Does anyone on here know of a way to salvage a bird or small mammal that has freezer burn on the legs around the bill (on birds) and on the nose, eyes and feet on a muskrat.
I have an albino muskrat that we trapped about 4 years ago, forgot it was in the freezer and just found it when I was cleaning. Also found a nice GW Teal, Bufflehead and Goldeneye in there as well.
Any help would be appreciated!
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Inject freezer burned areas with some luke-warm water. They should soften up.
If the warm water doesn't work as James suggested, you'll need to make your water "wetter". Any surficant will work, but a cheap alternative may be saline warm water or adding a clothes softener to your warm water. This will allow the water's surface tension to collapse easier and to be absorbed by the skin faster. Good luck.
Hey before injecting with warm water, get STOP ROT, get STOP ROT, get STOP ROT, get STOP ROT, STOP ROT, STOP ROT, STOP ROT, STOP ROT, STOP ROT, STOP ROT, STOP ROT, STOP ROT, STOP ROT, STOP ROT, STOP ROT
Stop Rot: 25 year old whitetail cape!
Glen, Oct 30, 04 I had one of those days, nothing seemed to be going right. Well, in walks a customer, rotten stinking head, cape slipping badley. Wanted it mounted, I explained well it was to far gone.
He was almost pleading it be mounted, I told him I would see if I could find a cape.
Last week Nov, 04,04 while cleaning out the freezer I found this old freezer burned cape. I remember shooting the deer, back in 1979, one of mine I never had time to do! Twenty five years of subzero temps, and not telling how many what else.
It had layed out a few days and was not even the least bit soft. I thought "Hum, wonder if?" Then I thought"If it will soften it saves running down a cape for this set of antlers."
I went to work on it with Stop Rot, Painting on with a brush very heavy, I placed the cape in a plastic bag and left it until the next morning. To my suprize it was a bit softer. What next more Stop Rot, Ok at this point I had 1/2 the bottle on one cape. Bagged it again. Morning rolls around, I check the cape hey its getting really soft, so instead of Stop Rot I wet the cape down misting it with water.
Now going into the fifth day, I checked the cape, I was able to turn the lips, eyes, nose and ears. The ears were a bit crunchy but turned none the less.
With everything opened and turned I painted on one more coat of Stop Rot on the face and ears. I am thinking this is going to work, for 2 hours labor I have made my $65.00 I would have spent running a cheap cape down.
Day 6, Operation Stop Rot. I pull the skin out of the bag, the hair side is still a bit dry. Brain storm, put the cape in the washing machine and give it a whirl.
60 minutes later letting the washing machine do the work, I have a nice cape, a very nice cape.
My total time was around 3 hours, spread out over several days. Saved the hassle of running down a cape. Have the job and total bill $490.00 for cape and mount versus $85.00 antler mount!
I will never be without Stop Rot in my shop!
I was taught to use Lysol and water 50/50. When I get stuck on a ear, leg, whatever. I spray the part im having trouble with and move up the hide to a workable part. It really works. Going back to these sprayed parts when they are softened up. I would probably have tried the stop rot if it were on hand. Sometime Im sure it will be in my arsenol. If you dont have time for shipping... This works for me.
Mark
Thanks guys will give the recommendations a try.
Does the stop rot discolor the fur at all of affect the tanning process?