Keeping pelts fresh for a few days camping

[meek]

Hi guys,

I'm after some advice on maintaining pelts for a few days when camping without ice or refrigeration.

I normally get out for the long weekends or 3 days over Friday-Sunday, time periods like that, and want to start taking a few pelts for home.

Usually no ice on these trips. I know salt is the usual tool for the job but is that all there is to it? Just bang on some salt?

[Chronos]

Yeah mate. Salt every bit of the flesh side of the pelt. Fold it flesh side to flèche side then roll it in hessian so any moisture drains away. Resalt it the next day again then on the fourth day if you're still away.

Stay away from plastic bags if you can. It's important the moisture can get away.

Chronos

[Klem]

Non-iodised salt is apparently important too for some reason?

Just remembering something I read somewhere though, can't remember why

[tom604]

yeah plain salt, i cant remember why either as chronos said salt, flesh to flesh, lean them up against a tree, bush whatever so that the juice can drain, when you get them home you can freeze them until you are ready to start tanning

[Aster]

The things to really avoid are heat and moisture.

Either of these will make pelts go bad with a vengeance. 3 day old fox pelts don't exactly smell like roses if they're not kept, if you know what I mean...

Keeping them cool, dry and ventilated will keep the bacteria at bay.

On the subject of the salt, I bookmarked this a while ago from a taxidermist named Bruce Rittel on taxidermy.net

it really doesn't matter whether you use iodized or non-iodized Salt. For tanning however, the non-iodized type has always been preferred, because in bulk its usually much cheaper. The Iodine simply has no effect on your tanning.

In Iodized Salt, because it was intended for human consumption, it was added simply to prevent Goiter problems.

There's a new additive out too, call Yellow Prusaite of Soda. Its an anti-clumping agent the manufacturers are adding to their Salt. It wont affect your tanning - but you have to be mindful of your Ph. It slightly raises it, so your solution may be a bit higher. As long as you're aware of it, and can compensate for it, you should be OK.

When you buy it's always best to ask for 100% Salt. If it says anything less, check it for an additive. Happy Tanning. Bruce

So there's one Taxidermists opinion on the matter.

The last bit's the bit I follow, just stay away from salts with listed additives.

[Hercl]

The things to really avoid are heat and moisture.

Either of these will make pelts go bad with a vengeance. 3 day old fox pelts don't exactly smell like roses if they're not kept, if you know what I mean...

Now that's good eating!

[Hercl]

Now that's good eating!

That made me gag for a second

[Oldbloke]

Just regurgitating this old thread.

I'm in the same situation as the OP. But sometimes away a few weeks and the fridge is not available. (SWMBO would cut my balls out if I used the van freezer )

It was recently suggested to keep scalps in a bucket with salt, what do the more experienced think?

[ZaineB]

as others have said, salt, lots of it, on the sticky side, roll it up or peg it till dry, job done till you can get it home and do the rest.

[Tiger650]

Reckon pool salt would be the go.

[Skinna]

Im regularly away for 5 days at a time & keep the fox pelts...
Lay them out & salt them up real well, stretch out the edges of the skin & make sure EVERY part has a covering.
I pour salt in the ears from the outside, as well as fill them from the inside, although its better if you remove the cartilage straight away then you need much less salt in the ears.
From there, either lay them out (i lay them on the old Pollie signs/election corflute posters, or, i fold all the sides up with legs in to body, then head & tail in to body, then fold over again & put it in a pillow case. As long as its not in hot weather this will keep for a good amount of time.
I actually prefer to do that with them because i dont get as good results if i have to rehydrate them before fleshing & tanning.
However, if its hot weather i just leave them out & let them dry, or keep the folded & wrapped up pelt as cool as possible with good airflow around it.

Keep in mind, it will weep a heap of moisture in the first 12-24 hrs.

Another thing ive done that does work but again have to watch the heat, is salt them up as above & put in cotton bag, then put them in a bucket but sitting up on rocks or a brick so the moisture can drain away from the pelt. This is fine in SA/VIC winter if youre travelling around.

Any areas without salt will slip...period...!!
And any salt will do...i actually prefer the bigger crystal size rather than fine salt...for me the fine stuff seems to cake up more & hold the moisture, which is fine if youre in a position to be able to change it regularly, but a PITA if travelling...

