Freezing Coyote Fur

M

Mr. Mister

New member
I plan on making the little lady a full length Coyote coat within the next few years.

Getting the dogs isn’t a problem, getting quality animals have been.

I’m thinking I’ll need 20 quality hides to make this coat given the fact that some hides will work and some won’t.

Here’s my question: How long can I store raw/green hides in my freezer until I have enough to send to the tanner to finish the project?

Thanks,

Steve
 
If you make absolute sure that the skins are cooled before you freeze them, and wrap them tightly in plastic, I'd guesstimate 3 years.
But any meat, blood, or fat on the hide could seriously change that for the worse.

Fleshing them out would be a good idea, and even save a little freezer space since a fleshed hide is actually easier to fold up.

I wouldn't take any answers you get to this as gospel, mine included, and I'd seriously consider vaccum packing. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
River Runner,

After I get all the yuck off should I salt it or just vac and freeze?

Thanks for the speedy reply, I knew you'd the one to talk to.

Steve
 
Just freeze em, you never want to salt a hide that goes into the freezer.
Salt thaws ice. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif We sprinkle it on our sidewalks up here in the winter time to get the ice off em.
 
We freeze lots of coyote hides without fleshing but the fur has to be out and you role it up tight starting from the nose. I wouldn't freeze more than a couple of years though. What about freezing some until you get 10 good ones and then fleah and stretch them all. Then send them to Moyle to get garment tanned. Do the same thing with the next 10 and then you have preserved hides.
 
Did I hear that? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif I would never roll a hide. why you ask? some where out there the answer lies /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif . Riverrunner any clues? :rolleyes:
 
Yea, it's setting on your kitchen table in a VHS format /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
Oh wait...that might be whats setting in my mailbox, I didn't get home from work in time to see what it was that didn't fit.
 
I don't see why I can't do 10 at a time.

So do I roll the hides or not? I was a bit confused if this is good or not.

Thanks for the tips!

Steve
 
Cracker was poking hints because were in the process of making a skin handling video, and one of the points he being a taxidermist pointed out in the film, was not to roll the hides. He shows how to fold them so they freeze evenly to avoid hot spots.
 
I know, I know, people have been rolling furs since the invention of the freezer :rolleyes: . however if we take a coyote and start rolling him up we will end up with about six or seven rolls now in the freezer it gos. with six or more layers of insulating fur the center of your roll will not freeze for a very long period of time :eek: . this can cause problems as bacteria can start to do its dirty work. also when we take the roll of fur out of the freezer to thaw it, the out side will thaw but the inside with the insulating fur around it will take a long time to thaw. so the out side is thawed but while waiting a day or more for the center to thaw bacteria can start working on the thawed outer layer. if you simply fold the skin a time or two it will freeze faster and as it thaws you can unfold it so it thaws faster. hope I made this clearer than mud
Sportingly
Cracker
 
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