Late Season Mule deer cape slip

Sounds like you did all that you could..Sometimes "slip happens."

I've done some Mexican mulies that were taken in hot weather, frozen and thawed out by customs and refrozen. They didn't slip at all..granted that the hair is a might shorter than yours probably was..


At -35C , -31F that cape should have frozen on it's own within hours..

 

tannery error, have done lots of late season mulies just as you described, never had a problem, sounds like you need to look for a better tannery

 

I would look at your thawing process. How long--in water ---in front of heat----take a couple days to thaw--- How did you do it ? Salting--- was it done right? Hide Froze before salt did its job. ? Not enough salt ? Was the tanner one you have been with, with no problems or first time ?

The only time tanner should see problems with a thick hide is if it wasn't right when they got it. Other wise child's play for a good tanner ! My problem is if tanner did something wrong why is it not slipping all over the hide, instead of just one place. There are way more delicate places for a cape to slip due to tanner error. Not saying they didn't screw up, don't know, but these things are normally deeper that one thinks.

As cyclone says it could just be that slip Happens.

 

Just another thought. I see you folded and rolled up the cape, then put in the freezer. and some od the problems where high in the cape, head area.
Did you roll it up face first? Did you have the hair out when you folded and rolled it up?
Why I ask is. hair is insolation. and if hides are rolled up, hair out. you just insinuated the very center of the roll. it takes more than a day to freeze the center. (usually the face, because persons tend to roll capes up head first)
And the same when it thaws. it takes longer for the center to thaw, because the hair will insinuate the heat from thawing the center.
Thus when a folded and rolled hair out hide is put in the freezer, bacteria can still be active for at least a day in the inner most part of the roll.
I believe the proper way to freeze hides is hair in, or skin side out. and face out. thus letting the cold air to penetrate the hide completely and faster.
The face is the most important part of a mount and usually hard to repair or hide repairs. that is why I always keep it on the out side of a rolled or a folded hide.
Just my 2 cents.

 

Don't forget as well that long haired capes need to be agitated well during the re-hydration and pickling processes..

 

I have owned an operated a commercial tannery for 23 years or so, I guess. did taxidermy, a guide, lifetime trapper, and a hunter. Yes with all that back ground I have had some stuff not turn out.
But still (not a patch but lost some of the longer hairs that makes it look 'rubbed') MAYBE? the round knife blade shaved some of your long hair? What you describe along the edge. hair could have been folded over while flesher was making a pass.
My experience with a round knife error isyes I have had some ) you shave to deep and hair slips, not make it look like a rub. Hollow hair game really does not have a woolly hair layer.(I know there are some fine hairs deep down inside) Like most fur bearers or solid haired game. So a rubbed look is shorter hollow hair.
Late season game is not an issue. The issue is how did long hair become short hair.