My freezer just got slam full of deer meat and I had to take my cape out to make room. I usually mount as soon as they thaw and use DP. I've never salted a cape in my life. I haven't ordered my form yet either. I have some salt and DP, but do not have any tanning stuff except for reptile tan. My question is, is it safe to go ahead and flesh my cape and just salt it and leave it out and give tanning a try when I get my form, or can I DP it, leave it out, and soak it before mounting. I just got so used to my same old routine that I've never faced this problem before. I don't want it to rot, it's a nice cape with very nice thick fur on it. How are they prepped before they are sent to tanneries, etc?
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when you flesh head out and rub DP on cape put back in freezer till you are ready to mount dont let dry with DP on it.if you salt that will be fine just soak cape in salt water, and it will losen up,
I will get slammed for this but here goes, DP SUCKS!
I'm gonna tan it, it don't hurt to try huh? Anyway, my trusty WASCO catalog just gave me the instructions I need to know in the mammal tanning section....I'm about to salt the hell out of my deer cape. Now I've got to figure out which tanning stuff I'm gonna use, any suggestions?
It only sucks water. What do YOU use on your birds? What do YOU use on your fish pickle? What do I use on squirrels, raccoons, rabbits, foxes, even coyotes? DP. Today with the "paint on tans", DP is hardly the ogre some of you've been led to believe and there's one helluva lot of people who make a good living using it. Though it's use tends to follow "regional" lines, it think it's still more of a preference than it is geological.
NOW, to answer the question, I'd suggest salting it and then having it tanned professionally when you're ready for it. Don't put DP on it to dry it out, not that it won't work, but for the chance that the hide will form its own "memory" and you may not be able to mount it attractively because of that. Better yet, eat some venison or get a larger freezer. I wouldn't store my hides in with edible food anyway. Just MY OPINION, however.
Since you have to salt it I would use Easy 100! Later when you have a new cape try Krowtann 2000. K2000 is just alot less work and NO SALTING! I hate to salt it makes the biggest mess. I have tanned hides using both with great results. I hope this helps you out.
Kim
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