Bear Hide - need inexpensive place to get tanned

W

waterwheel

Regular
Rating - 100%
6   0   0
Location
Location Location
My son and I are going bear hunting in a week or two with the intention of him getting his first bear. Any thoughts on:
- where to get the hide treated in SW Ontario (toronto-waterloo corridor)
- what to do with it?

The kid is 16, so the primary consideration is where to get this done cheap. Just need something he can throw on his bed or hang on the wall.
 
If it's cheap you want; a trip to library and Home Depot is in order.
My father has trapped since before time, and he still gets very little tanned, too expensive.
Or could be he's too cheap, LOL.
 
"...where to get this done cheap..." No such thing. Depending on what you think is cheap, of course. A net search for taxidermists will turn up lots of 'em. Or a stroll in the Yellow Pages. There's a guy, here in London, who wants $150 per linear foot for a rug.
I'd worry about it when I had the bear.
 
If cost is a big issue, you can roll it up and freeze it til you are able to afford it.
Might want to look into a different freezer than the wife's though, the raw smell will sneak out of the best wrapping job.
But an apartment size freezer can be had for pretty cheap.
 
Tanning prices have negatively impacted many Yukon bear hunters I know.

Up here, it's illegal to waste a bear hide, but it costs $400 + to get a hide tanned, and that's not made into a rug.

You add $400 to the other costs associated with a hunt, and that bear meat starts to get pretty darn expensive.

The last bear I shot (completely average sized animal), gave me just under 50 lbs of actual meat, once it was completely de-boned and all the fat trimmed. That's $8 per pound of meat, just in tanning costs. :(
 
You can have it tanned, but that is not necessary to preserve it. Flesh it properly, cure it with salt, and then allow it to dry in a shady, cool, place, and it will last forever.

When the time comes to tan or rug it, it can be rehydrated and the job done. It will shrink considerably, but will not spoil.

Ted
 
Why Not's suggestion is good. I would make sure the ears are turned inside out and borax applied. Better yet Ted and I have had many years handling fur and it is not something an amateur should try if expecting perfect results. Give you tube a run on home tanning. It is some work but the results are generally good. Drawback is smell of bear grease and chemicals. Hope you have a place to handle the hide. Get all of the blood out of the fur also to help prevent any rot. As Ted said fleshing is the critical part. If done right the rest of the work will be OK.

Darryl
 
sunray said:
There's a guy, here in London, who wants $150 per linear foot for a rug.
I'd worry about it when I had the bear.
Click to expand...

That's for a full head rug, not tanning.

Expect to pay in the neighbourhood of $400-$500 for a medium sized black bear, that's fleshing and tanning.
If you've never fleshed a bear hide(split lips,ears,etc) before or done any sort of home tanning, I'm willing to bet the finished product won't be in your house for very long, it will stink. Bite the bullet and get it professionally done if you plan to hang onto it.
 
The only place that is cheap is where you can do it yourself. But you are going to replace spending money with spending time and effort.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom