I just got my bear hide back from the taxidermist. The hide came back missing an awful lot of hair. There are patches of hair missing all over. I gave him the hide in great condition. The bear was in the cooler within hours and was skinned the next morning. I questioned the taxidermist and he said that 'august killed boars' have a tendency to lose hair from the tanning process. He said this is the result of something he calls 'blue pelt' and in these areas that have the 'blue pelt', hair comes out easily. There is also a lot of hair protruding from the underside of the hide. Looks to me like the tannery cut down too much hide and was too rough with the tanning process. I got bald areas over the entire hide. Can't possibly make a rug out of it now. Have any of you taxidermists heard of 'blue pelt'? Do hides sometimes come back from the tannery this poorly? I got $300 wrapped up in a hide that looks like it came of off a road kill. I'm really bummed here....
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for you to see some hair coming from the other side (flesh side) of the bear when it comes back from the tannery. It will stay put unless you pull it through. On some bears when they fall from a tree the get huge bruises- causing the bluish purple skin where the impact happened. Many times the hair will slip from an area with such trauma. I have seen it before in bears from CA during the fall and early winter (season there only runs until the end of December). Also, you should skin the bear out ASAP. The longer you wait the more your chances of a ruined hide. Water also plays a role in the loss of hair. Bacteria sets in quickly, especially in the warm fall months. Hope this helps!
The taxidermist gave you all correct answers, but it well could have been one or all those symptoms you described coming into play. Warm weather bears ARE tough to predict and I hate to see them coming in just for that reason. You know, the bear starts to decay the second you shoot it and if it took awhile for you to get it out of the heat and back, that's one thing. To delay skinning it overnight is another. The INSIDE of the bear will cool down much later in the process than the outside so that might have been a direct contributor to the outcome.
As far as "blue pelt", that's one of many names given to hides not yet in their prime. "Prime" hides will have white or eggshell colored skin while unprimed hides will have a blue cast to it. Bears tend to be blue regardless, but I'm sure he used the term to describe the condition of your particular hide rather than the color.
Sometimes tanneries do screw up. I will never use Golden State Tannery again just for that reason. They trashed one of my bears that I knew was handled properly, by me. If the hide was not properly salted when it was shipped to the tannery, that can cause hair to fall out as well. $300 was pretty cheap. I charge quite a bit more since bears are kind of a pain in the rear.
Ken,
It sounds like you are getting the run around from your taxidermist.
I have done quite a few bears and have not had this problem. Look at the underside of the skin where hair is missing. If it is very thin in these areas, then the problem is that the skin was shaved too thin in those areas causing the hair to release. Most tanneries have experienced shavers and usually do a professional job of shaving. Maybe your taxidermist did it himself and just told you that it went to the tannery. If it went to the tannery, you are probably out of luck recovering anything. If you want to persue this, ask your taxidermist for the packing slip or something showing that the skin was sent to the tannery. If it was not then he is responsible for the damage. "blue pelt" is a correct term for animal skins during certain times of year. When animals have grown their winter coat it is called "prime pelt". If he knew about possible problems with this type of skin, then he should have told you about it before taking on the work. Bottom line is that you might need a new taxidermist.
Good luck.
The taxidermist did admit that he has had no luck with 'august boars'. He has has numerous issues like mine with many of them. This was all stated when I went to pick it up. There are a number of thin leather areas on the hide and I pretty much assumed that the tannery cut down too far. Though he assumed no responsibility for the tannery work and it says on the reciept that the 'owner is responsible for the tannery work'. It just gets me that the hide is ruined and he offered nothing in return. I had to work on him to get $75 off of a shoulder mount (really wanted the rug though). Not sure if the hide will allow a good shoulder mount...
If you've "never had a problem" with an August bear, you haven't done many of them, that's for sure. And when you DO get one and things go south on you, remember to tell YOUR customer just what you told Ken.
It sounds as though you're getting sound advice from both sides of the issue. I only mount on an average 20 bear per year for the last 14 years. About 25% of them were harvested in August. I personally have not had any problems with August bears. However, I do all my own tanning and I ask a lot of questions regarding field care. My question to you is what kind of cooler did you have the bear in - a Coleman cooler or a meat locker cooler? If it was in a meat locker cooler within hours, it sounds as if that should be okay. With the exception that you should have had it skinned right away to get the body temp down. Did your taxidermist mention he's had problems with August bears BEFORE you left the bear? If he did, there's not much ground to stand on. If he mentioned it when you came to pick it up, I agree with BA that you need a new taxidermist. Sorry for the loss of your trophy. Did you choose this taxidermist based on price or reputation? Because you know what they say - You get what you pay for. In the future, please ask your taxidermist a lot of questions.
