Shot this 6 x 6 this fall. Took to a local taxidermist to hopefully have him put in freezer until we left. Locker wouldn't take it to freeze. Taxidermist informs me that it should be fleshed and salted right away to prevent any hair slippage. Charged around $200 to do. My local taxidermist starts working on my hide today and discovers it wasn't fully fleshed. The hair is slipping really bad and we both come to the conclusion that it isn't worth using. He showed me chunk of meat. It was hidden in some pockets. Most was fleshed. Not looking for sympathy from people. Hoping to get some ideas or a solution. Want to know if anyone has had any luck buying tanned capes for mounts? Doesn't have to be tanned, but would be easier. We would also know that we aren't getting a bad cape in same situation. Any and all ideas are welcome.
Feel sorry for you... that's a heck of an elk you got there. Did you consider having a European mount instead ? They look pretty cool, I do most of the moose we get that way... Having the cape of another elk, no matter how good, you will always know it's not yours...
I'd talk to your local taxidermist. They usually have a line on capes like this. I know several people that have bought capes off ebay with great luck. There are some people on there that sell a lot of them and have great feedback to prove they are legit. Best of luck , congrats on the awesome bull, and sorry to hear!
Check out a taxidermy forum. My brother is a taxidermist and has got capes before for people's animals. Any idea what the nose to eye measurement was/is?
I could buy a skull for it for $100. Already have enough money into it that I want to get it fully mounted if possible. Had to pay to have it packed out because I was worried the meat and cape would ruin.
I'll probably try to look into a taxidermist forum if I don't find anything else for ideas. Didn't think of ebay. My taxidermist is going to check around with a few people that he thinks might have something to use. He does mostly fish and deer. Not much elk. He did first one last year and it turned out good.
Montana Cape and Fur has a solution. They tan hides for taxidermists and sell hides. The hide will cost $400 for wet tanned completed hide. Thought this might help if others needed a cape. I did look on ebay. Found one, but it would be too small. I want to try to get it as close as possible. Called taxidermist and left a message to have him get measurements.
I gotta ask though.. so he fleshed and salted, presumably turning ears and splitting lips, then gave it back to you dried? Salted and just folded up? What happened with the cape next? Sorry just curious...
He fleshed it and salted with meats in the pit pockets is how I would describe it. Salted over the meat which didn't get to the hide. My taxidermist removed around 8 pounds off of the cape. Not all meat, but he showed me a piece of meat that was 5 inches long by 2 inches. I didn't inspect anything because I didn't figure I needed to or would know more than the taxidermist. Most of it was fleshed and salted. He turned the ears and lips. Didn't clean anything out of ears which wasn't the problem though. I shot elk on first day which was a Sunday. Next day got the head and cape out. Took to him on Tuesday morning. Temps were 30 at night those days. He inspected the cape and said it needed fleshed to prevent the hair from slipping instead of putting in freezer. Temps were warm during the day. I'm not sure where he was keeping it at his place? It was at his house. Not his business. I was there for 1 week and half after that. When I got it the cape was heavily salted and very stiff. Barely fit in my jeep to bring home. Returned home. Got to my taxidermist within a day. I believe he had to put in some solution bath and that is when he saw it was bad. Didn't want to say anything to me before trying to save. It had been a freezer since brought back home.
Ya, my question was more along the lines of what happened after that and for how long. Considering it was salted, and not well obviously I assume it wasn't frozen?? So how was it stored and for how long until your taxi got to work on it. Also, not turning the ears, and charging $200.... kinda seems as if he saw you coming. Know offense, judging by what he did you would have been better off freezing the cape. Lots of capes sit unfleshed in freezers for extended periods of time before getting to the taxi with no ill effects. Had he completed the process and sent you with a fully fleshed, turned, and DRIED cape you would have also been good... but...
I originally asked locker to freeze it and they wouldn't. They suggested I go to him and ask if he would keep in freezer until we left. I was taken for sure in my mind. If I could have frozen it all of this would have been fine. My taxidermist would have fleshed it and tanned himself.
No kidding...I have this one friend, I helped strap close his freezer of death once.....oh wait.... !!!
Hind sight is 20/20. Good luck finding a hide, I'm sure you will come across one sooner or later. Great looking bull congratulations.
Nice bull. You can find anything on the internet if you look long enough. Good luck with your search for a new cape, hope you find it.
