Elk hair

[Havtafish]

Elk are bigger than Red Deer and a totally different species. As is Moose. (No No not the wee ones in the hoose either)  :lol:  Moose hair is very coarse. As is elk coarser to deer. Moose main is good for tailing material and wrapping for a body. Theres lots of air that gets trapped inside the hollow bit up the center of the hair. I have an endless supply of moose hide back home as I used to hunt them every year.

[Havtafish]

Heres a Moose



And an Elk



Ive alway found the best workable hair off the insides of the legs for dries. Body hair for muddlers Smelly stuff off the legs during the rut though  :shock:

[Havtafish]

Caribou/Reindeer different from Elk. Caribou is an arctic tundra animal and Elk is in mountain/ forest area like Montana The one in the photo above is still in velvet so looks similar to caribou. Have used caribou for flies though. Had some mates that went up to Quebec for the hunt. On all these animals the different types of hair from different bits tie differently. I was tying some DHS the other night and was using bleached elk. Nice for visibility.

[Havtafish]

When I was still living in Canada I was a roadkill junkie always on the spy for a bit of squashed fly tying material  :lol: My garage freezer was full-o- carcasses. A tail here, a hide there  :wink:  I used to do quite a bit of hunting to get away from guiding /fishing when I could get time off. You got me thinking now Hmmmm what havnt I tied with. Ill get back to you

[Havtafish]

Skunk yes. Theres actually a Steelhead fly called Red Butt Skunk Also tied with Marten, Fisher, Squirrel, Chipmunk, Beaver(the wood eating kind), :wink:  Muskrat, Opposum, Mink, Fox, Coyote, Badger, Vole, Prarie Dog, Dog (yes my dog had a nice light yellowy coat for Light Cahills), Weasel, Stoat(since being here) I think that covers the rodents but may have missed a few  

[Richy]

Stop it Boo................."Wee Jeemie"..............eeek eeek.......... :lol:  :lol:  :lol:

Ah hope the mice are not readin this thread  :shock:  :shock:  :lol:  :lol:

All the best

Richy

[Ptinid]

I've often thought (cos I see a lot of 'em) that rat fur would be a good material. I've never tried curing a skin though, but at least I can get plenty.

Mouse hair would be good, and the two main species (House Mouse and Field Mouse) would give very different colours. House Mouse could be pretty good for Grey Dusters.

Hmmm... Monday....Feed Mill...15 traps...any takers??

[Pearly Invicta]

I get some unusual scraps of fur from a sporran-making pal. Usually a huge bag with bits of arctic fox, seal, silver fox, rabbit,  mink in various colours and odd bits of old victorian skins of otter, badger and even (on one occasion) leopard.

[haresear]

My girfriend has lovely red setter coloured hair... :wink:

BTW keep yer hauns off ma lugs!

[.D.]

Bump...........( sorry, I'm new here :lol:)

American Elk is, as far as I'm aware just a much larger race of the same species we call the Red Deer (already mentioned here, I know).

European Elk are more similar to what the Americans call Moose.

So, why distinguish "Elk" ( that'll be American Elk  :wink:) from "all other deer" in flytying circles? :think2


Any thoughts?


Cheers,


.D.