Salting a Cape in the Backcountry

No arguement about proper caping. I just find that bighorn capes are considerably bigger than Stone or Dall and thus the need for some extra salt.....the extra .75 pounds...

[sheepguide]

Originally Posted by LongDraw

Starting hunts in mid July when it could get to 30c we never had any issues. All the guides took the same ammount on each hunt. I know I sound like a broken record- HIDE PREP is the key. It takes very little salt to draw the moisture out of a sheep cape when you get all the tissue and fat off before salting. I have never felt like I should have more salt with this ammount. For a lifesize I would pack 2L and still have enough left for seasoning the tenderloins!

I hear what your saying and your totaly right but just remember alot of people on here are not expert capers and only cape out the odd animal. The cape may not be 100%. This is where salt will be an asset and help them out.

[sheepguide]

Originally Posted by Tundra Monkey

PS. Welcome to the forum Sheepguide. I can't believe it's been a month already.

Just wondering what you were talking about here as I have no clue Ive been on here for a while.

[Pathfinder76]

Originally Posted by sheepguide

I hear what your saying and your totaly right but just remember alot of people on here are not expert capers and only cape out the odd animal. The cape may not be 100%. This is where salt will be an asset and help them out.

And a lot of guides.... um I mean guys that ought to know better are not so hot in the caping department either.

[sheepguide]

Originally Posted by chuck

And a lot of guides.... um I mean guys that ought to know better are not so hot in the caping department either.

Yes I agree 100%

[southunter]

Do you guys carry an extra knife for the fleshing part and different one for the gutting and skinning portion? Will my drop point work for the fleshing without cutting the cape. My fleshing experience has been with an actual fleshing knife on furs. A little more weight out of the backpack with only one knife...

I carry a 3 1/2" folding knife and a scalpel and a few extra blades. The trick is to cape slowly and leave the meat on the carcass and head and not on the cape. There really shouldn't be any serious fleshing required if done right.

[Tundra Monkey]

Originally Posted by sheepguide

Just wondering what you were talking about here as I have no clue Ive been on here for a while.

I was referring to your join date.....it says May 2009 on your posts.

tm

[muleskinner]

Take it from somebody who has mounted many sheep and hunted them as well.Take care of your cape as soon as its possible.You may think your cape is ok after dragging it around for days with no salt, but your taxidermist may be struggling to save the hair on it and make a presentable mount.The hide begins to deteriorate as soon as the animal dies.Why take the chance.Learn to care for your trophies in the field and get a better end result from your taxidermist.If you ask your taxidermist for field care instructions he or she will be more than happy to show you how to properly care for your cape.Moisture is the enemy of your cape and the best way to remove the bacteria causing moisture from the hide is to salt it as soon as you have removed all the fat etc. from the hide and turned ears and lips.I carry 5 lbs of salt for each cape.

[Tundra Monkey]

Originally Posted by steve

Getting dropped, picked up 10 days later. Typically I move camp every night. So I do go 3-4 days in one direction. I could end up with a cape on my hands, no where near a freezer for 5+ days. And 4 days from my drop camp.

I didn't think that you could be 4 days from nowhere in AB

Ouch....tough way to hunt. If you shoot your ram four days from camp you're gonna have a tough time making the same trip back in the same time frame when you're loaded.......I'd pack salt.

Do you do this alone or with a partner? I had planned to do one solo last year but wound up with a really good guy whom I'm going with again this year. Momma wasn't to impressed with the solo idea but if I'm going to take a 16 year old up there I gotta "pass" the test Wouldn't actually be alone though....I take a 6 year old Karelian Bear Dog that we got out of Alaska 4 years ago....fully trained on grizz....you should see her work Are there a lot grizz thick where you are at? Almost getting to be like rabbits up here.

We hunt the same way up here but don't use the drop camp anymore and our pick-ups are by helicopter. If we kill one it's pretty easy to find or make a meat locker and we'll continue on for the next one or make that spot home. Once your into them it's usually a good spot and you can see your options in the morning so we'll hunt really light from there. The chopper is nice because it comes to you and alleviates a lot of concerns pertaining to meat and trophy care. Usually only a day or so notice and sometimes she's within hours....which has it's benefits of day 8 for sure. We could do it by float plane but we found it too limiting being set to an area but there are a few guys that do that in the Nahanni area. We hunt quite a bit further North and the lakes are pretty much non existant at the higher elevations.....and that million square miles is wayyyyyy toooooo tempting.

tm

[Kelty]

Steve,

We usually do ten day backpack hunts for sheep as well. We don't take more than a litre of salt. If you're successful in getting a ram, you'll save a lot of weight by capeing it out and cleaning up the head and horns and salting it down. It'll easily justify the extra weight of the salt with how much weight you'll save on the cape and head when it is salted and cleaned up properly. However, we don't carry more than one litre of salt.

you'll save a lot of weight by capeing it out and cleaning up the head and horns and salting it down.

Just remember to leave eye sockets intact with the eye balls in them.

