I'm going black bear hunting this spring, does anyone have any recommendations how to properly harvest the bears hide? any good internet site's? I will most likely bring it to a taxidermist, but I would like to know how to remove it properly... anyone know how much a taxidermist would charge$$$ ?
Bear Hides
- Thread starter Goose25
- Start date
That site is a good guide. Leave the paws and the head for the taxidermist. they prefer that. If you goof up the skinning job, taxidermists will likely refuse your business because the end product is a reflection of their work, not yours.
Salt the hide and head and paws. Use lots of salt. Take it to the taxidermist asap. Most hides will keep in warm temp for about 3 days salted, but dont push it.
Salt the hide and head and paws. Use lots of salt. Take it to the taxidermist asap. Most hides will keep in warm temp for about 3 days salted, but dont push it.
If you leave the head and paws in it.....get it to the taxidermist
asap. You can't leave it that way for long in warm temps or the hair will slip.
If you have access to a freezer where you are, let it cool well over night, thenfold it flesh to flesh, roll it up, bag it and freeze it. Don't stick it in the freezer while it is still warm.
I have seen a lot of ruined bear hides over the years. Typically it is the paws and head that suffer due to poor handling. If you are out in the bush and can't freeze it and won't be able to get it to a txidermist right away then you have to skin it out completely and salt it thoroughly. The toe bones need to be removed right down to the claws, the lips and eyelids split, the ears turned and the nose opened up. If you don't know how to do this you can also wreck your bear...............so spend some time now and learn what to do. Go to a taxidermist and ask him to show you what he wants done, check on the internet as there are sites that show you and there are also lots of taxidermy books that show you how, so read up.
I have a slide presentation that shows it all, but I am a long ways from Quebec.
asap. You can't leave it that way for long in warm temps or the hair will slip.
If you have access to a freezer where you are, let it cool well over night, thenfold it flesh to flesh, roll it up, bag it and freeze it. Don't stick it in the freezer while it is still warm.
I have seen a lot of ruined bear hides over the years. Typically it is the paws and head that suffer due to poor handling. If you are out in the bush and can't freeze it and won't be able to get it to a txidermist right away then you have to skin it out completely and salt it thoroughly. The toe bones need to be removed right down to the claws, the lips and eyelids split, the ears turned and the nose opened up. If you don't know how to do this you can also wreck your bear...............so spend some time now and learn what to do. Go to a taxidermist and ask him to show you what he wants done, check on the internet as there are sites that show you and there are also lots of taxidermy books that show you how, so read up.
I have a slide presentation that shows it all, but I am a long ways from Quebec.
My son shot one this fall, we skinned it leaving the head and paws on. Got it home the next day in a garbage bag, put it in the freezer. Took it to a taxidermist the followin gweek, he charged me $75 for finishing the fleshing of the hide, $75 for boiling the skull, and the final tab for rug will be $550. The $75 for all the remaining skinning seemed cheap to me.
I did the same as above to my bear left most the stuff on and the guy charges 135.00 per foot for a 6 foot bear.
The less skinning you do the less chance of a slip and a cut! I always say let the experts be experts.
The less skinning you do the less chance of a slip and a cut! I always say let the experts be experts.
Have any of you had a problem with the hide being too thin for the taxidermist to process the hide?
I shot a bear last year and took it in just to have it tanned and the guy couldn't process it. He said the hide was so thin that it kept tearing. he had never seen this before. I already have the $100/ft mount so I didn't really care. There like rats around here anyway so I'll get another one next fall but I want to know if it was something I did wrong? I hung it over night at 3-4C in the garage, skinned it the next evening and froze the hide flesh to flesh.
I shot a bear last year and took it in just to have it tanned and the guy couldn't process it. He said the hide was so thin that it kept tearing. he had never seen this before. I already have the $100/ft mount so I didn't really care. There like rats around here anyway so I'll get another one next fall but I want to know if it was something I did wrong? I hung it over night at 3-4C in the garage, skinned it the next evening and froze the hide flesh to flesh.