I had a similar problem with an Wyoming Elk cape. I took all the proper steps knowing I was going to make a wall hanging of the hide. What I did that caused major problems was ROLL the hide up and place it in a freezer. Two days later I pulled the hide out of the freezer and the inside was still warm. When I say warm I meant room temperature. Sure there were 2-3 outside rolls that were frozen but the hide was thick enough and the skin thick enough that the cold couldn't get in nor could the warm get out. I got major slippage from those "inside rolls". Not sure if this is your problem but something to think of. Bear hides are thick and designed to hold heat in and cold out. Probably stayed warm to long.
Ken: I've been a taxidermist for over 32 years and tanned and mounted thousands ,first august or not makes no diference,less fur then september or later,I live in Ontario Canada,black bear capital of the world.This would be my profesional guess.You shot a bear skinned it,put it in a cooler on ice with fat on the ass end and on hide legs
(probable hair loss areas) . First the skin must be cooled down not in a ball in a cooler open it up and let it cool down,if you cannot cool it down out side ,since you are in the bush,get it to a taxidermist RIGHT AWAY. When I get bears in with and they are frozen I hang them up by a paw to thow the weight of the skin will open the skin so it will stay cool.Blood will create hair slip,to mush fat will build up heat and create hair slippage,skin the bear as clean as possible,or pay a taxidermist to skin it,if the hair is slipping when he skins it then it is his problem,hair coming in from the skin side is becaude it was shaved to thin, this could be from the taxidermist or the tannery,I would say the tannery,since they have to shave it down when prossessing it.Also over tumbling it hair will come thought.
I do all of my own tanning, and do not loss hides if hair is going to slip in my hands it will happen when I am fleshing it.
I have to go with George and Jeanette on this one.I do about 50 bear a year and our season starts the first week of Sept.so we are dealing every year with this early season pelt.The first 2 clues to your problem are your own statements."we got it into a cooler within hours".So how warm was it outside?Hours is to long.Skinning the next day is also not an option.Bear don't cool well with the hide on.We skin here every night during season until we're done,no exceptions.Unless that bear is still steaming when it comes in there's a chance it will slip.I suppose you probably filled the body cavity with ice too...and added to the problem.Hot wet bear..I can feel the hair falling out.Next time educate YOURSELF before you go bear hunting again.You also didn't say how cold the cooler you had it in was.We have a place near here that keeps their cooler at about 42 degrees and those bear STINK when they get here.So I think this time you better chalk it up to experience because it sounds like these problems were more your doing than his.
I have to go with George and Jeanette on this one.I do about 50 bear a year and our season starts the first week of Sept.so we are dealing every year with this early season pelt.The first 2 clues to your problem are your own statements."we got it into a cooler within hours".So how warm was it outside?Hours is to long.Skinning the next day is also not an option.Bear don't cool well with the hide on.We skin here every night during season until we're done,no exceptions.Unless that bear is still steaming when it comes in there's a chance it will slip.I suppose you probably filled the body cavity with ice too...and added to the problem.Hot wet bear..I can feel the hair falling out.Next time educate YOURSELF before you go bear hunting again.You also didn't say how cold the cooler you had it in was.We have a place near here that keeps their cooler at about 42 degrees and those bear STINK when they get here.So I think this time you better chalk it up to experience because it sounds like these problems were more your doing than his.
Laurier, your points are well taken and with your preventative techniques, it's little wonder you have no problem Same goes for Linda who skins them out immediately. MY PROBLEM has been I get the same hides from the SAME BEARS you have and when they get to me, they've been mistreated so badly I have a grenade without a pin in it. That's the FIRST thing I brief the customers. Telling them in advance would be especially nice, but any of you who've been in this business all day know that most of your customers don't come by or call BEFORE they go on such a trip and you're left to deal with what they bring through the door. That's why I remarked that BA's remark was BS. I think that's a tacky reponse of one taxidermist trying to badmouth another without sufficient information to make that judgement or call.
George,
Sorry to hit a nerve with you, but when Ken mentioned hair coming through on the inside of the skin it sounded like a shaving problem and not "blue pelt". And apparently the taxidermist did not mention the problems he has had with August bears until he finished the work.
It just sounded like the taxidermist did not handle the situation in a professional manner. So I thought that I would just "bad mouth" him a bit! (at least I didn't call him any names, or say anything about his momma, or his sister ,or his dog, and I didn't even call him a "democrap" or nuthin like that........geeeeze!)