[Tundra Monkey]

Ok......I gotta ask why

tm

Because it's the law...lol

You need the eye ball to determine if it meets the 4/5 minimum. A lot of first time sheep hunters don't realize this and could end up getting a ram confiscated because of it.

[Tundra Monkey]

I think I'm gonna have to go to school before I ever entertain the thought of moving South

Them dudes are pretty good to us as long as you're in the communities.....tend to be a little more confrontational here in the "big city"


tm

Originally Posted by Tundra Monkey

I think I'm gonna have to go to school before I ever entertain the thought of moving South

tm

Not sure that would help......they do love making things confusing down here.

[Tundra Monkey]

Originally Posted by sheephunter

Not sure that would help

Ouch

kinda hurts when a guy doesn't use smilies

tm

[LongDraw]

Definately better safe than sorry on a just 4/5 curl ram with the eye left in~!

You'd think so but you are wrong about that. The regulation specifies eye and if a F&W wants to push it, they can. Take the chance if you want but the regulations are the regulations. Best advice is to follow them.

[Tundra Monkey]

We are legal on 3/4 curls up here.....but it's less confusing if you wait.....hope the pic works.

tm

[Tundra Monkey]

Man o' man do I ever suck at putting pictures on here.....

tm

[LongDraw]

Originally Posted by sheephunter

You'd think so but you are wrong about that. The regulation specifies eye and if a F&W wants to push it, they can. Take the chance if you want but the regulations are the regulations. Best advice is to follow them.

Good to know.. Suck to lose a sheep over an eyeball!

Curious if that is a recent thing? I remembered it as intact eye sockets?

[Sheepcrazyguy]

Originally Posted by sheephunter

You'd think so but you are wrong about that. The regulation specifies eye and if a F&W wants to push it, they can. Take the chance if you want but the regulations are the regulations. Best advice is to follow them.

That's exactly right, you have to leave the eye ball in.

[sheepguide]

Originally Posted by sheephunter

Because it's the law...lol

You need the eye ball to determine if it meets the 4/5 minimum. A lot of first time sheep hunters don't realize this and could end up getting a ram confiscated because of it.

They also sometimes extract fluid from the eye to help confirm the date shot. Also if your worried about the sheep being short(not that we should shoot sheep this close) then if possible bring in to be checked with cape still on skull.

Originally Posted by LongDraw

Good to know.. Suck to lose a sheep over an eyeball!

Curious if that is a recent thing? I remembered it as intact eye sockets?

Been around since 1988 for sure......I almost learned the hard way.

Always good to know the law before offering legal advice......

[Pathfinder76]

Originally Posted by sheephunter

Just remember to leave eye sockets intact with the eye balls in them.

I've never seen an eye ball live outside an eye socket. I have had sheep plugged sans eye balls and know of others as well. I even discussed this with the CO and strangely he agreed. If you aren't clearing the socket leave the eye there. If you are clearing the socket you are clearing the eye. It can't be any other way.

And I was going 85 in an 80 today and met a cop that didn't give me a ticket......

I'm sure most officers use common sense when determining if a sheep is legal or not but I'd rather rely on the regulations than the whim of an officer. A sheep head remains property of the crown until it is plugged. You take it into them without the eye balls and you are breaking a regulation and they can seize the sheep. You might be willing to take the chance....I'm not and would highly suggest that no one else does either. Kinda seems stupid to knowingly ignore a regulation that is simple to follow with the chance your sheep could be seized. At least that's how I look at it. Lots of laws don't make sense but knowingly not following them because they are stupid won't change the fact you didn't follow the regulations. If you take the eyes out, you better be prepared to live with the consequences.

From the regulations regarding mandatory requirements for registration: "Male sheep over 1 year of age (the complete unaltered skull with horns and eyes intact must be submitted);

[sheepguide]

Originally Posted by chuck

I've never seen an eye ball live outside an eye socket. I have had sheep plugged sans eye balls and know of others as well. I even discussed this with the CO and strangely he agreed. If you aren't clearing the socket leave the eye there. If you are clearing the socket you are clearing the eye. It can't be any other way.

You should read your regulations as it states complete unaltered skull with eyes intact. You got away with it but others taking your advise may not!

[Pathfinder76]

Originally Posted by sheephunter

And I was going 85 in an 80 today and met a cop that didn't give me a ticket......

I'm sure most officers use common sense when determining if a sheep is legal or not but I'd rather rely on the regulations than the whim of an officer. A sheep head remains property of the crown until it is plugged. You take it into them without the eye balls and you are breaking a regulation and they can seize the sheep. You might be willing to take the chance....I'm not and would highly suggest that no one else does either. Kinda seems stupid to knowingly ignore a regulation that is simple to follow with the chance your sheep could be seized. At least that's how I look at it. Lots of laws don't make sense but knowingly not following them because they are stupid won't change the fact you didn't follow the regulations. If you take the eyes out, you better be prepared to live with the consequences.

From the regulations regarding mandatory requirements for registration: "Male sheep over 1 year of age (the complete unaltered skull with horns and eyes intact must be submitted);

Do you keep the nostril on a ram killed in a full curl zone?

[sheepguide]

Oh x2 on sheephunter