I liqua tan all my deer, but need to send an elk and bear to the tannery. How large is a "large" chunk of meat, i.e. 1/4", etc,and splitting the lips and nostrils seems to leave a large amount of meat. I skife knife my skins around the eyes and lips, but this step must be done by the tannery? Also, what skin preparation (before mounting) should I expect when the hide comes back from the tannery?
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SOME tanneries will do a little of it if you don't, but they charge extra (a lot extra and I don't blame them). You need to get your cape ready as you'd do if you were mounting it. You don't have to shave the hide, however, and most would prefer that you don't. Just get the chunks of red meat off, split the lips, turn the ears, and flesh the eyes before you salt.
I had the exact same situation, if you leave some meat on the lips and around the nose, it will go through tanning, you will have to flesh it off after. I rough flesh the face, removing any thicker areas around the nose and lips and eyes and leave some meat to final flesh later. The rest of the hide I scrape clean on the fleshing beam with a draw knife. The whole hide gets double salted, especially the face. I also find a dremel tool with a sanding drum works better for me than a skife knife when final fleshing.
Thanks for your help and quick reply.