My first question.....

[Thefishen1]

    Let me introduce myself first. I'm a 45 year old printer and I'm planning my retirement career. I figure I got about 10 to 15 years to practice before my job is eliminated by computers. I've been reading this form since August and I've done a few mounts, squirrels mostly (I have and endless supply). This web site is the most informative site I've seen and the Form is full of friendly people that are more then happy to help and give extra ideas. I made a deal with the guys at the hunting camp that I would clean there deer if I could keep the head and cape. Well I got four of them and I'm ready to get started and yes, I did buy Rick Carters A-Z whitetail video.I did my first one a doe, it turned out great so far. the earliners and earbuds are on back order.I know I can cut down bigger one and make earbuds out of clay, but like I said I'm new to this.I would like to try it one way and then branch out from there.That's why I started with the doe first.

    You know you can find just about everything on this site from the "search" box......Here's my question...How to thaw a cape out ? I live in Fla. and it's in the 60's at night and it gets in the 80's during the day.I don't want to just set it out, I think it's too warm for that.My doe I put in the frig. and on the second day I was so impatient that I soaked it in a big bucket of cool water and it took about 3 maybe 4 hour and I could move it around, I took a hose to finish thawing it. I couldn't find it anywhere in the "search" box of thawing it this way, are there any problems with doing it this way....?

[muscle20]

       Just remove it from the freezer in the evening and start skinning next morning and let it thaw out at room temp., the face and ears thaw first, as soon as its neck is thawed enough start skinning even if there is a little frost, I would never subject my game heads to moisture to thaw, bacteria loves moisture!

[bullwhacker]

Ear buds are for you iPod. Ear butts are between the head and ear.

Just thaw it out a room temp. Deer capes are pretty hardy and probably one of the easier skins to work with without problems

[tem]

make sure the neck is thawed out enough to move around a little. got inpatient once and cut a big slice in the neck. it was still froze to ware it hurt my hands from being so cold. just more sewing i didn't need.

[Keyda81]

I just left my doe in the fridge to thaw for a few days.  She was in the freezer for about a month, wrapped up in two layers of freezer paper, lol.  She thawed out pretty quick.

[DaveLemons]

Is the cape green or tanned?

[Thefishen1]

Green...

[WestWindTax]

If your work room is at 60 , leaving it out for the night should be fine.  If you can not get to it in the am, then put it in the fridge.  Good luck.

[papagoose]

out overnight is what i do here in min its cold, keep shop bout 50 or so it thaws overnight mostly ready to go by late am or early afternoon. never had any issues.  Have never used water to thaw a green cape would think that would cause problems as mentioned above good luck and welcome

[Thefishen1]

 Well I set it out last night and when I got up it was still partly frozen. I started,I just work on the parts that where ply-able everything work out fine I had a fold at the end under neath the earbutt but it worked out...thanks for your help....