elk cape question

[huntandjeep]

 I drew Rimrick modern any bull tag   and have a question. About how long do you have from the time you drop an elk before the hair starts slipping. Any tips you could pass along to someone whos never caped an animal. Thanks Allen

[ellensburgpo]

Not sure about the hair slip question. But there are a bunch of great lessons at the top of the taxidermy page about field care for animals. Hope that helps.

[wall of wood camp]

Not sure the answer on this topic I think it will also depend on the temperature to. My bull last year spent a week spread out over the back of a stump before coming down out of the mountains and off to my taxidermist the next day. Had no signs of hair slip on him. It was right around freezing most of the time. Good luck on your hunt hope you knock down a big one.

[mikelonsford]

I shot a bull on Sept 10th last year and I was near the pacific crest trail.  It was about 85-90 degrees Sat, I shot him at 10 or 11, found him about noon, had him quartered and hung in bags that afternoon, took two quarters out that evening, the rest the next AM, including 3 loads of meat and lastly the cape.  I hadn't caped his skull and it was still 85-90 on Sun.  When I got home Sun evening it was 6 pm, I had dropped the meat off at the butcher to get it in a cooler.  The cape under the throat was already turning green.  Didn't take the cape in to a taxi until monday afternoon cause of work, but it was too late already i think.  Anyhow, that hair slipped so now I am relying on the taxi to hopefully have a good replacement cape.  All the meat was good which was my primary concern, but the hide from my elk would have been nice too.  I watched the taxi skin the skull with the eye glands and all and turn the lips so I'd know how to do that on my own next time.  Sun night I was trying to save the cape with salt and should have been using ice.  Live and learn.......

[huntnnw]

alot depends on how fast its cooled... leaving the cape on the head will hold alot of heat for a long period of time.. november deer in cold temps the deer are fine for a week on the head. I shot a bull in early Oct one year had it quartered and loaded and headed straight home..temps were a hight of 60 that day..that night the one side of the head where it layed already slipped

[RG]

I've worked for several backcountry outfitters in the past.  In one case we did 10 day early season horseback hunts for grizzly and black bear.  Those would start to slip after a few days if not properly cared for.  The problem is you have to cape it and turn the eyelids, lips, ears, and nose, and skin out the feet before you can get salt into all the places it needs to be.  Otherwise the hair still slips whereever the salt didn't touch.  On late elk and deer hunts the weather was cold, usually around or below freezing.  In those cases we caped it but didn't turn everything if we could get it cooled quickly.  The head and neck holds in heat.  Caping is time consuming, especially if you are turning the eyelids, etc., but it's doable if you get some instructions.  Get a very very sharp knife with a small blade and a good sharpener.  If your knife is sharp you just lay it on and it cuts, you don't have to saw on stuff which causes you to cut where  you didn't want to.  The tear ducts on elk and deer are a little tricky but if you take your time they come right out.  I worked one season with a taxidermist who guided during the actual hunting season, that was a valuable learning experience.  By the way, after you salt a hide it's going to drip a lot of juice so be prepared for that.  If you put it in a plastic bag for transport take it out ASAP.

[BOWHUNTER45]

another important thing to do is to make sure when you cape it out is to take off all the meat from the cape ...lot of people leave alot of meat on the hide after skinning it ...it only takes a few extra minutes to do this and that will prevent it from getting sour ...and then maybe place in a cool area and hang it from a limb with the skin side out so air hits it ..but like stated above , the lips ,ears and nose is usually the main concern ...

[cedarriver]

 Hey Allen looks like everyone has this covered pretty well. There are so many variables to hair slip, heat speeds things up tremendously. Best thing to do is keep the skin as clean as possible when skinning( no big chunks of meat). Let it cool out good and keep it as cold as you can, and get it to the taxidermist ASAP. Be a good idea to go talk to your taxidermist to see if they have any suggestions on the skinning, leave plenty of cape and please stay out of the arm pits. If your going to try take it off the head and turn lips, nose, eye lids, and ears your going to need about 50 pounds of salt as well. Give me a shout if you like.

[huntandjeep]

Thanks for all the responses. I wasnt sure if I had hours, days ? I know alot depends on outside temps. Not sure if I'm up to the task of caping the actual head yet. If I get one could I slice it up the back of the neck, make a slit to the base of the antlers. Then skin it out to say the jaw, cut the skull plate with antlers off, and throw the head in the freezer till I find a Taxi ?

[RG]

Freezer is good.

[scottcrb]

i havent done any capeing either but been watching vids and reading to be ready for when i do need to. eastmans hunting tv has some good vids on field dressing and caping elk on you tube that you could check out to get a little more comfortable.