Just venting... I shot a Mouflon Ram last year and planned to do my first semi-large life size mount with it.
Well I started this past week, I fleshed it out with the pressure washer, salted it and dried it for a few days, mixed up a pickle (1.5 - 2.0ph), and planned to let it soak for a few days. A few hours after putting the hide in the pickle I checked the PH and sure enought it was at 1.5 so I thought "Sweet, I just let it soak fro a few days".
So I went on my mary ol' way for the next few days without checking the PH, figuring it's fine since I've done many times before without monitoring it.
Well, today comes and I try removing the hide but get huge clumps of hair instead. You know that feeling like there are 12 dozen butterflies in the pit of your stomachwhen all trying to get out when you know you just royally screwed something up? That's what I was feeling! I checked the PH and <Smakcing my Forehead> it was at 4.0. I have no idea how or what started to base the PH but it did and the hide is ruined. Only thing I could think of is maybe the urine from the hide, since this is Ram and we all know the wonderful things they do to themselves :-)
Anyway, if you'd like give insight that's fine, but I'm really just needing to vent since i was really looking forward to mounting this fella and I also know you guys can related to frustration and disappointment.
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Sorry to hear about the ram. I know how you feel losing a nice project, the perfect short-haired salted cape from the button buck I shot was chewed up by mice to the point where it became unmountable. I was soo mad, but thankfully I got a replacement.
Be thankful it wasnt a customer mount, if youre looking for positives. Rule of thumb, pickles can be depleted or diluted by skins, you HAVE to monitor the pH initially.