[Oldbloke]

"again have to watch the heat, is salt them up as above & put in cotton bag, then put them in a bucket but sitting up on rocks or a brick so the moisture can drain away from the pelt. This is fine in SA/VIC winter if youre travelling around"

This could be a solution for me. Yes, I'll be traveling around. And after a few days of salt staple them to a small board for a week or so?

Problem is the dam things stink so much. I only need to preserve a few i might whistle in to get the $10. Just want a simple convenient solution. I have plenty of coarse salt.

[Skinna]

Plenty of salt helps absorb a bit of the smell too i rekon.

I dont stretch them out initially--its not necessary as you rehydrate them when you tan/pickle them anyway, but stretching out will dry them quicker.
Most of the smell is in the arse end of them--there a re a couple of glands next to the ring'ole you will see if you skin properly, cut them off carefully--its just at the stage before you peel the tail off the bone--you should see them, one either side of poop hole.
Once in bag all salted up they dont stink too much, but the best way to minimise the stink is actually to skin them without gloves...the smell gets in your skin & clothes & you get used to it by brunch the next morning...
I know im laughing, but im serious at the same time..!!...

As for stretching them out to dry, ideally the idea is to do this asap...but you are travelling so a bucket with lid might be the go for you.
If you lay them out immediately on a board, have the board on an angle as there will be heaps of liquid drain off in first 12 hrs.
If you have them in a bucket you can tip this liquid out, but i wouldnt have the lid sealed for any amount of time unless in real cold weather--they need to breathe to let go of moisture.

Salt fold & wrap them in cotton bag & place on rocks in a bucket & drain liquid after 10 or so hours, then lay them out when you get home or stationary for a few days.

They will last in a cotton bag--i still have 7 wrapped in a pillow case from 2.5-3 weeks ago & they are fine...theyre well salted & just take a while to dry.

You will have a squelchy wet spot of the fur where its all drained, but dont let that worry you as long as youve salted well they should be fine...just dry em all out asap.

The best way to dry in my experience is to just let the flesh side go a bit crispy, but still have moisture in the skin...this way the flesh peels off pretty easy with a pressure cleaner...i find it much harder if its dry all the wway through the skin.

[Oldbloke]

Thx Skinna

"Salt fold & wrap them in cotton bag & place on rocks in a bucket & drain liquid after 10 or so hours, then lay them out when you get home or stationary for a few days."

This looks like the best option.
Almost get away with an ice cream container.

[Skinna]

Geepers...how much icecream do you eat...??!!!

I doubt you'll get more than one in a container this time of year...in fact i wouldnt get a large fox properly salted in that size container & allow room at the bottom to drain so its not sitting in a pool of its own liquid...they are all full grown now...

[Oldbloke]

Mate, its only for the scalps.

[Oldbloke]

acceptable-body-parts_fox_v2_640.jpg (279.52 KiB) Viewed 8083 times

[Skinna]

Fcuk Really...!!
I wrote all that & its only for scalps...FFS...
Where did you say that...?
Everywhere i read refers to pelts, which im sure would be interpreted by most as the entire pelt...

[bigrich]

Fcuk Really...!!
I wrote all that & its only for scalps...FFS...
Where did you say that...?
Everywhere i read refers to pelts, which im sure would be interpreted by most as the entire pelt...

skinna me ole mate , you still making those "daniel boone" fur hats out of cats

[Oldbloke]

Fcuk Really...!!
I wrote all that & its only for scalps...FFS...
Where did you say that...?
Everywhere i read refers to pelts, which im sure would be interpreted by most as the entire pelt...

I was wondering what you were on about. I was clear in my first post. Lol. Changed it to bold yesterday. Said it twice I think?

I'm going to take a very small bucket and some salt. Staple gun and a small board about 300mm square.

3 or 4 days of salt then on the board for a few days. Should do the trick. And keep SWMBO happy. Not sure how much hunting I will do but want to be prepared this trip.

[Diamond Jim]

Pool salt from the big hardware store is very cheap. Use lots to draw the mositure out. Shake it off and use more.