Cape salting

Firsty · Oct 6, 2003

Does anyone know if your supposed to salt a cape to preserve it if you can't get it to a taxidermist in lets say like a week. Just wondering since I'll be heading west in a couple weeks and was wondering what to do if I get something and take it back to my home state (WI) to get stuffed. Any info or tips would be apppreciated

Bearhunter · Oct 6, 2003

If you cant get it frozen right away I mean right away. The you can skin the cape off the skull but you really need to do some research on the proper way to do this. You need a screw driver to get the hide out from around the antlers and you need to be very careful when skinning around the eyes. One you have the hide you need to split the lips, the eyes and get the cartlige out from the nose, then you need to flesh and much of the fat and all the meat off the hide, then salt every inch of the skin. Every crevice all around the lips and eyes and nose. I mean everywhere. let it sit for 24 hours then shake the salt off and then salt it again set out on an incline and allow the moisture to drain off for 24 hours, shake off and then let it dry with a fan or air, the should keep your hide good until the taxidermist tans it or most likely he will send it out to get tanned. I am a amatuer taxidermist and this is how I normally do it. Good luck and good hunting

GUEST · Oct 7, 2003

Good advice. Here is my experience so take it for what it's worth; I killed a bull elk Saturday before last at 9:00am. Had it caped up to the antlers on the mountain. Home by 5:00pm. Put the head in the garage with bags of ice on the it. Added more ice as needed so there was always a full bag on his head. Took it to the taxidermist first thing Monday morning & he was starting to spoil. Luckily he was able to save it. There should be a local taxidermist where ever you are that will skin the cape off the skull for $50 give or take.

jarhead7481 · Oct 12, 2003

I too dabble in taxidermy and have to say that Bearhunter has given some good advice. ALong with the advice about paying a local to skin and cape it. $50.00 is a good price to pay for insurring a trophy. Also turning the lips is not a good idea for somone that has never done it.

"SEMPER FIDELIS"

polarbear · Oct 12, 2003

LAST EDITED ON Oct-12-03 AT 12:11PM (MST)[p]Use non-iodized salt?
Eric

kilbuc · Oct 12, 2003

Nobody mentioned turning the ears.

from the "Heartland of Wyoming"

Firsty · Oct 12, 2003

Thanks for the advice.....just a little wishful thinking

Triple_BB · Oct 12, 2003

My buddy is a taxidermist. All capes they receive are salted and stored in an unheated room. They set there until they're shipped at one time to the tannery.

Bugler · Oct 13, 2003

Depending on how fast you can get off the mopuntain and how warm it is. Make a y or 7 cut at the top of the head between the antler pedicles then straight down the back to the last rib then skin it off of him. If you can do it take the cape off the head it will be easier to cool that way. once completely off skin as much meat and excess off taht you can. put the cape in a large cooler full of ice and keep it that way. Bacteria sets in on the cape at about 40 degrees or something like that so iced or frozen is best. DO not put it in a black plastic bag and keep it in the back of your truck.
If you can salt it once its off the head do so. It will take alot of Salt and use livestock feed salt it's cheap and shouldnt have iodine in it. But if you salt it and leave it for more than a day make sure you have all the fat off of it. Salt will penetrate small amounts of meat but it won't penetrate the fat.
The best plan is get it into a cooler of ice and high tail it to the taxidermists as soon as you can.

steelie · Oct 13, 2003

Just another suggestion: Nothing against the your hometown taxidermists in Wisconsin, but I assume your out west hunting western game, Muleys, Elk, Pronghorn? Have you ever thought about leaving it out here to get stuffed then having the taxidermist ship it to you? I live in Utah and if I went to Wisconsin to hunt Whitetail, I would probably rather have a local that does scores of them every year do it. Unless of course you have a favorite taxidermist already, personally I haven't had the need (not my choice) to get to close to a taxidermist yet, but I know a few people who will only let "so and so" touch their game.

Firsty · Oct 14, 2003

Steelie yea I guess I never really thought about that...I just wonder how much it costs to ship?

steelie · Oct 14, 2003

Well that would all depend on the game you get, you could probably UPS an antelope head across the country for $20-$30. If your talking about a bull elk though, it is going to have to go in a really big box/crate. UPS, FED EX, etc might not take a box that big, you'd have to use a freightline which can get expensive.

Solution:
1. Shoot a big animal
2. Leave it here with a taxidermist
3. Come back out west for a summer fishing trip and pick it up, or just leave it and get it on your hunting trip next year, because you know if you kill a big one, you'll be coing back anyways.......

2_Point · Oct 15, 2003

Go to your Taxidermist and ASK him. I always find it interesting how many people go hunting, knowing that they might get an animal they would mount, then bring me their animal spoiled and wonder what happened. Just stop by your favorite taxidermist and ask him to show you what he wants you to do.

elk4you · Oct 16, 2003

Leaving your trophy with a reputable taxidermist is a very good option. Look on the internet to see if any in your hunting are a have websites or adds in the phone book. Much of the advice above is very sound, except nobody mentioned to cut the back of the cape near the BEGINNING of the rib cage! I have had to replace many capes because people cut the cape at the shoulders because that is what they see hanging at the gun shop.
Do some research before you go and ensure your potential trophy.
Josh

nmtaxi · Oct 16, 2003

Exactly. Be sure to leave plenty of cape. I prefer people to leave the whole front half. It's real easy to cut away extra cape. Putting more on is impossible. The first thing to do is find a taxidermist you want to go with, whether it's out in your hunting area, or at home in WI, and find out what they want you to do with the trophy. If you'd like, you can e-mail me, and I can recommend a good taxidermist. I know some excellent ones in Utah, Wyoming, New Mexico, and Colorado. So just let me know where you're hunting, and I can help you start your search.
[email protected]

Dan

nmtaxi · Oct 16, 2003

Correction. I don't know, but I know OF some excellent taxidermists. Another thing, depending on what you're hunting, shipping prices can be brutal. The last price quote I got on shipping and elk was over $600. For smaller game, be prepared for a couple of hunderd dollars anyway.

elk4you · Oct 17, 2003

$600?!!
You have to quit shipping mounts throught the mob. LOL
I have never had to ship an elk out of state,etc, but I would personnally deliver an elk for less than $600. AND most of it would be tax deductible.
Josh

nmtaxi · Oct 17, 2003

Well, that's the price Vinni and Guido gave me. lol. Seriously, though, with a big elk, you're talking about at least 5' or 6' cube wooden crate. Building the crate is not cheap either. A taxidermist has to charge for the materials and time to make the crate, plus the shipping costs through a trucking company, which will be several hundred dollars.

nmtaxi · Oct 17, 2003

Oh, and I will deliver in state, but I don't have the time to personally deliver every head I get done, especially if it's several states away. The customer is always aware of what shipping will be before they leave their head.

nmtaxi · Oct 17, 2003

Just to make sure I wasn't crazy, I called and got a quote on an elk head I'll be shipping in a couple of weeks from Albuqurerque,NM to Aubry, TX. The shipping will cost a little over $300, and if I have them make the crate, it will be another $150. So there's $450 to ship it one state over. I might have exaggerated a little, but if I was shipping it futher, like up to WI, I'm sure that $600 was about right. Now smaller animals, depending on what, could probably go UPS for quite a bit cheaper. I've shipped antelope to Michigan for less than $100.