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I was curious, I have heard here and there folks, mostly taxidermy folks, buying or selling capes for mounts.
Does anybody sell their capes to taxidermists (I would imagine they would be the best brokers?) or do they sell them to tanneries? Do they get them from hunters or from elk "farms"?
Just wondering.... I have no plans to mount anything but to do as a euro likely. But if I could offset some of my costs by caping out a bull I would take the time to do it and care for it. Cheapskate that I am....
Quite a few taxi's will buy them. Make a few calls near where you're huntn and you will be set
I've sold elk and deer capes. Talk with the taxi first to find out how he wants it prepped.
I have sold them, and I have also had their value applied against my bill for existing work.
I sell mine on eBay. Hate to see a cape go to waste when I'm just doing a euro mount.
My taxi buddy that I was hunting with on Kodiak bought 3 nice cross fox capes from a trapper there on our last trip.
Tanned capes are worth some money....I don't know what they give you for a green cape.
For caribou, with the ears and lips done and salted I used to get $100. Really not a lot considering the work, but if you're tagged out and just waiting for others to fill, it occupies the day.
I've sold Dall, moose, whitetail and muleys. Also a few bear hides.
My brother brought a cape to a taxidermist in WY to have it tanned and shipped home to Hawaii. Never heard from the guy again. He called a few times then gave up and figured he save a bunch of money from mounting it anyways. I told him the guy probably tanned it and sold it to another guy for more money
Taxidermists re a good bet but mainly if they need one. A better place to look is tanneries. Mission Mountain Tanning in Missoula buys them. he tans them and then turns around and sells them on eBay or to local taxis who might need one.
But I gotta tell you even knowing I can get $100 or $150 for a cape doesn't seem worth it when I'm standing in the middle of nowhere with 2 hours of light left and a bull on the ground and going gutless is so quick and clean.
Caping takes time. You could always skin it up to the base of the skull and do the rest later. Of course then there is packing it out. Unless I have horses no thanks.
Sold an elk cape this year off a bull I thought I was going togged mounted. Got my money back from what it cost me to have a taxidermist do a proper cape job on it.
Try Wild Life Fur Dressing
I leave them with the guts and hide its not worth the hassle for $50 they give you for one. Its a lot of work to cape it and there the ones that make money selling the capes. So they buy low and sell high.
Yup, I have sold or traded several over the years. Going rate for a big body buck cape around here is 40 bucks or so. Killed a good buck last year and got a European mount done and the taxidermist gave me 40 bucks for the cape. Did anyone ever watch an experience person cape out a head? Guys are incredible and quick. My Kansas buck had to be completely caped out and skull capped as in NY you cannot bring a deer in from any state that contains any brain matter. The meat processor called a taxidermist to cape it for me. He charged me 10 bucks and it took him less then 5 minutes to do it. Shawn
I have just given them to taxidermists in the past. If I have time, I'll cape the animal. It's kind of fun.
Yeah, it is some work, I "cape" out quite a few heads doing euro mounts.... usually "practice" my skills even if it's all going to be tossed. Anatomy lesson if nothing else. Elk, well everything about them is always more work....
It would be situational, but if tagged out somewhat early and have the time on my hands.... might work. Maybe be able to trade for some freezer space? =D
Good info, thanks. Have to research taxi's in the area and see how they handle it.
Most taxidermists don't do their own tanning these days. So they have a cost before they can use it or sell it. That's why in my experience a tannery is a much better buyer. he has some time but way less overhead into a cape that's ready to be sold or used.
Brent at Mission Mountain Tanning in Missoula is a good buyer for me if I want to cape them. A deer down on flat ground not far from the truck is one thing but and elk on a mountain on a warm day is a whole other ballgame. Not worth the time or effort.
If you want to get an idea of what capes go for just visit Taxidermy.net and look under the For Sale threads. There are continual listings of capes and other assorted animal parts: both green (salted/dried) or tanned (either wet-tanned or dry-tanned). Some are listed by taxidermists others by hunters, hide/cape brokers or tanneries. Not all capes are of equivalent quality nor are they in demand so prices do vary, but you can get a reasonable idea by digging back through these posts.
Back in 1984 I shot a big mule deer buck that without the insides he weighed 205 lbs. He had a swollen neck and a gray face so he was very old.
I have wanted to have the horns mounted to a cape that would be close to what he looked like but I have not been able to find a suitable one all these years.