I was needing to know if you could use a road kill bobcat that was ran over during the summer (it was put in freezer within 10 minutes)
for a full lifesize mount. Will the summer hide tan ok, or do you
have to use a hide in it's prime winter coat to mount. I have only
mounted a few deer and a pedistal fox mount.
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It will tan ok.
I have seen yotes that were shot in twenty degree weather spoil, because they were thrown in the back of a pickup on their belly. Those guts really retain heat well, or good enough to turn their belly blue anyways.
just letting you know for future reference and to let you know where to check for spoilage. luckily if you are just tanning you probaly don't care too much about that part of the hide. Good luck!
Does this cat belong to a client or is it your personal specimen? If it were mine, I would try to salvage the skull and scrap the rest. You see, in my area, summer 'blue' cats generally look mangy and malnourished. Their fur is very thin and reddish in color, not the makings for a nice looking mount and definately not worth the effort (in my opinion). If it's a client's specimen, I would explain all this to them prior to taking it in. But to answer your original question; yes, it will tan just fine. Be quick about turning the ears to avoid slippage. The thin ear skin of a summer cat is comparable to the thin ear skin of a fox and is very prone to slippage. I would recommend wearing latex gloves while turning and keeping the ears wet with alcohol to keep them cool until you're ready to salt. Good luck.
HH