salting and freezing DON'T DO IT

[Kuduman]

It seems that every year I take in a few deer/ elk/ bears that have been salted and then frozen. This year I have already taken in a few bears that have been salted and frozen along with a few elk and a deer. I thought I might shed a little light in this subject.

In preparing your skin for tanning the first step is to flesh and then salt. The salt in essence stops the bacteria decomp process. This is accomplished by drawing out excessive moisture from the dermis thus drying the skin and additionally setting the hair preventing slippage. It's important to note that the hide must be completely fleshed removing ALL meat, fat and excessive membrane for the salt to be effective. Most skins require two saltings with a short period for drying between saltings (hours not days) Once properly salted there is no reason to freeze the hide. Simply put....... if you haven't fleshed the hide .... don't salt it.

The safest / easiest way to preserve your cape/hide is to freeze it as quickly as possible after harvest.

Just thought I'd throw this out before the season really gets rolling.
 

[Coasthunterjay]

LOL..this is great..I completely agree with this also...

And ide like to add, for all the guys that are going out of state. You would almost be better off not salting the hide, wrapping it up in a paperbag(allows the hide to breath somewhat and dry, you dont want it to sweat bag your hide), boxing it up, and shipping overnight directly from out of state to your desired taxidermist or home and have someone then put it in the freezer for later. Granted we want to make sure that if your in really hot area that you get it in a plastic bag and on ice quickly keeping your hide as dry as possible(picking plastic this time so you dont get your hide wet..different stuff for different situations)...


But remember....... Wet = bacteria, bacteria = slippage, slippage = not OK(unmountable hide)...lol


My other thought on the salting step is that salt is used as a de-icer...By taking a UN-Prepped hide and salting it, and then putting it in a moist but frozen freezer will only keep your hide in a semi-thawed condition...keeping it semi moist....The salt not allowing it to completely freeze which is what you dont want. So dont salt and freeze! BAD IDEA!


Remember Salt is a last case, no other option scenerio...otherwise if you can keep the hide cool and at least semi-dry(preferably al the way dry)...then wait and get it to the freezer when you can. THIS ULTEMETLY IS THE BEST OPTION! and the hide will tell you if you need to act...Smell it several times a day...If your worried smell it..If it starts to give any wierd wasting smell, then act..But untill then, most people have some time before a last case scenario is needed.

So just to add a few more thoughts to the good ones that Kuduman said above because we want you to have a good mount and in order for that to happen we need you to have a good hide!

Thanks, AJ