Bear rug care from another state, how to

[RightPlace-RightTime]

Wanting to know any advice about killing a black bear in alaska this may and how to get it back to washington and to be able to have the head rug made without ruining it.

Would this be ok
Skinning the bear with head and feet attached.  Curing with salt. Freezing. Then shipping down back home,  Continuing to freeze until im ready to have it done

[LongTatLaw]

Its not a cervid (spell?) but I dont know if this state makes that determination...

may have to dig them head contents out??

[mossback91]

At one time my grandma was going to send me to alaska for a ebar hunt but then I think she went stingy on me hahah j/k, but she was saying about someway of carrying it on the plane but I cant remember all the stuff she had said

[Machias]

I have been to Canada twice, drove both times.  Both times I took two bears with my bow.  I returned through customs with the bears hide, head still inside and feet still in paws.  All on ice.  I had import papers from my outfitter.  I had no issues at the border or at the taxidermist.

[Machias]

P.S.  My taxidermist would beat you if you salted it. 

[billythekidrock]

Why not have it taxidermied there and sent to ya?

[washingtonmuley]

In Alaska you must remove the skull and take it to fish and game to have it sealed.Then you could freeze it and it would be fine. Where are you going in Alaska?

[RightPlace-RightTime]

I will be up in Petersburg Alaska.  Then from there, A remote island for 5-7 days.  Just a buddy and me.  So we are hoping that we have to care to two bear. 
So once the skin is off, what do i do during the rest of the week and the trip home?

[Rufous]

I did a self guided black bear hunt on a remote island in SE AK back in May of 2004 with a buddy. We both took 10 year old boars. Mine had a 19 9/16" skull and my buddies was 19 5/16". His was rubbed pretty bad so he just wanted the back and sides (basically a squarish rug) but I wanted to do a bust mount. The problem with mine was that I foolishly skinned out the bear like I had done in the past for a full rug. On top of that we had rock salt instead of fine salt. On top of that it was sunny and hot- like in the 80s. So my bear's hide had the hair slip. I worked for hours trying to get the fat off and then salted it but just did not do a good enough job.

If you only want a bust mount then only take that amount of hide off of the bear so that you focus only on the hide necessary. Secondly make sure you use fine salt, not rock salt. Finally hope for cooler weather. Best of luck on your hunt and care of your cape, Rufous.

[boneaddict]

Idabooner brought back a grizz, salted, rolled and I believe on the plane.  I'll get him to put up some details.

[actionshooter]

My buddy killed a nice colored bear in central Wa a few years ago, temp in the 90's We folded it up thru it in the back of the truck and headed for home, by the next afternoon the hair slipped. I was sick cause it was my idea to fold it up.

[boneaddict]

Thats tough.  Bear in 90 degree heat, you better shoot it in a walk in freezer practically.  They are so greasy they will slip in the feild with those temps. 

[Michelle_Nelson]

Wanting to know any advice about killing a black bear in Alaska this may and how to get it back to washington and to be able to have the head rug made without ruining it.

Would this be ok
Skinning the bear with head and feet attached.  Curing with salt. Freezing. Then shipping down back home,  Continuing to freeze until I'm ready to have it done

Will you have access to a freezer up their is AK?

Get the hide off the bear ASAP after killing it.  Bear and large game animals hold their heat.  Get the hide cooled down.  Keep the hide cool and dry.  Heat and moisture promote bacteria growth.  Which causes hair to start slipping.  Once the hair starts slipping that's it.  It will continue til all the hair has fallen out of the infected area.  If you have access to a freezer get it into the freezer ASAP!  When putting the hide in the freezer FOLD the hide don't roll it.  And don't fold the skull in the middle.  Depending on the hide it can take a couple days for the head to freeze buried under all that hide.

Folded hides freezer and thaw quicker than ones that are wadded up and thrown in the freezer.  During the thawing and freezing process bacteria is still working on the cape so the quicker it freezes and thaws the better.  

I wouldn't suggest salting the hide unless you are prepared to skin out the paws and the head.  Split and turn the ears, lips, nose, eyes and flesh the entire hide.  I mean if you leave the skull and paws inside the hide what good is the salt going to do?  You can't get it down inside the feet and head area with the paws and skull left in.    Do you understand where I am going with this?

