I had a white tail deer head and cape brought in last week, frozen, shot the first day of deer season, here in south Texas. I left it out to thaw 18 hours in 60 to 80 degree temps. Some hair was starting to slip out after thawing. I skinned the head, turned everything, and rough fleshed it by hand, salted it twice. I hang my capes, skin side out, with a dowel rod thru the head to drain, and dry. The next day, we recieved rain and the cape was not drying out, so I bagged it and put it into the frezer, still salted. Will this hurt the cape, and what do you think I should do about the hair slippage? It wasn't real bad, but some was coming out when I would pull. Thanks
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You stated it was slipping after thawing, well nothing is going to stop it now. Honestly had you a AUTO TANNER you could have saved the cape. But I would toss it now, the bacteria has started and there is slippage.
Ditto,
also, you're impatient when it comes to drying.
You're not going to see any drying the next day!
and NEVER salt then freeze!
It's still raining. Very high humidity! What will salting and freezeing do to the cape? Would dry preserve had stopped the slippage? What would an auto tanner have done?
Never salt then freeze. Think of this.....In the winter when you put salt on your sidewalks does it freeze? I think you should have put it in a mild pickle and you might have saved it. It has worked for me in the past.
I've had my auto tanner since they first came out, I love it. Had a deer come in this week that had been in the ice box for 5 days, no ice, was starting to get that beautiful green tint that makes us cringe and the odor we all dread. After gently prepping it - threw it in the tanner and presto! a saved cape. When Steve designed that thing he knew what he was doing. If you have more questions about them, e-mail me.