This is my second year of mounting whitetails. Last year I tanned all of my capes myself, but this year im would like to send them to be professionally tanned to see if I get different results. I have some questions:
1. What do I need to do to the capes prior to sending them? (flesh, turn ears, split lips, salt?)
2. Can I freeze the hides before I send them
3. Do you know of any tannerys or places that would tan my capes on the east coast, I live in Virginia
4. How much should I expect to pay for a cape to be tanned
5. Finially, how should I send them (should they be frozen, will they spoil on the trip to the tannery?
Thank you for your advice to a novice taxidermist
Travis
Return to Deer Taxidermy Category Menu
Flesh, turn ears, eyes, nostrils and lips. Get off all red meat and membrane. Salt for 24 hrs, shake off salt and resalt with clean salt. Let it dry hard (fold in half so it fits in a box when still bendable.....Why would you want to freeze if salted? There are numerous tanneries on the east coast or around the easter US.....Wildlife Designs in MI, Arlington Cape in OH, Carolina Fur Dressing, etc....all three are good. The average cost for a deer cape is around $40. When you go to send them just box up the salted capes (hard) and ship them. You can call any of the tanneries and they will tell you if you need to do anything other than that but it is unlikely. Good luck.
Carolina Fur Dressing Web site , the wildlife gallery site and call east coast tannery. Just go to the home page of this site then click on taxidermy suppliers then under taxidermy services click on Wholesale tanning. There you will be able to get all the Info you need.
I use Waldun's tanning service in Greenville,SC Send him your frozen,raw cape and he will turn the ears,lips and wet tan for $37.00
He wet tanned over 75 African cape and full mounts for me in the last 18 months, and I have not lost a single one. More stretch than any other tannery I have used for wet tans.
You can ship frozen capes overnight by UPS.
What's his contact Infromation I didn't see that in the links. His price seems very reasonable for that kind of service. I'll have to give him a try.
Call 1-800-tan-furs. They'll help you right out. Ask for Eric or Joe.
golden state tannery, south texas fur dressers, or advantage fur dressers.
Thanks to everyone who responded to my question. I am a novice taxidermist and greatly appreciate the advice and help.
Thanks again
Travis