Preserving Goat Cape until Tanning. Salt and then freeze?

[Anythingalaska]

I have a goat cape off a goat I skinned yesterday. How should I go about preserving it until it's tanned? The last time I kept something until I had time to bring it to the tannery ( a wolverine) I skinned it, fleshed it reasonably (not 100%) and then salted it down and let it drip out the moisture. Once it was done dripping, I rolled it up and froze it. Tannery tanned it and it turned out great.

Can I do this with my goat cape? Right now I have cut most of the fat/flesh off the cape, but certainly not all of it. Can I repeat the process I did before with the wolvering? Salt, drip, freeze? From what I'm reading, the salt won't penetrate large amounts of flesh/fat, and the better you can flesh the cape, the better it preserves it.

From doing some further reading, it looks like I can skip the salting, and can just straight freeze it until I take it to the Tannery? It shouldn't be long until I can get it to them; maybe a week or so.

Thanks!

[Hughiam]

You should never salt until completely fleshed and turned(ears, eyes, lips)

Also never salt and freeze, the salt will keep the cape from freezing. Old rule is if you salt, let it dry, if you don't salt, freeze it. You can freeze it for months without worrying about it. Just try to get all the air out of the bag. Also put the face on the outside of the fur ball. It will freeze first and thaw first.

[Anythingalaska]

I rolled it up and put it in a garbage back will all the air squeezed out, but I did it with the skin side in. I guess I should go out and turn it skin side out?

[JuliW]

Put it skin side together in a game bag. Do not store it in plastic. Only use plastic for freezing.

Your method of salting and freezing is acceptable. It must be well drained before freezing when salted. If you do freeze, only do so for a few days...the salt will prevent freezing but temp will still be cold. Make sure your freezer is set to the coldest setting.

I have worked on many capes and skins that were salted and frozen. They are a pain to deal with, from the taxidermists POV, but I have never had one that had slippage..other taxidermists have. I think care of the animal and following proper steps is important.

Salt and freeze only if you 'absolutely' have to...only for a few days until you can get it to your taxi .

Your best option is to freeze it raw.

[Anythingalaska]

Put it skin side together in a game bag. Do not store it in plastic. Only use plastic for freezing.

Your method of salting and freezing is acceptable. It must be well drained before freezing when salted. If you do freeze, only do so for a few days...the salt will prevent freezing but temp will still be cold. Make sure your freezer is set to the coldest setting.

I have worked on many capes and skins that were salted and frozen. They are a pain to deal with, from the taxidermists POV, but I have never had one that had slippage..other taxidermists have. I think care of the animal and following proper steps is important.

Salt and freeze only if you 'absolutely' have to...only for a few days until you can get it to your taxi .

Your best option is to freeze it raw.

Thanks for the reply. I folded the cape fur-to fur, and then rolled it up skin-to skin. I put it in a game bag and then in a garbage back and compressed the most air out that I could and tied the back shut. It is now in the deep freeze. Hoping to have it at the Tannery soon!

[limon32]

I rolled it up and put it in a garbage back will all the air squeezed out, but I did it with the skin side in. I guess I should go out and turn it skin side out?

Did you freeze it after putting it in the garbage bag?

I follow the same rule as the previous poster, freeze green or flesh, salt and hang dry. No mixing of the two.


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[limon32]

Thanks for the reply. I folded the cape fur-to fur, and then rolled it up skin-to skin. I put it in a game bag and then in a garbage back and compressed the most air out that I could and tied the back shut. It is now in the deep freeze. Hoping to have it at the Tannery soon!

Rollin it is an interesting debate, I'm against it, I don't like the idea of the inside being insulated and not freezing. If your freezer is big enough I'd lay it out as flat as possible.


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[Anythingalaska]

Did you freeze it after putting it in the garbage bag?

I follow the same rule as the previous poster, freeze green or flesh, salt and hang dry. No mixing of the two.


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I fleshed off the chunks of fat/flesh that were easy to get off with my knife, not completely fleshed by any means. Then I put it in the garbage bag, removed air, and put into freezer. It's in my chest freezer so hopefully it won't take long to freeze.

[limon32]

[QU OTE=Anythingalaska;1425118]I fleshed off the chunks of fat/flesh that were easy to get off with my knife, not completely fleshed by any means. Then I put it in the garbage back, removed air, and put into freezer.[/QUOTE]
Ike be fine, you might think about in-rolling it like I mentioned if it's not frozen already.



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