Keeping cape until getting to a taxidermist

[Archer_32]

Plan on going on my first bear hunt here in Montana in a few weeks, assuming our state doesn't follow Alaska and Washington.

I'm a fairly anxious person and enjoy researching so I at least have some clue if I get lucky enough to get a bear. If I'd get one that I want to rug or mount, what is the process, and timeline, to get the cape to the taxidermist? I feel fairly comfortable with skinning I'm just not sure how to keep the cape until I get to the shop.

With that, anyone willing to recommend a taxidermist here in Montana? I live near Billings but will be hunting as far west as Bozeman and I'm willing to drive for good work and prices.

Thanks! And stay safe everyone!

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[prongbuck]

Skin the bear out as soon as possible to cool down the skin and the meat. Try and keep it clean and dry. Make sure that you remove all of the neck meat clear up to the base of the skull. Get it cooled down as soon as possible and keep it cold. Try not to get the skin wet. Heat and moisture will cause bacteria to explode. Put the skin in a cloth game bag. DO NOT use plastic game bags. Fill plastic jugs or bottles with water and freeze them well ahead of your hunt. Put these in a cooler and after your skin is cooled down place it on top of the frozen jugs. Then get it to your chosen taxidermist as soon as possible. Bear skins tend to slip easily compared to most of the ungulates
( pronghorn excluded). Late spring temps can be very warm and bear skins do exactly what they were designed to do, they hold in heat. I cannot stress it enough get it skinned and cooled down as soon as you can.

As for choosing a competent taxidermist I would suggest that you go visit them and look at their work. There are many good Taxidermist in Montana. Price is not always the best indicator of quality. Yes there are some very good taxidermist that have high prices. There are also some taxidermists that do very good work at mid range prices. It all depends on their overhead and workload. Expect for the work to take anywhere from 9-18 months to be completed. You should also expect to pay a deposit up to 50%. Ask them how they would like you to skin the animal as well. Most have individual preferences on how the animal is skinned depending on the mount style that you choose.

Lastly those of us in the taxidermy industry have a saying, you have a choice-Quality work, Low Price, or Quick turn around pick 2.

 

[Bubblehide]

What you need to do may depend on how long till you get the cape to the taxidermist. If you are packed in, you may want to fully flesh it out. If you want the rug head on, it helps to skin the head off the skull, turn the ears and split the lips. If you are keeping the feet/claws on, you can simply remove the pads.

A bear rug will leach grease for a few days. If you are packed in, it is important to get as much grease off the rug (the inside) as you can. so you will need to hang it of place it over bushes so it can drain. But, you will also need to continue to work it and the grease off. If you can salt it, do it.

I got a nice bear a decade or 2 back while on a horse drop off and pick up hunt. I dd the above. I then got home and did a bit more fleshing, and then salted the crap out of the hide, made sure it was completely dry and slated it again. 2 years later I took it to a taxidermist and now have a head and claw on rug. My point is that if an animal is prepared and salted properly, and stored and kept dry, years can go by prior to taking it to a taxidermist with no ill effect.

 

[6mm Remington]

Farther West in Darby and Missoula but each of these are tremendous!

Tanning: Big Bear Tannery - 405 N. Main Street - Darby, MT. 59829 (406) 821-3231

Taxidermy: Game Trails Taxidermy - 5348 Florence Carlton Loop - Florence, MT. 59833
(406) 273-2210.

Custom Bird Works & The Big Game Connection - 1615 Montana - Missoula, MT. 59801
(406) 543-5501

 

[prongbuck]

What you need to do may depend on how long till you get the cape to the taxidermist. If you are packed in, you may want to fully flesh it out. If you want the rug head on, it helps to skin the head off the skull, turn the ears and split the lips. If you are keeping the feet/claws on, you can simply remove the pads.

A bear rug will leach grease for a few days. If you are packed in, it is important to get as much grease off the rug (the inside) as you can. so you will need to hang it of place it over bushes so it can drain. But, you will also need to continue to work it and the grease off. If you can salt it, do it.

I got a nice bear a decade or 2 back while on a horse drop off and pick up hunt. I dd the above. I then got home and did a bit more fleshing, and then salted the crap out of the hide, made sure it was completely dry and slated it again. 2 years later I took it to a taxidermist and now have a head and claw on rug. My point is that if an animal is prepared and salted properly, and stored and kept dry, years can go by prior to taking it to a taxidermist with no ill effect.

Very good advice!

Do not salt unless you have removed the skull, turned the ears, eyes, nose, feet, and tail, and completely removed all the meat and fat from the skin. Then it can be salted and dried like Bubblehide advised.

 

[Archer_32]

Thanks everyone for the replies. For some reason I didn't get any notifications. Good information here!

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[bowuntr]

Learn how to cape it off the skull. The face and ears will slip first. Ed F

 

[TradLife406]

In kept mine last Sept and the meat in a contractor bag in a cold stream for about four or five days and no issues.

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[Kgentry]

When I was on my bear hunt in Idaho we skinned the bear and laid them out flat over night to cool with with a skin side up the next morning we folded the hides skin to skin and then rolled the hide up to the head. Do not roll the hide over the head because the head holds a ton of heat. Then we put the hides in a heavy trash bag and put them in a cooler. These were direct instruction from my taxidermist. Look up “Flying Antler Studio” On Facebook he’s in Billings and does really good work! Best of luck to you!

 

[WCB]

Keep it simple...unless you are going with multiple people and are staying out for X amount of days no matter what and it is really warm out with no cooler or ice...there is no reason you need to turn ears or lips. Not that it isnt a good skill to learn but it is completely unnecessary in 95% of situations.

As mentioned above...get the hide off in a timely manner. Get it spread open and cooled. If rather warm or just for easier storage get the skull out of it either on the hill or when you get back to camp. Once cooled down fold skin to skin and throw it in a cooler. stuff it in a plastic bag if your ice is just bagged ice. Otherwise a couple frozen gallon or half gallon jugs of water is nice to keep the cooler dry and you could just toss the hide in or put it in a game bag.

If the hide was cool when put into the cooler and ice is in with it, get it to the taxi in a couple days you will be fine. If you bring it home throw it in your freezer until you can get it in.