Points well taken.
Points well taken.
So now Ken you got all this s!@#$ going tell us about the cooler or freezer. Tell us more about the skin,better yet use a digital camera and take pictures of both sides of the skin and I will guarrenty you their are many taxidermist with many years of experience that will tell you what happened.
Never ask your plumber medical advice, and always call A PROFFESIONAL
TAXIDERMIST for advice ( call before you skin )
cheap insurance
I took the hide to a another taxidermist to get a second opinion. He could not explain every patch of missing hair. But he did think that a few areas of the hide were quite thin. He wasn't too sure about the first taxidermists claim that spinal column fluid from the brain could cause hair slipping in those areas it lands on.
Not too sure how cold the cooler was. But when we skinned the bear we just balled it up, put it in a plastic bag and put it in a freezer. I will try to get some digital pictures and either post them or send them to you guys.
There's another part of your problem.When you just ball up the hide it takes forever to freeze.How warm was it when you were skinning it?How long did it take you? It wasn't ice cold I'm sure before you balled it up.As you've found out bear are extremely prone to slipping.Like pork,they don't age they spoil.Areas contaminated with blood and water are even more likely to slip.These are all things that feed bacteria which bear carry around plenty of because of their feeding habits.
Linda: their a little more then that.First not all hunters can get a bear coold down to what you want.The most important thing is to skin it out unless it is below 70 degre.The bear must be skinned a.s.a.p. and remove most of the fat,at this point droop the skin over a log or on dry ground with the skin side (up) and let it cool off remember below 70 degre. touch the skin and it should cool in 10 or 15 minutes
( DO NOT LET THE ( BLOW FLIES ) ON IT ) no flies at all.I f bear is in the bush place it as it was skin side up in the box of the truck and get it to a taxidermist or place it loosely in an opened box and in your car truck suv let as mush air at it to keep it cool and get it to a taxidermist right away. or if you can't get it to a taxidermist and only when you are right at your freezer,roll the skin side in head and feet out place in garbage bag and before you tie a knot ( PUSH ALL THE AIR OUT OF THE BAG ) then freeze it it with be ok at this point. Now when it comes time for the taxidermist, if you are plannig to skin out the bear the next day remove it at least 12 hours before ( that is not enough time ) LOL? it is hang the bear by the hide paw ceiling remember you need at least 7 feet on a big bear.The weight of the bear when thowing will open the skin next morning the bear may be partially frozen so open it up. First skin out the paws then the head,if the head is still frozen then flesh out the skin then you can do the head.
Most of you send the skin to a tannary,here is another area that you can have problems,salting the skin ( ALWAYS USE CLEAN SALT ) rub it in and use plenty of it get all the moister out. Boy this is the hard way,you do all the fleshing and salting then the tannery gets it and it goes right in the pickling to mush labour for me, I do all my own tanning. Remove the paws the skull do the ears, eyes,nose you know what I am trying to say. Now I will leave fat on the skin I only remove the biggest parts no more then 1/2 inch of fat.
You guys are reading this and saying this guy is brain dead ! LOL
Then it goes directly in the pickling NO WAY yes way.
First I will wash out the skin soap and cold water and rince in cold ( no not in the washing machine ) in the laudry tube.
Now 45 gal barrel of water 45 lbs of salt you can put more standard picling salution.
45 gals water
45 lbs salt
1 liter formic acid 1.5 to 2.0 PH
5 lbs ALUM ( alum will haren the fat ) so you can flesh it on
a fleshing machine
Stir your solution to disolve the salt and the alum
Now this part is very very important place the skin in the pickling and stir it up really good then DO NOT TOUCH IT AGAIN
The alum will seatle on the skin and cook the fat. Leave for about 24 hours. Remove skin and drain only DO NOT RINCE.,Now flesh it on the fleshing machine, If their is any pink stots after fleshing put it back in the pickling for a day or 2 or 10 it will not harm the skin.
After it is pickled remove drain wash the skin out really good soap and water ( clean skin, clean solution, less cost to you )
Now Tanning I used Lutan for many years now only Bruce Rittels tanning
45 gal water
45 lbs salt
3 lbs tanning powder
Place in tanning , remove when tanned ,remove when tanned,drain skin only ,dry to the touch.
Now oilling heat oil rub on skin in the worm shade is best let the oil penatrate as much as possible ,then tumble it changing the sawdust as you tumble and bracking the skin as it dries.
Sounds hard but it is not
32 years and never lost a skin Must be doing something right.
Any questions you can e-mail me direct,I will give you my number and you can call me I do not have the time to do this all day.
Laurier