Big game hides

[Abe89]

Just curious with this upcoming season if there is a market for big game fur? Is this a furr buyer thing or direct to taxidermist? Where could I start digging info on this?
I’ve got an offer on some frozen mule deer hides, generally I work on them and tan them myself but my freezer and my available time is full up. Hate to have em go to waste…
Might possibly have some other stuff like elk etc.


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[philintheblank]

Some capes have value, not much though. I have heard sheep capes can be valuable, but not sure how much. Taxidermists might buy these if they need one for a mount.

Regular deer, moose, elk hides have little value if they are raw. You might be able to find private buyers for tanned hides but don't expect to get much. Fur buyers are looking for fur bearer hides like coyote, fox, lynx, etc..

[Dean2]

We used to get all of our Big Game hides tanned and then have jackets, gloves, mitts and the like made from them. Some we made ourselves, others we had made. I am still using Moose Hide Mitts I made 40 years ago.

Problem today is, getting the hides tanned is so expensive it no longer makes sense to do it. Cheaper to just buy a set of deer hide gloves or mitts than have them tanned and made. I can only assume that tanning has moved offshore for them to be able to sell finished product for less than we can get hides tanned. Hope you find a solution, it is a shame tens of thousands of game hides get wasted every year now.

[Red Bullets]

Smoke tanned moose and elk hides have a good value. Takes alot of effort to brain tan and smoke a hide but a garde "A" full moose or elk hide sells for up to 3500.00.
A half dozen moose hides that would otherwise be left in the bush could be turned into as much as 20K.

[Dean2]

Originally Posted by Red Bullets

Smoke tanned moose and elk hides have a good value. Takes alot of effort to brain tan and smoke a hide but a garde "A" full moose or elk hide sells for up to 3500.00.
A half dozen moose hides that would otherwise be left in the bush could be turned into as much as 20K.

Where are these being sold for that kind of money and who is buying them because at those prices there would be a ton of guys willing to Tan and sell them. Also, if brain tanned and smoked sells that high, why is a commercially tanned hide basically worth only the price of getting it tanned? Not saying I don't believe you but this is the first I have ever heard of that kind of premium pricing.

[HunterDave]

Originally Posted by Dean2

Where are these being sold for that kind of money and who is buying them because at those prices there would be a ton of guys willing to Tan and sell them. Also, if brain tanned and smoked sells that high, why is a commercially tanned hide basically worth only the price of getting it tanned? Not saying I don't believe you but this is the first I have ever heard of that kind of premium pricing.

Halford’s Hides is a retailer that will buy smoke brain tanned moose hides. They have advertised purchasing amounts up to $5000 in the past. Cut the middleman and sell direct to a buyer and it can be even more lucrative.

Https://www.halfordsmailorder.com/tr...ll-lemoosnstss

[Camdec]

Originally Posted by Red Bullets

Smoke tanned moose and elk hides have a good value. Takes alot of effort to brain tan and smoke a hide but a garde "A" full moose or elk hide sells for up to 3500.00.
A half dozen moose hides that would otherwise be left in the bush could be turned into as much as 20K.

I’ve brain tanned a few hides. Moose are a ton of work, and I have the utmost respect for anyone that can finish a hide to Select quality. The entire process of scraping, thinning, and softening with no or very few holes is quite an art that I suspect doesn’t happen without tanning a few to “C” quality at far less value. Not wanting to waste the hides and the intrigue of how this was done traditionally is what got me interested.

The book “Deerskins into Buckskins” by Matt Richards is an excellent resource.

One more thing. If you are starting with any hides your friends have saved for you. Make sure they didn’t skin them like they used a hatchet. It’s hard enough work with a perfect hide, let alone a hide that already has holes and knife marks throughout. Good luck!

[Big Grey Wolf]

Camdec, well done, looks like you have got most of brain tanning figured.

[Abe89]

Wow great discussion thanks
I’ve tanned a couple hides, lots of lost/learning projects. Dealing with lack of available time on elk and deer has lost me some hides, trying to time soaking times when I can’t be around to monitor and get it to its next step. Get it in a solution thinking “work won’t go long today, I’ll be back in time this evening…”
I’ve done a few deer leather tanned in diexertan paste which turned out amazing and soft. More of a soup, soak a bit, wring out, re soak, repeat multiple times, then broke and stretched over 3/8 cable
I’ve had my beaver finally start coming out pretty near commercial grade, thinned with orbital sander, luftan kit, and run over 3/8 cable. Use a high quality leather conditioner at the breaking stage.
Working on a bear I’ve salted, thinning with wire wheel, then buffing smooth with sander….seems to be working nice. But again available time and space issue…I started that two years ago and only got it half done. It’s waiting for life to slow down again (that’s a good joke!)
Still have a freezer full of project hides…

What have people found for tanning thicker hides? I’ve lost three elk hides at the tanning stage because the tan didn’t penetrate deep enough soon enough. One just a vinegar pickle, one a luftan kit…can’t remember the third. So salt and then thin first? then tan process?


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[antlercarver]

Originally Posted by Abe89

Wow great discussion thanks
I’ve tanned a couple hides, lots of lost/learning projects. Dealing with lack of available time on elk and deer has lost me some hides, trying to time soaking times when I can’t be around to monitor and get it to its next step. Get it in a solution thinking “work won’t go long today, I’ll be back in time this evening…”
I’ve done a few deer leather tanned in diexertan paste which turned out amazing and soft. More of a soup, soak a bit, wring out, re soak, repeat multiple times, then broke and stretched over 3/8 cable
I’ve had my beaver finally start coming out pretty near commercial grade, thinned with orbital sander, luftan kit, and run over 3/8 cable. Use a high quality leather conditioner at the breaking stage.
Working on a bear I’ve salted, thinning with wire wheel, then buffing smooth with sander….seems to be working nice. But again available time and space issue…I started that two years ago and only got it half done. It’s waiting for life to slow down again (that’s a good joke!)
Still have a freezer full of project hides…

What have people found for tanning thicker hides? I’ve lost three elk hides at the tanning stage because the tan didn’t penetrate deep enough soon enough. One just a vinegar pickle, one a luftan kit…can’t remember the third. So salt and then thin first? then tan process?


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What is diexertan

[Abe89]

Originally Posted by antlercarver

What is diexertan

https://www.wildlifecontrolsupplies....al/SODTTP.html

Sorry spelt it wrong. This is it.


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