IT HAPPENS at McNALLY's
Located in a rural part of Maine's Aroostook County, MCNALLY'S FUR TANNING has provided taxidermists and trappers with personalized tanning services for over a decade. A hunter and an amateur of forest life, Greg McNally came back to Maine from Connecticut to begin a new life "doing what I enjoy, which is working in the outdoor industry." The remote tanning operation is clean, incredibly well-maintained and simply put - an easy place to work and to spend a day filming. Frankly, fur tanning and "hair on hides" work is one of those necessary industries many don't think about, let alone understand. Over the Cliff Productions has taken the liberty to introduce interested viewers to exactly what "tanning" is all about. McNally's doesn't specialize in creating leather goods. No hand bags or shoes here!
Greg says he prefers "dealing with taxidermists and professionals who need high quality tanning to compliment their business." Tanning is another critical step in the long taxidermy process. McNally says: "The tanning business pretty much has 35 steps from when that box or the delivery of hides and furs arrives ...until the final delivery. It's not easy, but it is rewarding to create a clean, well tanned product."
Feel free to call Greg at McNally's Fur Tanning: 207-757-7160.
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| Greg McNally treats arriving furs like indivdual challenges, as each hide is examined and given an "ID." |
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| "Fleshing is the most important aspect of the hide preparation." It eliminates any remaining meat and fat from the hide. |
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| The large beam is used to hang "wet" hides...allowing them to drip before going to the next step. |
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For many people, tanning is a mysterious process. It takes place in the alleys of Morocco. Color is added and wonderful purses are manufactured and sold globally. Not so here!
In Northern Maine, tanning accomplishes another vital aspect of taxidermy. All hides must be "fleshed" which is a process of skillfully placing the hide against a "spinning razor saw," for want of a better term. This rather delicate operation removes fat and tissue which would otherwise rot on the animal. A good tanner will remove every last bit of fat and residue from a hunt. After soaking in solutions designed to preserve the hide and hair, the hides are tumbled in sawdust (as seen over at the circular drum). Tumbling absorbs the solutions. After further processing, hides are dried in a room which at times has 100 or more furs - from Maine black bears to Montana Mountain Lions.
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| Even the treatment of fox fur is important to hunters and trappers. |
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| Like a witches brew, Greg McNally stirs necessary ingredients to begin preparing the hides. |
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| In the foreground are bear skins ready to be shipped back to taxidermists. |
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| McNally's also prepares "European-style" animal skulls. The above is from a black bear. |
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