Bear hide spoilage…

[wildschwein]

#6430

First some background info in relation to my question.

In Alberta the rules regarding Bear hunting differ greatly depending on whether you are hunting private or public land.
On private land (with consent of the landowner of course) a hunter may hunt Bear at all times of the year without a tag, and is not required to keep the hide.
On public land a tag is required and seasons are in effect, and the hunter is required to keep the hide.

Now most of my hunting is done on private land. But there are very few Bears found on private land, as the Northern Albertan population is not very Bear friendly. Most landowners adopt a shoot on sight policy (which is ridiculous), and so most Bears are now found on public land. And since I now hunt public land for Bears, I am legally required to keep the hide.

I hunt Bears because I like to eat them and not because I want a rug and the taxidermy bill that comes with it. But since I am required to recover it I will. And here now is my question. How long is too long for a Bear hide to go un-salted or un-frozen before it spoils?

I ask because I always hunt on foot, and in the areas I hunt Bear it is a couple of miles from where I park my truck. Since most of my hunts are only day trips, packing enough salt to care for a hide seems a bit unrealistic. So if I were to roll the hide up and back pack it as well as the meat (which I am not required to recover, go figure) out to my truck, would the hide last at least 2 hours of walking and 2 hours of driving to the nearest freezer in 15-20 *C heat?

Also any tips when it comes to caring and prolonging the life of a fresh hide would be appreciated as well.

[Don Thomas]

#51208

The hide should be just fine under the conditions you describe, as long as you get it into a freezer within 48 (preferably 24) hours. Try to let it air out before you roll it up, and if there is any further delay getting it to the freezer, hang it up and let air circulate around it as much as possible. Salt is a two-edged sword. It will cure the hide for an extended period, but ONLY if you completely flesh the hide so salt can penetrate down to the hair roots. Getting a hide in shape to salt properly is a long, meticulous process, and if you can’t do it right you’re better off not doing it at all. Better to stick with the freezer. Of note, both Montana and Alaska, where I do my bear hunting, have recently passed meat salvage requirements for bears (with qualifications, in Alaska’s case.) That only makes sense. Wish they’d do it for cougars too. Don

[wildschwein]

#51271

Thank you Mr Thomas.

[Clay Hayes]

#52753

Don has it. Salting a bear hide before fleshing isn’t a good thing. The fat won’t allow the salt to get to where it’s needed.

donthomas wrote: Of note, both Montana and Alaska, where I do my bear hunting, have recently passed meat salvage requirements for bears (with qualifications, in Alaska’s case.) That only makes sense. Wish they’d do it for cougars too. Don

Idaho, on the other hand, recently did away with the meat salvage requirements:roll:

[archer38]

#24282

Ever tried brain tanning ? The indians used to use the brain matter to tan their hides. It has tanic acid. It really isn’t all that hard to do, just a bit time consuming but it is a very inexpensive way to preserve a hide. I’m told that there should be enough brain matter in any given animal to tan it’s hide.If not, you can always get it from a butcher pretty cheap.

[wildschwein]

#24332

archer 38

What you say is true, and my wife and I tried it on our most recent Bear. Unfortunately while we left the hide “curing” in the solution, our nieghbors dog Muffin snuck in, knocked over the bin, and proceeded to turn my hide into a chew toy. So unfortunately we were unable to see if the process created a presentable product.

Gives me an excuse to shoot another Bear though…

[gigglemonk]

#24931

Braintanning is very work intensive process. Brain ‘dressing’ fits the technique better as a title as there is no tannic acid involved. Tannic acid (tannins) are found in plant materials. These are what give tea it’s color. Bark tanning is another primitive method used that actually has tannic acid.

Brain tanning a bear hide would be a tough first hide to attempt. Plus, the saying that every animal has enough brains to tan its own hide doesn’t seem to be true once you get into animals larger than deer.

This technique produces some of the softest most supple leather out there. With some practice it’s a fun way to tan hIdes.

[William Warren]

#25000

The only thing I could add to what has been said would be to have a cooler with ice if possible waiting in the vehicle to further cool it on the drive home.

[Don Thomas]

#26605

Nice to revisit this thread. Obviously, the sooner you get a hide to definitive treatment the better. However, I’ve taken bears on extended trips in the Bush when I couldn’t get the hide frozen or salted for as long as a week. This might not be possible in the Deep South, but it should be at Alberta latitudes. Remember: moisture is a hide’s greatest enemy, and circulating air is its greatest friend. Don

[wildschwein]

#27233

A week! Thats good to know.

Dr. Thomas I am presuming these hides were collected in Alaska, so Northern Alberta temps should be similar. Just wondering how you would best recommend storing them in the field during that duration?

[Don Thomas]

#28063

Remeber the two principles above! Get the hide as dry as possible by hanging it where air can circulate. But remember that strong direct sunlight shouldn’t hit the flesh side of the hide for long. So, the best way to do this is usually to drape it hide side up over a narrow log. Then store it in a porous game bag that can breathe. The light commercial ones are okay, but I prefer the stronger ones Lori makes at home because they will hold enough weight so that I can hang the bag in a tree to keep the air circulating. Of course this all gets more complicated in rainy weather. In that regard, your location should be a lot more favorable than Alaska! If you’ve got a hide that you just can’t get or keep dry, you better had out… if that’s possible. Don

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