[bucklucky]

The only way to properly salt a bear hide :
You must remove the head , turn the lips eye lids , nose and ears. You have to skin out the feet to the claws and remove all the fat in the pads . Skin out the tail. And then you have to remove ALL of the meat and ALL of the fat and then use 50 pounds of salt or more depending on how big and rub the salt in really good. Then on the second day dump the salt off and re-salt . Then let it dry. That is the only way to properly salt a bear. You CAN NOT put a salted hide in the freezer.It will never freeze and will slip.
Your best option is to freeze the hide if you cant salt it properly.
What I usualy tell my customers going on long hunting trips is to find a local Taxidermist pay him to properly skin , cape and turn everything and have them salt it for you, Pay them what ever they charge , get a receipt and show it to me and I will take it off the bill . I would say it should be ion the ballpark of $100.00 to $150.00 to have that done.

[bucklucky]

OOps sory Michelle I must have posted right on top of you. I didnt see yours.

[Michelle_Nelson]

My buddy killed a nice colored bear in central Wa a few years ago, temp in the 90's We folded it up thru it in the back of the truck and headed for home, by the next afternoon the hair slipped. I was sick cause it was my idea to fold it up.

Yes folding the hide was not a good idea.  Especially if you didn't give it a chance to cool.

How can I put this so people won't think I am just trying to cover my A$$ along with other taxidermists.  Slippage is UNPREDICTABLE.  I can give you all the advice in the world on how to prevent slippage.  Will it help?  You bet it will!  More often than not your going to be alright.  Every hide is different!  Sometimes $hit happens.

[Michelle_Nelson]

The only way to properly salt a bear hide :
You must remove the head , turn the lips eye lids , nose and ears. You have to skin out the feet to the claws and remove all the fat in the pads . Skin out the tail. And then you have to remove ALL of the meat and ALL of the fat and then use 50 pounds of salt or more depending on how big and rub the salt in really good. Then on the second day dump the salt off and re-salt . Then let it dry. That is the only way to properly salt a bear. You CAN NOT put a salted hide in the freezer.It will never freeze and will slip.
Your best option is to freeze the hide if you cant salt it properly.
What I usualy tell my customers going on long hunting trips is to find a local Taxidermist pay him to properly skin , cape and turn everything and have them salt it for you, Pay them what ever they charge , get a receipt and show it to me and I will take it off the bill . I would say it should be ion the ballpark of $100.00 to $150.00 to have that done.

Great minds think alike! 

[bucklucky]

Gee, It must be a TAXIDERMIST thing!

[Michelle_Nelson]

Ya never know! 

[boneaddict]

Some of these boys are on a float trip and three days out in the sticks.  I believe many carry salt in their rafts.  I'm thinking they need to do a good job of fleshing in the field, and better learn to turn lips etc if they are headed in.  They will be committed to salting, thus rule out the freezing process.  UNLESS you happen to be hunting from boat, or road.

[bucklucky]

They better learn how to be a taxidermists grunt real quick like!

[Michelle_Nelson]

I agree with both Boneaddict and Buclucky.  That kinda knoledge can help you out qite a bit!

[boneaddict]

I would also suggest being able to do it blindolfed or by feel because once there is blood, I would want to keep both eyes watching my back up there.  Thats all you need, sitting there concentrating on that project and here a twig snap 4 feet behind you. 

[WDFW-SUX]

In Alaska we take our hides down to the salt water and sink them in nets for a little bit. the salt in the water does a fantastic job preventing slippage.  This is true salt water not brackish waster in tidal areas.  They will last 3-5 days after the salt water then we flesh and freeze for the plane ride home.

The outside temps are usually in the low 40's Im not sure if that would work in warmer weather

I had a taxidemist freak out when I told him when I killed the bear and could not beleave how well the condition of the hide was for the amout of time 

[Michelle_Nelson]

All salt does is draw moisture and body fluids out of a hide.  It prepares the hide for the pickle bath.  The salt in no way preserves a hide.  It is basicly temporary preservation.  It slows bacteria growth considerably by drawing out moisture and body fluids that the bacteria are drawn to. 

So by putting the hide in salt water you realy have only cooled the hide and washed out a good portion of the blood.  Other than that the hide is now completely wet.  The hide still has a good 24 hours of thawing to do in the taxis shop which is probably heated.  So a wet hide in 70+ degree room is a bacteria feeding ground.

[WAcoyotehunter]

http://www.pristineventures.com/products_publications.html#videos

This guy does lots of float hunting in AK and has a few videos on wilderness taixdermy.  He shows how to turn ears and lips...all the basic stuff to preserve the hide for the taxidermist.  I've seen the videos and they're pretty comprehensive.