Deer hides recycled in Billings, shipped to China
This article which I saw on Montana News Station makes me think twice before throwing out my deer hides after skinning. I know someday i want to have one tanned for the living room but in the meantime until I have that done this could bring in extra cash.
Some of us have a brand new trophy mount on the wall, or some fresh meat filling the freezer after the hunting season. But what happens to all those deer hides at the end of the season?
Since the close of hunting season, Pacific Recycling in Billings has trimmed, salted, and packed more than 3,000 deer hides. It’s all part of an effort to recycle the hides that otherwise would have gone to landfills.
Pacific Recycling Assistant Manager Don Cameron says the hides are then sorted according to whitetail or mule deer- with whitetail hides taking the premium designation for their soft fur.
Cameron says it’s more than just the latest “go green” trend; it’s something his company has been doing for over 80 years. “Oh we’ve been doing that for years and I’ve been here for 14 years and we’ve been recycling stuff long before I got here,” says Cameron.
Pacific Recycling was originally called Pacific Hide and Fur. For decades they shipped their hides to leather companies in Salt Lake City and out to the East Coast.
And while the $6 price Pacific gets for their hides hasn’t changed over the years, their export market has.
“It’s like everything else. Everything’s going to China these days, so hides are not much different I guess,” says Cameron.
They’re not even done working yet, but already there’s over 2,000 hides ready to ship to China, all eventually coming back to the US as deer skin gloves.
“A lot of people are under the conception that we tan them,” adds Cameron. “But we don’t. We’re just kind of a broker, a middle man.”
Once the hides are sold, they’ll be packed on a container to Seattle, and then shipped to China.
This year Cameron says they brought in 3,300 hides from local meat shops and dropoff deliveries.
That’s down from the 9,000 hides that New York Glove bought from Pacific Recycling last year.
Pacific Recycling stopped taking hides two weeks ago.
If you’d like to cash in your deer hide, Don says to give them a ring next year.
Very interesting. Sounds like an interesting business.
January 6th, 2008 at 5:04 pm
Just make sure there’s no lead paint when they come back! (sorry, that was a bit rude I guess…)
January 6th, 2008 at 9:01 pm
Arthur, I thought that was kinda interesting myself. By the looks of the pictures it could be big business. I just hope it ALL is legal.
Bryan, No worries. Last I heard everything was showing up with lead in it.
January 7th, 2008 at 2:12 am