I am planning my safari for June of '04 and the trip will set me back enough. How long will the non tanned/mounted hides last. If I took 5 animals could I get one taxidermied each year...will they last that long? If so how should I care for them in the mean time?

I'm editing this because I read it wrong. You said "untanned" hides. In the salted state they should last for several months however you run the risk of rodents chewing on them, developing mold on them, etc. Plus you need to keep salted hides in a relatively climate controlled environment. If the humidity goes up they will collect moisture from the air. High heat levels (i.e. in a garage in the summer) is not good for them.

I would go ahead and have them tanned when you get them back. The actual mounting can be done later, but in a dry tanned state hides usually have a "shelf life" of about one year.

Have your taxidermist go ahead and soak up the tanned capes that will be mounted and then individually wrap them in air tight platic bags and freeze them. They will last indefinitely that way and you can thaw them out to mount them whenever you're ready.

JDS

[ 01-24-2003, 08:07: Message edited by: jds ]

They will keep in a deep freeze for years...I have many clients that put them in the Taxidermists freezer and get one a year...

My taxidermist can attest to that. I have things from '94 through this year sitting in a deep freeze at his shop.

I actually think has has one freezer with my name on it.

I have, in the past, shiped all my hides from Africa straight to the tannery. They tan the hides and ship the horns and bill to my taxidermist. I pay him the tanning cost and he deducts the tanning for each individual animal when I have it done.

I am afraid he is going to ask me to buy him another deep freeze.

... So, to answer your question. It is not a good idea to let them sit around in a salt cured form for too long.

[ 01-28-2003, 04:55: Message edited by: Buffalobwana ]