Fish-Hawk.Net

Haven't had any luck the last few years finding a tannery to process a raw deerhide or two. Are there any in Ontario that will do the job?

Maple

I think there is one in or around Cobden... I know that there is at least a couple... I know people who sell coyote and wolf hides. I should be able to find out for sure where this afternoon.

Craig

rpoulin2009@bell.net
http://www.canadagoosetaxidermy.ca/

Nice find el Grandé@

The lads out here bring their pelts to a place in MTL. Fisher, beaver, coyote and wolf used to get you some good money... one fisher pelt used to get you $160!! Now you have a hard time getting over $15... (The same as a cow hide!)

Good luck.

Let us know if you go to one of these places and tell us about the process.

Craig

Canada goose taxidermy does exellent deer mounts too

Myself and Bradford both have a deer done with Rick at Canadagoosetaxidermy and very happy with his work.

Spoke to a number of local tanneries and taxidermists. Most will handle deer hides for tanning but will not guarantee that you get your own hide back, only one of similar size. Apparently they are collected by the pallet-full and shipped to China for tanning by Giovanni's. There's no local tanning anymore since the agents used are "toxic" and fall under stricter environmental controls for use and disposal than before, making the process virtually impossible for small-scale businesses.

Rick Poulin did give me the name of someone in Montreal to whom I'm arranging to deliver my hide. Don't know all the details yet, but I'll let you know when I do. They'll give me my own back.

Maple

There's an article in this mont's Ontario out of Doors about tanning your own bear hide. I assume the process to tan a deer hide is identical and I'm sure they don't suggest the use of illegal toxins.

Yannick

One of the ingredients in the home tanning kits and commercial processors in chromium. Not that it's particularly toxic, it's that these days the gov't. tends to over-regulate just about everything. Once they have targeted an issue, somebody ends up losing.

Maple

OK

I spoke to the guy in Point Claire last night and unfortunately he only does hair-on hides. Since I wanted mine turned into buckskin, which is with the hair off, he won't do it.

So I'm back to square one. I can't find anyone who will do it.

It's time to cast a wider net. Any other clues?

Maple

There is a guy in Calabogie who comes around collecting hides to make moccasins, mits, etc... I will try to catch him this weekend and find out where he takes them. I know he mentioned it last week, but I was not paying attention. There are also a couple of trappers that hunt with us, so I should be able to get an answer for you this weekend.

Get in touch with "Trans canada trapline", they may be able to do it and they also sell some kind of hide tanning formula for you to do it yourself

Thanks for trying guys. I appreciate your efforts.

I also phoned White's Tannery in Rockwood (near Toronto). They will make my hide into leather, a rather hard product which is used for making belts or wallets, rather than buckskin, which is used for gloves or clothing. I want buckskin. Also they only accept hides on Saturday mornings at their location making it impossible to mail or ship to them from Ottawa.

Thanks for the Trans Canada Trapline suggestion TLunge. I am familiar with their, and other, home tanning kits. That is exactly the route I do NOT want to take. Home tanning takes days and days of work and is not failproof. Perhaps your third hide will turn out OK-ish weeks later.

And yes. The toxicity of the components is exactly why they have stopped tanning locally. I think I'll just go to the Hats For Hides Depot and get another dumb hat.

Maple

Crossing my fingers but I still can get hides tanned both hair on and Buckskin although I hear Modry is closing down in Dec.

A local taxidermist told me he does this work, although I did not ask for a lot of details. (I had asked a related question for my son.)

Please consider contacting the guy - he is an excellent taxidermist, and good guy to deal with. Roger Reynolds, (613) 354-9299. Roger lives out in the sticks near Napanee.

Doug