan the hide.  I've read some info on brain tanning, but not so sure I'm up to the challenge...  Just hoping to be prepared for whatever I choose to do.  Heck, if there's a dead critter involved, I'm gonna be real happy anyway   .  Thanks again

Jeremy