How long can frozen cape be in freezer?
Contributors to this thread:Bears
From: Jeg11010
26-Dec-24
I picked up my black bear cape from the butcher in October. I shot it mid September. It's rolled up in a ball and inside a garbage bag inside a cardboard box in a chest freezer. Any idea how long I can safely wait before I get it over to the taxidermist to not have to worry about frostbite or anything else? Was hit with some unexpected expenses so I'm trying to push it off another few months if possible.
From: butcherboy
26-Dec-24
Should be ok still as long as it was properly cooled before being frozen. One issue though would be if it was fleshed prior to being frozen. Lots of fat on a bear. You could have taken it right away to your taxi and have it fleshed, salted, and dried then just wait till you had the money to tan it. It will last a lot longer being fleshed and salted than in the freezer.
From: Smtn10PT
26-Dec-24
if it was properly cooled before you rolled it into a ball and put it in the freezer you have lots of time. I wouldnt begin to worry about it until you got past a year. I tanned a bear for a guy that had the hide in his freezer for a decade and it turned out fine.
From: Buckeye
26-Dec-24
I've got a beaver, couple coon and a pile of deer hides that have been in the freezer for 6+ years, I will be fleshing them all in March probably, hopefully they are still in good shape, I will come back with an update.
From: ILbowhntr
26-Dec-24
Hopefully the butcher knew how to roll up a hide and didn’t just roll it up.
From: JohnMC
26-Dec-24
What are planning on doing with it? Rug, some sort of mount, or just tanned. The cost to tan is not too bad. You could get it tanned now and pay to have the rug or mount done at a later date.
From: Nick Muche
26-Dec-24
Fleshed, salted, then frozen, it would last quite a long time.
From: Ace
26-Dec-24
Agree with everything said so far … and I’ll just add that I don’t think anything you do now is going to change the situation in “another few months”. If it’s bad, it’ll still be bad in a few months. If it’s fine (likely) a few months won’t change a thing.
From: JSW
26-Dec-24
A long time if you roll it up properly.
I thawed out a caribou cape that was frozen for 18 years. I fleshed it, dried it and sent it off and had it tanned. It came out fine.
Be sure and roll up all capes with the face and ears in the middle. The ears are the first thing to freezer burn.
From: Screwball
26-Dec-24
Just finished one I froze 2 years ago it is fine,
From: Jeg11010
26-Dec-24
Planning on a half life-size. I assume the butcher knew what they are doing and rolled it properly. They are a pretty well regarded game butcher in the part of Maine that I hunt.
From: Murph
29-Dec-24
I know in a deer type animal the ears will be the first thing to go freezer burn basically I would shoot for 12 months or less if it’s gonna be for taxidermy
From: Shug
29-Dec-24
If you roll it up correctly…ears nose paws tucked in to avoid freezer burn it can last many years…
If you were to have it tanned first .. hydrate it then freeze it it would last indefinitely
From: Shug
29-Dec-24
I’ll add…. The one way to have it last forever before mounting is what museums do… Salt the skin well let it dry and it can sit forever
From: 808bowhunter
29-Dec-24
I just prepped a sheep hide that was frozen year and a half and it was fine. I froze another sheep for 2.5years and it freezer burned. If sealed properly probably wouldn’t happen though. Mine was rolled up in a contractor bag
From: Keith
29-Dec-24
Make sure the freezer isn't a frost free freezer, otherwise it will freezer burn if stored for a long time.
Double bag the hide.
Be careful about freezing salted hides. Unless they are completely fleshed, salted AND dried, they never really freeze hard if they are just fleshed and salted. Of course, it they are properly fleshed, salted and dried, they don't need to be in a freezer.
From: spike buck
29-Dec-24
Many times the Bear goes bad just because something happened to the freezer.
