Questions on tanned yote hide

JoeR

Eight Pointer
Last season I trapped a black coyote. As suggested by a few folks here I kept the hide. I got it back from the taxidermist a couple of days ago and it looks great. He nicely closed the hole in the throat he got from other yotes while in the trap. It also had a few holes in the hind quarters that I didn't spot earlier.
My questions are: How do you get the dog stink out of it before bringing it in the house? My wife is pretty allergic to dogs and she knew the instant I walked in the house with it. I've got to do something to get the dander out of the fur.
how do you guys have your pelts displayed? Got them on the wall? Over the back of the couch? What?
Lastly, the tail fur is pretty frizzy in the middle section of it. Probably from mites, if I had to guess. Should I try combing it out?

Joe
 

QuietButDeadly

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
What kind of tan did you have done on it? I have never had a problem with odor on a professionally garment tanned pelt of any species. There is a slight odor leftover from the tanning process when I open the box but it is hardly noticeable after a few days after hanging the pelts up where they can get air circulating around them. And the odor is not your typical dog or wet dog smell either.

I see the frizzy tail on quite a few coyotes that are either not fully prime or are over prime. The frizzy is where the guard hair is missing and you see only the under fur. Combing or brushing should not hurt it (on a properly tanned pelt) but will not change the appearance of it either.
 

41magnum

Twelve Pointer
spray some Johnsons No More Tangles on it and brush thru

It should not stink if done right IME, and I've had same results as QBD from tanneries.

It woulda cost ya less than $50 with shipping, from Tubari or Z&L Trading and had no smell, too. Most taxidermists charge 2-4x that.

Hope the NMT works for you, I've heard others do the same thing before selling fur.
 
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JoeR

Eight Pointer
As always, I thank everyone for taking the time to reply.
I've never had one tanned before, so I don't know what kind of tan was done to it. I can tell you it definitely smells like a wet dog though. It gives my wife an immediate allergic reaction. I talked to the taxidermist about it, and he replied that coyotes generally smell bad for a while and that airing it out will solve the problem.
I believe I'm going to hang it outside and give it a nice shampoo job. I haven't bought Johnson's shampoo since my daughter was little.

For the record, I paid $100.00 to get it done, but he skinned it any everything.
Joe
 

QuietButDeadly

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Learn to skin, flesh and stretch dry them yourself. Lot of commercial tanneries do garment tan on coyotes for around $30 each for small quantities. Never go one back with an odor like you describe.

I think I would dry to do a dry wash with borax or baking soda to try to reduce the odor rather than a wet shampoo. Work the powder in to the fur and let it sit for a while before shaking, vacuuming or blowing it out.
 

JoeR

Eight Pointer
I covered it in borax and have it sitting in a cardboard box in my shop. She is one stinky girl.
Joe
 

Newsome Road

Ten Pointer
I would ask him some questions about his tanning process. There should be a slight chemical smell that lingers for a couple days after the tan, then after that, no smell. (If you sent it to a tannery, most of the chemical smell would be gone before it ever got shipped back). The wet dog smell should have been long gone.

Assuming it is properly tanned, you can wet shampoo it if you want, but you will have to re-break it afterwards, it will stiffen up. I'd try the baking soda suggestion to start with.
 
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