Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Elk skin question

Do any of you ever keep the elk skin?

If so, what do you do with it?

More commonly referred to as the hide.

Yes.

Decoration, blankets. They are very warm. There are companies that will make it into leather gloves, coats, etc. The hide is a pack trip by itself.

made a pair of chaps outta one, once....

Yes. Boy Scouts use to ask hunters to donate them. They made some money in selling them to the tannery.

Early on, I had it tanned,traded for gloves,made chaps, donated it.Now I hang the green hide in the corral to get the mules use to the smell before I try to pack meat and hide out on them if I do bring it out. 75% of the time I leave the hide with the guts

I used to trade raw hides for gloves, etc at the tannery. But since they closed, it goes with the carcass to the processor if I can get the elk out whole. If I bone out to pack out it stays with the entrails.

Fact - an elk hide is darned heavy.

Around here, getting an elk hide tanned costs around $400, hair on. I don't know the price without hair.

I've been hoping to get a wolf. Tanning a wolf hide costs $275 at one place with a posted price list.

I used to brain tan lots of buckskin. After skinning elk I don’t think I could handle one that big anymore. 20 years ago would have been different. Lotta work. Would like a brain tan elk hide. Buffalo too. Passed up a brain tan buff hide last December. It was cheap too. Opted to spend what cash I had on something else.

Many years ago, Joe Jonas Taxidermy in Denver had a deal where they would tan any elk hide with hair on for $35. I had several done, gave one to my Sister, one to my Folks, and I kept a big 6x6 hide for my self. My sister still has hers hanging over an upstairs railing, before they passed, my folks sold their for $100 and gave me the cash. My 6x6 hide pretty much covers an 8' x 8' wall in my reloading room where it has been hanging since 1978.

For a few years Pacific Hide and Fur would give me a few bucks for a green elk skin, but it was hardly worth the effort. Most of my elk hides have just gone to the dump along with the bones after I process the meat.

You need to check out Moyle Mink, they have good prices and do a good job.

https://moyle.net/static/media/Taxidermy_Pricelist.460fe2df.pdf

https://moyle.net/static/media/Fur_Pricelist.0edefc6d.pdf

I always say I’m going to keep my next one to have tanned and toss on the floor or over the back of the couch. And then I get all the meat hauled out of some hellhole and decide that the hide can stay there with the guts!

Have tanned four hides. Two buckskin, and 2 hair on. An early season summer hair hide that Cookie bagged has held up well having the shinny appearance and durability of a slick summer horse hide. The winter hide with it's brittle hollow hair went down the road in a yard sale. Shed like a dog at the slightest touch.

Most stay in the woods now.

The last half dozen elk I've shot have all been late season and wearing their winter woollies.

Have had two tanned, hair-on, over the years--mostly for photographic backgrounds: A lot of rifles look really good on 'em!

The first was the hide from my wife's first elk, a spike. Eventually it started spraying loose hair every time I picked it up. Had a Colorado raghon hide tanned maybe 15 years ago to replace it, which has held up OK so far.

I actually have this one from a 6x6 for sale on Craigslist, hoping to sell local, as shipping is kinda not cost effective:

Coyote bait out back across the river I do like aalf's hide on the wall

I have one in the freezer if I ever get through my project list I might try fleshing and tanning it.
Have watched a few videos but need a fleshing pole and knife.

Had a couple tanned with hair on, three with hair off for possible use later on. Maybe vests, gloves, etc. The two with hair on lay on the floor for the grandkids to play on more than anything else it seems.

Boliep: Many years ago I shot a nifty 5x5 Bull Elk late in the season up in the Bighole Country of western Montana. This Bull had such a beautiful hide I decided to have the whole hide tanned with hair on and use the "skin" as a bed foot warmer.
Came back from the tannery just perfect and the first time the VarmintWife and I threw it on top of the covers over our lower bodies we nearly sweated to death.
Tried it a few more times on even colder nights and same results - that "skin"/hide just retains/induces so much heat you can't sleep under it.
The tanned hide with hair on is now on display in my home over a stairwell bannister and it looks nice there - next to NO hairs have shed from it over 15 years or so.
Looks nice but to warm to be useful IME.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy