I read on here somewhere that you are from Indiana. What part are you from. I am from Southern Indiana.
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The part where it has been drizzling rain and raining since 4 a.m., and it is now 2 thirty something, with temps holding steady between 20-24 F. East central, more specifically.
Stacey, if you are doing your own tanning, read the post in the tanning category: Cape shrink revisited (01/10/2004)
If that sounds like something you can use, e-mail me your snail mail address, and I'll send you a sample.
Glen
Thanks I am very new to taxidermy and only have experience with DP. I am doing lots of research on taxidermy and am wanting to make it a full time thing. I would like to get into actually tanning deer hides and the capes that I put on forms, but I am not sure that I am ready for that yet. Do you have any recommendations for a Hoosier who is new to this.
get on the Road Kill list with your county sheriff's department. They will give you a possesion slip for any whitetail that they call you on that you pick up. That will give you a skin source to practice on, and if you're lucky, you'll have some salvageable meat.
If your county is typical, there will be more does than bucks killed by vehicles.
Get your practice on rump mounts (but freeze and save the capes if salvageable for later practice).
WASCO has a rump mount form that will fit up to a lot of these does.
The tail will probably be way too short for Indiana deer, that's good, because you can learn how to wrap a tail of proper length and diameter.
Use a 3/4 to 1 inch spade bit to create a butt hole, that you will over fill with clay. Tucking a rectum is not a whole lot different than tucking an eye lid. As your rectum dries (quit snickerin' you guys), it will shrink and move. You'll learn how to baby sit. Keep moving everything back into position as it dries.
There are a number of hair patterns on a rump mount. Just like any other hair patterns, if everything is in proper position, things look right, out of position....looks BAD.
With the skin for the rump mount, not only do you have the various hair patterns, but also a big difference in the skin itself. Over the hips will be a thicker skin, while the "white hair" part will be very thin. You'll learn how to carefully flesh in these thin areas.
You will need less materials to tan the rump skin than what you would with a cape. And the actual mounting time will take less, but don't be surprised if the first one or two that you do takes a lot longer than you expected.
When you're comfortable with it all, move on to mounting the capes you set back.
A lot of these people that are quick to help here are self taught, they learned by hands on. I personally don't think you can beat the hands on experience.
Glen
Thanks for your advice.