Want to get axis hide turned into rug for floor. What's a reasonable price and does anyone have recommendations in DFW? Someone told me Cinnamon Creek for $100 in FW but I don't know if that's good or not. Thanks.

take it to a reputable taxidermist and have it tanned

Colonel A. 1976 said:

---

take it to a reputable taxidermist and have it tanned

---

Is $100 reasonable?

last time i did anything with Cinnamon Creek it was terrible regarding the processing of a deer..I would not recommend them for anything

I would think that would be in the ballpark...not sure where you are but Alpine Taxidermy in Ft Worth is good.

dumb Aggie me...you are in Ft Worth

Through most taxidermists you'll pay $125-150.

They send most hides to the same couple of places, so it's really about markup from the taxidermist. When I had a buddy that was in the business he was charging most guys $90-100 deer hide. Shoulder mounts were cheaper but I don't remember the cost.

The best deal is go direct to the tannery and skip the markup - most taxidermists send hides out to one of a few companies that only do tanning. The only catch to this is you have to salt the hide and dry it out. Not difficult just takes a little time. I had a full size piece of plywood, just stretch out the hide a little and tack it down and try to trip off as much of the fat and moist material as possible. Cover it with a thick layer of salt and let sit - the first couple times the salt will absorb the liquids out of the hide/meat and just get saturated. Once the salt is saturated scrape it off and do it again. You will know when you are done because the salt will not turn wet and the hide will start to dry out. Once it is all dry and crusty, scrape off all the salt and just roll up the hide and ship to tannery. Pricing is usually around $100 - $125 but turn around is usually quicker than going through a taxidermist...

I used to use a place called WB Place but their website says they are no longer accepting hides - they now recommend Moyle Mink & Tannery. Also heard good things about Rocky Mountain Tanners.

http://www.moytown.com/services.html
http://www.rockymountaintanners.com/pricing.html

Hope that helps.

North Texas Tannery is in DFW. $45 according to the price list. They have done several elk hides for me and my taxidermist sends all of his capes there.

Years ago I took a pristine axis hide to a taxi in Boerne and for $40 I received a big piece of Swiss cheese impersonating an axis hide. I was quoted $150 recently, which is too damn high. Gonna do it myself.

Agrock............we have done quite a few of these for our clients that hunt with us. If you want it as a true rug you will probably want to either have a the edges done with a material or a cloth backing also. I will caution you that if you are using it as rug which will have traffic on it it will shed hair from the use. If it is going to be not walked on and just decorative then you can do it however you like, but just tanning it and putting it on the floor its edges can curl some and people can trip on it if not careful.............that is why you want the edging or backing.
I would suggest using someone who does a lot of these so they can insure that the hide is free of all the tanning salts/solutions as they can discolor some carpets and wood floors if you don't put the cloth backing on them.

I can highly recommend Schotts Taxidermy in Helotes Texas as he has done a bunch for us of all kinds......axis,fallow,zebra, blackbuck etc. Owner is Rodney Schott and he has a lady that sews the edges or backing for rugs and is very reasonable and does great work. She also does pillows etc.

As someone already mentioned North Texas Tannery in Denton. EOT.

Get a deer hide from a buddy & do it yourself for practice. After scraping & fleshing it you will be happy to pay $100 just for that part in the process.

MW13 said:

---

As someone already mentioned North Texas Tannery in Denton. EOT.

---

I've heard nothing but good things about this place on the web over the years. Ship it to them.

Also, there is the Nugget Company in San Antonio. Just checked their price list and they are $150 for deer. Used to be much cheaper. I've had them do mouflon, axis and sika but it's been a few years.

My experience is that a taxi will usually ship your hide to a tannery and then charge a markup.

GottaRide said:

---

North Texas Tannery is in DFW. $45 according to the price list. They have done several elk hides for me and my taxidermist sends all of his capes there.

---

Thanks for all of the feedback. I think I'm going to give this a try.

So who has some axis doe hunts to sell where I can get a hide or 2 for some rugs?

I'll take the meat since you only want the hide

Split the cost of a hunt and you've got a deal

Axis hides make much prettier ( more acceptable by women) pillows!!
Consider that!

PFG said:

---

So who has some axis doe hunts to sell where I can get a hide or 2 for some rugs?

---

Cough

I know a guy. 200 $

NW80 said:

---

Axis hides make much prettier ( more acceptable by women) pillows!!
Consider that!

---

I've thought about that. This is a buck that I shot last year and we're only taking does this year so I'm thinking pillows with the doe I take this year. Pretty hides.

Let me know. Email in profile.

I'd need an axis hunt somewhere near the following:

- Blanco
- FBurb
- Mason
- Brady

Thats my drive up to whitetail camp in the Concho Valley, and I could combo an axis trip onto a whitetail weekend.

In regards to Cinnamon Creek in Roanoke/FW..
I've had probably 3 axis and 3 whitetail process by them in the last 4 years. All were the smoked linked sausage. Great stuff! Highly recommend them for processing despite what others have mentioned.

I have used Alpine for a Axis mount. Great work, too.

Google North Texas Tannery. It's in Denton. It is where a bunch of Taxidermist send their hides. I took them a bobcat and it turned out ok. Their hide/rugs looks like better finished products. My bobcat hide seemed a little rough/hard and not as soft on the legs, but that could be a common thing. That guy had dozens of hides laying around everywhere.
(940) 898-1300

NTT. He's done a bunch of stuff for me. Call and get the details on how to get the hide to him correctly, and you'll most likely end up happy.

He did do one deer hide for me that turned out less than desired. However, he called me up as soon as he knew it was going bad. Wasn't his fault, wasn't my fault; sometimes hides have a mind of their own. I told him to continue one, and I still ended up with a nice piece of buckskin, sans hair. Which I'll use for something eventually.

As mentioned, most taxidermists in TX send there tanning requests to him or one of a couple of other places, so skip the markup and go directly to the source.

Gunny456
In the Corps (USMC) ?
Semper Fidelis

I am fairly sure Alpine Taxidermy will make a rug with the hide..

PFG said:

---

I'd need an axis hunt somewhere near the following:

- Blanco
- FBurb
- Mason
- Brady

Thats my drive up to whitetail camp in the Concho Valley, and I could combo an axis trip onto a whitetail weekend.

---

This place is in the Eldorado area.

Thanks again for all the input. FWIW, I hunt in Eden area (west of Brady about 40 miles) and we never saw axis until about 4 years ago and now they're all over. Taste great and white tail don't seem to mind so I'm loving it so far.

Agcrock, I hunt my Father's land in Voca just East if Brady. I haven't seen any Axis yet on our land but I've seen them driving in. I'm hoping one walks buy this season though.