Alright, George and anyone else who wants to weigh in here, some time back I heard the argument offered that a DP'd hide, having not been chemically stabilized, was still capable of carrying zoonoses in a dormant state that could regain their virulence, and possibly pose a threat to humans, if exposed to significant moisture. I've never seen anything about this offered by what I would regard as a reliable source and am interested in what others have heard. I wouldn't DP a hide if you paid me and put it on a customer's mount - I use tanneries all the way - but still find myself having to justify my higher prices compared to the "guy down the road" (who uses DP) and this little tidbit, if true, would be a real convincer. (Let'slease not get of on a tangent about pricing and defending your prices.)On the other hand, I also want to make sure it's a fallacy if that is, in fact, the truth. Alright you guys, may the battle commence.
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Most ectoparasites are long gone by the time a hide is processed, rather by tanning or the DP process. The ecto and endo parasites are much more dangerous to humans than the bacteria and viral organisms living in the tissue of the host animal. While some viruses can encyst and remain viable in a dormant state, many extremes, such as, but not limited to temperature ranges and tissue condition, usually render them harmless. The specific virals carried by cervids do not, in my experience have the ability to lie dormant in dermal tissue, since most are non existant in that matter. Primary cervid epizootics like EHD and enterotoxemia do not infect humans.
Deer can carry salmonella, leptosporsis, brucellosis and anthrax. Of these, anthrax may possibly be a problem, but I would rather doubt it. I know of no particular histological condition in a properly processed cape that could be dangerous after the fact. I am not saying that this does not exist, since I am getting older faster than science advances, and there may be something out there I am not aware of, nor were my professors and colleagues aware of in the past.
The greatest risk to humans is caused by organisms such as ticks and fleas and other blood pathogen carriers. Encysted Tricinosis larvae are only found in the striate muscle tissue and become active only after ingested. Active trichs can invade via the skin surface, but do not exist in the processed pelt.
It is a nice argument, but there has to be a better way to beat the other guy's rhetoric. I doubt there is medical or clinical evidence to support your statement, unless it might pertain to anthrax which is stored in massive amounts for germ warfare use. Since bacteriology is not my field of expertise, I can't tell you the conditions required for their storage. I could research the matter, but feel strongly that if such were the case, it would have been discovered long ago and dp would be a subject for history classes. Nice try.
Just offer the better quality and it will stand well on its own. You wont need any angle or gimmick if the product is as advertised. You wouldnt feel comfortable telling customers stuff like that anyway, Ill bet. Look, they, the customer, will always justify DP or any other choice if they just arent going to pay your price. It will come, just stay doing the good work, guys will find it.
I had a guy call me last night and ask me what my price for a deer shoulder is. I told him 425 and he said that is too high. I politely told him that my time, training and the quality are what you pay for asked him if he would like the phone numbers of a couple of other guys down the road. Guess what, he brought the deer to me. Set your price, offer a good product and then have confidence in you and your work and that will sell them.
Dave