Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Elk skin question

I gave one hide to my guide - his first successful guided hunt.

I kept mine from last season - 38 squared feet - and we didn't Swiss cheese it on the skin-out, so we’ll see how it turns out.

The COVID has the tanner shut down, not sure when I’ll see it back.

The rest of the hides - coyote bait.

That Moyle Mink outfit has the best tanning prices I've seen in a long time. Some taxidermist might be wanting to double the price just for a handling/shippping charge.

Sorry for the drift, but this might be the perfect thread to ask;

I've got a full Elk hide that's been in the deep freeze for over 20 years. Some say it could be good, others say no. Whatya think?

I think after 20 years with nothing happening, there's no chance motivation will rear it's head now......

Touche'

Motivation can be tiring.

Most taxidermists don't actually tan them. They ship them off while taking a cut for the handling. Moyles have their own tannery.

FWIW, back in college in the '60's, I dated a Moyle daughter from their farm near Eagle, ID. She was a good looking farm girl, one who could break you in half if you got out of line.

Thanks RC, being flippant about the taxidermist but have asked them for an approx. price & it always seemed out of line.

Talking to Moyle or any Co. like them might be the best place for an answer, Captain Obvious was correct in the fact that I'm not likely to do anything with it, but thought about gifting it to a young person with interest or friends with interior decorating plans that this could benefit. If a chance of it still being good without having to thaw it to just guess.

I've made some into tanned leather to make stuff out of and have had 2 tanned with hair on to throw over the backs of couches. But most stayed where they hit the ground.

I've known about Moyle's tannery for years but this was the 1st I've heard that they take in outside work. If I ever get my wolf, I'll likely take it to them.
When they list a price for a cape, are they just talking the front part or are they talking about a whole skin? They list a whole hide for elk but not for wolves.

yes elk hides are beautiful when tanned, >but no we have never kept a elk hide,our reason we had to pack the meat and horns out on our backs and by the last meat/pack trip of that elk we did not have the energy to go back and get the elk hide. but i have always wished i would have went back and got a elk hide just never happened,maybe someday when i am older and just hunt a 2-track out of the truck.

Moyle will tan almost anything if you flesh and salt before sending it in.
They have prices for whole hides, capes half hides etc. Look on the taxidermy price list and intact fur dressing.
They did 2 bison hides for us, many furs, feral hog tails, and our mt lion hide from this past winter.
We skinned our mt lion as if for a rug and requested intact fur tanning instead of taxidermy tan, turned out great.
Our taxidermist does not prefer their tan for mounts but does like the fur tanning.
Turn around times vary but our mt lion was back in 1 1/2 months this year.

I found the wolf price - $69. That's a darn good price. FWIW, you can take 15 wolves a year in Idaho, assuming you can find them. I'm still looking for my 1st shot at one.

It is less expensive to buy a prime hide already tanned and processed than to have your own done.

Yes but the satisfaction of taking that animal yourself and working the hide is not the same.

Where can you buy a prime bobcat for $33 , the price Moyle will tan it for? I can shoot or trap one and get it tanned for that, no way to buy a good one for $33, well maybe a southern bobcat but not a prime western one.
I will say put up takes time and the effort you put in is what you get back on quality of the tanned hide.

When you add it all up, it's also cheaper to buy beef at Costco than it is to hunt it. Getting your own is the goal, not saving money.

Yeah, that.

Elk hides weigh about as much as a medium size whitetail, and you can't eat any of it. I'd love a tanned elk hide, but I can't get anybody to haul one out for me

Oh well,

Which is one big reason I've only had two tanned in 45+ years of killing elk.

My statement needed a question mark. As in, why is that? Along with why does is cost as much to reload shot shells as to buy a new box?

Ah , should have read more closely.
For some perhaps as you must figure in the cost of the animal harvest and the tanning cost.
Most furs you see for sale already tanned I bet are lesser quality furs, some type of defect or less prime.
Our bobcats for example are inexpensive to take, fur bearers license $45 and the tanning about $33. Good prime bobcats are worth good money to fur houses, hundreds of dollars. A tanned prime bobcat is going to be expensive compared to the $ 45 fur bearers license and $33 tanning fee. That $45 license will allow unlimited take on the same bobcats.

Some taxidermist will pay $100 for a cape for re-doing mounts or when they re-do a euro mount. One processing place in NM would give you a $50 rebate if you gave them the hide. An elk skin makes a great camping pad even a raw hide one.

I've had two tanned hair off and smoked by Haigles Tannery in I think Bozeman, Mt. Had a custom pair of beautiful chinks made for my sister from one and the other just recently got to my Leathersmith. Hes making me a possibles bag. Kind of a Mountain Man/Indian style.
And I'll think of something else.......He is friends with a Navajo beader/rug maker.
Hard to let that beautiful hide go to waste......