Elk hides?

[iccyman001]

Does anyone do anything special with their elk hides?

Do you make things with them? Sell them? Leave them in the woods?



Someone told me they make fishing lures out of it, I thought that was pretty neat.





:?: :?: :?:

 

[Deertick]

I cut mine up into sections about 1-2\' square and dry them in the sun ... the dogs will play with them for a year. Funny -- they don\'t destroy them, just carry them around. Likewise with the hooves. They keep a pile of hide and hooves by our back door. I\'m sure the UPS guy laughs every time he sees it.

 

[otcWill]

I had this one tanned. I hung it on a heavy duty rod mounted to the wall and put an antler on each side. I think it looks awesome and it only cost $150 for the tanned hide

 

[Lark Bunting]

I cut a chunk of my first deer, maybe 6\" X 6\". I still have it in the freezer and need to get around to tanning it one day.

I would like to save an elk hide if I ever get one.

Will, how did you field dress it in order to preserve the hide? Any details steps are appreciated!

 

[cnelk]

For anyone that wants to get something tanned, this place does a great job

<!-- m --><a class=\"postlink\" href=\"http://www.moytown.com/\" onclick=\"window.open(this.href);return false;\">http://www.moytown.com/</a><!-- m -->

I have had them tan, fox, coyote and elk hides - reasonable prices too

 

[Bowfreak]

Cool stuff. There are very few commercial tanneries operational now. It is becoming a lost art.

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[Jaquomo]

Commercial tanneries have a hard time operating in this country due to EPA rules. Most taxidermists will sell you a tanned hide for less than the cost to have one of your own tanned because people don\'t pick them up.

I\'ve only tanned one - my first bull hide is tanned leather that my ex did for me for a surprise present. It has two square holes right behind the front leg so I must have gotten a pass-through!

 

[Bowfreak]

Commercial tanneries have a hard time operating in this country due to EPA rules. Most taxidermists will sell you a tanned hide for less than the cost to have one of your own tanned because people don\'t pick them up.

I\'ve only tanned one - my first bull hide is tanned leather that my ex did for me for a surprise present. It has two square holes right behind the front leg so I must have gotten a pass-through!

We had one in the town where I work and you are exactly right in that EPA regulations squeezed them out.

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[Don K]

Some day I am going to have one tanned with hair on. That day probably will be when I can get one close enough that I feel like carrying it back to the truck, and I am not caping it out for a mount.

 

[cnelk]

When my son shot his first elk, we cut a section off the hide and I sent it in to Moyles.
I think it cost about $20.
The leather is awesome
He keeps it on a shelf in his room

 

[iccyman001]

I cut mine up into sections about 1-2\' square and dry them in the sun ... the dogs will play with them for a year. Funny -- they don\'t destroy them, just carry them around. Likewise with the hooves. They keep a pile of hide and hooves by our back door. I\'m sure the UPS guy laughs every time he sees it.

I am going to do this! :upthumb:

 

[otcWill]

Lark,

Pretty simple field work. I skin straight up from the between hind legs like I was gutting (only I don\'t poke thru the stomach lining). I skin all the way up to the throat. Go up the insides of the legs and come around. I flesh the hide carefully although you can pay a taxi or tannery to do this. I get a discount if my hide is meticulously fleshed. Then I hang it and cut off anything I don\'t like the looks of to kind of square the hide off. I haven\'t done it in the past but I\'m going to start caping all my bulls and bucks to sell. Most taxi\'s won\'t turn down a nice cape. Its really astounding how many guys come to the taxi to have a shoulder mount and have no cape.

 

[Jaquomo]

+1 on caping and selling. I\'ve gotten some good money for mature bull and buck capes. Check with your taxidermist but they usually just want mature animals because that\'s what others bring in to have mounted.

 

[F M]

I have never kept one before. I do like the look of the tanned ones.

After you skin or cape them out is there anything special you do to keep it till you take it in?

 

[cnelk]

Just flesh them as much as you can, salt the flesh side [check with tannery first, some want this some dont]
fold them up and freeze. Then ship to tannery

 

[AndyJ]

Has anyone ever tried tanning a hide? You might want to quit your job. It is a ton of work. If $150 seems like a lot, it isn\'t. In fact I would call it a smoking deal.

 

[Deertick]

Has anyone ever tried tanning a hide? You might want to quit your job. It is a ton of work. If $150 seems like a lot, it isn\'t. In fact I would call it a smoking deal.

Now that\'s funny there ... funny and TRUE at the same time.