Moose Blanket

[Daktari]

I'm gonna be going on a moose hunt this September and was wondering if it'd possible/feasible to make a blanket out of a moose hide? I haven't found any examples of this online and thought it would be a good way to make use of the hide. If you have any advice or experience on the matter I'm all ears!

 

[BRICKBURN]

Moose hair is quite brittle and I would not think it would make the greatest rug/blanket.
The hair is also not very even length across the hide.

You can always give it a try.

 

[Daktari]

Have you hunted moose brickburn?

 

[Ryan]

Brickburn may or may not have hunted moose, but he's right. I'm an Alaskan and I know no one who has a moose blanket. Moose hair is hollow for insulation, It's no different than a late season whitetail deer hide from Michigan and such. The down side is it's stiff and brittle so it won't hold up well for a blanket. I certainly can't stop you from doing it, but don't be surprised the hair breaks up and falls apart.

 

[Daktari]

Ok thank you guys for the info, I wasn’t aware the hide was brittle, what do most people do with the hide?

 

[WAB]

It makes good leather.

 

[Mr. 16 gauge]

The hair may be brittle, but the hide makes the best moccasins!!!!!

 

[Ryan]

Most people leave it. That's a lot of dead weight to carry.

 

[Newboomer]

I second on the moccasins. I have a pair I've worn for over 20 years and they are still in good shape. Moose hide makes great belts and footgear.

 

[Daktari]

Where did you guys go to get your moccasins made?

 

[Newboomer]

Mine are Adirondack. I don't remember who or where they were or are or if they're still in business.

 

[TMac]

My son tanned his Moose hide, hair on, and uses it as a decorative bed spread of sorts, throw over the back of a sofa, etc. Mine resides at the top of a Mt. in WY, too heavy to carry out. It does make a nice memory of the hunt and a conversation piece. But they are big.

 

[Dirtdart]

I have a full hair on hide (no head or legs) from a Wyoming moose that I killed years back and thought it would make a cool bedspread. To damn heavy. That hide now sits on the floor of my reloading room where there is limited traffic. It does feel good on your bare feet compared to the wood floor and I like the way it looks.

 

[AB2506]

My experience with moose. Shoot a moose, run your hand backwards against the hair. Watch how many 4-6" hairs come loose.

Unless you can get the hide easily (not dragging it for miles, (try packing a whole hide, I bet it is easily 200lbs)) to the taxidermist and the tanning process fixes the hair in place, I think a hair on hide is a waste of effort, time and money. It is certainly not something that should be rough handled (rug to be walked on, or a bedspread on a bed that is in active use) as you will likely have hair scattered about. Much better to tack it to to a wall? A big wall!

 

[Rick Cox]

Back in the day, one of the trap cabins I used had a partial moose hide dried with hair on as a very warm mattress an top of dry grass....

 

[Cam Moon]

I agree with what others are saying. I've never kept a moose hide for anything, but the leather would be really good. I could also see tanning hair on if you really wanted to display it and you had a lodge/cabin/home with a large, tall wall you could have it on. Otherwise, I really wouldn't bother, and certainly not as a blanket.
Nice to think of different ideas though! And great idea to get input from others if you're not sure yourself. Good luck on your hunt in September! If you get a nice one you might want to consider a shoulder mount, as they can look pretty impressive, but be prepared for it to take up a lot of space! An alternative to that would be either European or just an antler mount.
No matter what you end up doing, enjoy your hunt, and enjoy the meat! Moose are damn fine for eating!!!

 

[cmk]

You could make yourself look stylish in a traditional buff coat
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buff_coat

The best ones were made from moose hide, as the thickness of the leather actually protected the wearer from shrapnel and sables - at least to a degree.