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September 26, 2012
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hi, last year, or maybe it was early this year– i found an elk leg during rainy season. it was in good shape when i found it so i brought it home and stored it for a couple months in salt, and it held up when i decided to transfer to the freezer. i do not own a vaccuum sealer, but i wrapped it pretty tight in a big plastic bag. it has been sitting there ever since, i have not checked on it or anything..and i am just wondering what can i do to preserve it? do i have to thaw it, cut it open, and remove the bones and meat? would it be better to just try to preserve the hoof? the top of the leg is raw, of course, and am wondering if i have to ”cap it off” with a metal cuff or something? please help, thank you
i have 0 experience in removing bones and meat from a leg. the only experience i have with taxidermy was boiling the flesh off a sheep skull, and removing the meat with small tools. i couldnt get to the brain so i left it in the garden for the bugs over the summer. it is all good now 🙂 just gotta bleach it!
but please let me know what to do with this leg! thank you again
Either skin it and tan the leg skin, or try soaking it in a 50/50 mixture of white vinegar and water. You’ll need to add salt to the mixture, try about 1 lb. per gallon of solution, that should be plenty since you already salted the leg. Something that big I’d leave in for a couple months, you might want to renew your solution a couple times, then wash it real good and pose it to dry. It works on deer legs, not sure how it will work on something heavier like an elk, but it’s worth a shot!
September 26, 2012
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soaking it in salty vinegar water will preserve it and the fur & skin & muscle & everything? that is crazy! i would assume it would make it decompose from being moist. this is really interesting. do you mind taking a look at my bird post? i found a small dead bird and am keeping it in cornmeal but dont want to gut it or cut it open, as i dont want to damage it. can it preserve in cornmeal alone, intact? a friend says to keep it in a 50/50 of salt & aking soda. what do you think?
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