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so I just took my first black bear and im fleshing it myself and im almost done but its taken me about 3 days now with how busy I have been is it ok to leave it in a bag for the time being until im done fleshing it probably tommarow? and also once im done fleshing it would it be right to salt it until I can save about 1000 dollars to have a rug made professionally? which could be a couple months? thanks for any responses
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I would try and keep it in a refrigerator or a cooler full of ice. Not sure about the salting part, I froze mine for a couple weeks last year. Most taxidermist only need half down on a rug, remainder on deliver. Good luck.2007 Kingfisher 2825 - Stor Fisk
Civilization ends at the waterline. Beyond that, we all enter the food chain, and not always right at the top. -- Hunter S. Thompson -
Keep it cool for the time being and you should be fine until you're done fleshing. When I've been in that situation I've thrown it into the freezer overnight, pulled it out in the morning, then resumed fleshing work in the evening. Once it's done, contact your chosen (well researched) taxidermist and ask them what they need for a deposit and what they'd suggest in the interim. Generally freezing the hide is a good option, and in many cases is better than salting.
Congratulations! Pictures??Comment
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I hope you've been keeping it cold during that time? If not you need to start ASAP. what you do is going to depend on how long you want to store it. If I were planning to store it long term I would salt dry it, if its going to be short tern (under a month?) I would go ahead and freeze it. Research how best to freeze it and pick your method there are about 5 methods that folks swear are the "only right way".Originally posted by mikemasoner View PostComment
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Hopefully a game bag and not a plastic bagOriginally posted by mikemasoner View Post
When you say fleshing, what process do you mean? there are several parts to prepping a skin for tanning - removing the flesh and fat from the skin, turning ears, lips, nose, and eyes, skinning the toes out to the last knuckle...Personally I would get it fleshed out and prepped and then put it in the freezer (unsalted) until you can take it to a taxidermist and the taxidermist can go over it to see if you got everything done.
If you are sure of your fleshing/prepping abilities, salt it out and air dry it (see when to salt thread) - when it is nearly dry, fold it hair to hair, legs in, then in half, then roll it like a sleeping bag for storage, tail first.
When/if you do freeze it - put it in a very cold freezer to really freeze it quickly.. fold it like above, but skin to skin, head first (to prevent freeze dry), loosely, so that the hair doesn't insulate too much. Don't leave it in the freezer for a yr! 6 months at most.
Congratulations on your first bear!
JuliTaxidermy IS art!
Your mount is more than a trophy, it's a memory. Relive The Memory!Comment
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Oh, and as others have said, hopefully you are keeping it cool during this time...fleshing/prepping/salting a hide sooner is ALWAYS better 4 days is about max with a cool skin - You will know if you have taken too long or if the hide has become too warm if the hair starts getting loose around the edges - if you can gently pull and pull hair out of the skin in clumps, the hide is spoiling and you NEED to get it to a taxidermist ASAP. If your hide reaches this point (hair starting to slip) I would salt the heck out of it as well, right away.
Taxidermy IS art!
Your mount is more than a trophy, it's a memory. Relive The Memory!Comment
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Picture of the bearComment
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Thank you for all the responses really helped out a lot
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