Hi everyone. I don't usually post here, as I am mostly a fish head. However, I do a handful of deer each year for family and friends(I used to do a bunch). I tried a couple of different tanneries with satisfactory results. I kept reading on this site about Wildlife Gallery being very good. They were right and then some. Skin was perfect with no noticable shrinkage and the hair was shiny and very clean. I highly recomend them!
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It is a gamble when they tan things. I know guys that have had good results for a long time. Then one time they get slipped capes and holes cut all over. Others have always had good results. Myself It was a nightmare. I responded to a post before about this subject. I had a bunch of hides and capes were ready for tanning about a year ago. Half my hides and capes went to Wildlife Gallery the other half went to the tannery I normally use. 11 of 19 wt capes were junk 1 out of two axis hides, and 2 out of 4 hog capes all slipped from Wild life Gallery. Another 23 capes along with some bear and wt back hides went to the other tannery. All came back perfect. These were all boxed and sent at the same time. Randomly packed and boxed. There were a lot said on the other post. If it works for you great. Stay with what works for you. That is what I do now.
tried Arlington Cape in Ohio? I have used them for the past 10 years, never any problems!
I'll toss my coin with the Wildlife Gallery every time. I'm sure there is more to the story with Dean's comments. It's very easy to sling dirt and most do that on this site. I do agree that you have to stick with who you are comfortable with. Some of my tanning has not been perfect, but you are dealing with mother nature and time. What has been perfect with the Wildlife Gallery is their customer service. They have alway's made things right with me. Based on the positive comments regarding them, thats how they conduct the every day operation. You tell me a tannery that has not made a mistake and I'll sell you some ocean front property in Arizona. Just my 2 cents.
I have a great tannery I normaly use. Nate talked me into trying them. Five-o I'm not slinging dirt. What more do you want from the story. Facts are facts. Wild life gallery are a bunch of good guys. I just don't think they watch thier chemicals close enough or left them in the rehydration to long. I have had a very bad experience with them along with quite a few others on this site. I love the quality of the tan and their work when it turns out. I can't take the chance of things going bad again. Especially when they don't stand behind their work. I gave Nate a chance to make it right and work it out, because I know things can happen. If and when something does happen, you take care of it and make it right for the customer. It's just good business practice. If I questioned a hide I would let the tannery know before it would leave here. The hides usually won't leave the shop if they are in question, unless I talk to the tannery first and let them know of potential problems and we both agree to try it. I will tan the cape myself if I have a marginal cape. Nate just passed on blame to me and said it wasn't them. He blamed it entirly on the prep and salting I did. In 22 years I have had maybe 2-3 capes, or less get rejected from a tannery. If prep and salting was the problem how come all the capes from the other tannery came back fine. Never lost a hair. All the capes and hides were prepped salted and dried at the same time, just as I did for years. When they were dry, I randomly grabbed part of them and counted and packed them into boxes. Part went to Wildlife when they stopped in the area for a pick up. The rest went to another local tannery. Eventially Wildlife Gallery rejected 5 of the 19 wt capes 1 of 2 back hides and 1 of 4 hog capes. The hog cape I told them to tan any way. I'll try to repair the slipped area. It ended up with two hog capes being bad. The one slipped in the chest and neck. The other in the ear and back of head. Remember 11 of 19 wt capes alone went bad. I paid for 6 capes they tanned and were slipped all over. Only 7 of 19 were good. The way they were slipped was in 1/2"-1" narrow strips all over the cape. That tells me it happened in rehydration. It wasn't concentrated in one general area like it normally does when a hide slips. Why did over half the capes and all do the same thing. It is over and done now. I will say no more bad about them. The ones that like the work great. The ones that don't. Well it's time to let it go and move on. I'm sure they have taken care of the problems at our expense. Who knows maybe some day I will send them somthing again, if they can promise better service and take a little responsablity in what they do. Good Luck to them I wish them the best.
Nothing like throwing more mud on the wall and ending it with a "Wish them the best"..speaks to your person DEAN...Next time leave your identity and not be such a coward! The Gallery may no who you are but I'd sure like to meet you at the next show and see how courageous you are in person. There are so many tough guy's when they can hide behind the computer screen. It's so easy to throw stones from a glass house. nough said!
Who ever Five-O is? As if this is your concern. Many on here know who I am. Five-o? Is that you name? Talk about not identifying yourself. You wanted the whole story. I gave it, then you start whining about throwing more mud. I just told you the whole story like you asked. I like Nate, I said before he is a great guy. I have nothing agaist him. If he has concerns about my statement he can contact me. I'd like to talk to him again. Maybe it could have been worked out if they would have stepped up to the plate when they had the chance. I slammed them not what they did.It is because of what they didn't do and because they seem to not care about clients. When the problem happened and if they addressed the situation and if they took care of it. I would still be doing business with them. I know things can happen, mistakes can be made. If it was 1 cape or 2, I could understand, but 11- of 19 plus capes plus other hides being bad, no way no how. I've been in the business to long and know better. You said they have a good customer service. It sounds like you had some issues with them at one time also. They made it right for you and you stuck with them. I would have stayed with them too if I had recieved good customer service. They prefered to pass the blame. Five-o your reading into this to much. You are taking well wishes as a sarcastic statement. I vented, I honestly wish them well. Over and done with now. It seems that is the way they wanted it. Quit beating a dead horse. Five-o let me know who you are. Why would I need courage to meet you? Your coward and courage statement sounded pretty stupid. It made you sound a pretty tough guy. lol. I could say more how I feel about you and the coments you made, but I don't know you. I'd would like meet you at a show sometime if you want. When you know me and I know you then we can pass judgment. We might get along great. In the mean time keep your comments about me to youself and stay out of things that isn't your business. I vented how I felt and moved on. You stuck your nose in it and you are trying to make it personal.? Move on and get over it it isn't your business. Nate can contact me if he wants. I have nothing else to say about them anymore. I said how I felt, and that they are good guys. I wished them well and moved on now. Five-o take a deep breath , hold it, slowly let it out. Feel better, Good. Now that you feel better, you have yourself a great day .
what tannery do you use?
Monty, I use a couple different ones. The main one is Midwest Fur Dressing in Rice MN. I use them the most. Great WT and bear and pretty much every thing else. Real nice fur bared mammels too. Excellent stretch and evenly and thinnly shaved. It is a smaller tannery but Jerry takes a lot of pride in his work. If something is wrong he makes it right. Once I had a very poorly prepped,poorly salted, greased burned Russian Brown Bear that came in. I contacted Jerry and he refered me to a different tannery he knows that deals a lot with this type of problem hide and may be better equipped to tackle it. That tannery rejected it because it wouldn't rehydrate. Another tannery told me the same thing. Jerry at Midwest said to send it to him and he would see what he could do. He contacted a chemist and developed something that would reydrate the bear. It took him weeks of soaking the hide hitting it on the wire wheel and soaking some more, over and over until he got through the grease and it finally reydrated. Many many extra hours of work went into to saving the bear. He charged me the regular price for tanning. The bear ended up beautiful. If he has a problem that turns up it will bother him until he corrects it or straightens it out. You can't beat that type of commitment and pride in a company. The other tannery I use is Quality Fur Dressing in Texas. The tanned hides they do rehydrates quick and are shaved very nice and even, and very excellent stretch. They do a lot of my African stuff. But I also send them other things too. There are a few others I use on occasion but these guys are my main guys. Good customer relations and someone that stands behind their work goes a long way with me. I give businesses like that a lot of respect.