How long is too long?

[StickersNKickers]

Just wondering how long is too long to be able to use a cape/hide from a deer that was shot and later found. Obviously the quicker the tanning process begins the better, but just wondering on some that may not be found right away (for whatever reason). This of course assumes it is still intact, unchewed, etc.

 

[Booner]

Had this problem arise for the first time this year, with my father's buck. Didn't find him for 3 days and we had that one random 60 degree day in November. I'm sure some of the actual taxidermists on here can help but from what I was told from our taxi is once the hide begins to "slip" which means you can pull the hair fibers out with ease your pretty well screwed. If the slipping is minor he said he had some spray that he could use that "could potentially" help especially if the cape is one of a kind. We decided to go the new cape route and just take the loss.

 

[AIRASSAULT]

Hard to say how long for sure depending on the environmental conditions. As soon as an animal is deceased, epidermal break-down begins almost immediately. The best way to tell if your cape is bad or not is as Booner mentioned. Very lightly pull on the hair in all areas of the cape. If just a hair or two comes out, that's normal. If it comes out in clumps, he gone. That being said, it doesn't mean that it might not start slipping by the time the taxi is able to get done splitting and salting the cape or it is put into an acid pickle to be ready for fleshing. I would say in the early season, if you cant find one by the next morning and get it caped and to the taxi by the next evening, you might have to get a new cape. As long as the weather is around freezing, you might have a couple days. If the weather is below freezing when shot and your deer is frozen when you found it. It will probably be fine for quite some time as long as his innards cooled down fast enough.

 

[KnuckleDragr]

This ^^^^^^^^

 

[Ishi]

There are so many variables that come into play in these situations hard to explain them all. For myself when a deer comes into my shop if the hair isn't pulling and if it has no odor I will run it thru the tan and see what happens if the cape is no good its time to use another one. The hair on a deer pulls out easy even on a fresh one so that isn't always a good indicator unless it falls out in clumps with little effort. Sorry for the vague info. All I can say is take it to your taxidermist he or she will be able to tell. If in doubt throw it out. In my shop if a deer stinks of dead smell it goes outside fast I cant handle the stench it will make me throw up lol!