About Us
We Are Expert Tanners,
Generations Strong…
Armando Navas II is the founder and owner of Wildlife Fur Dressing, Inc. since 1984 but started the trade with his father in Nicaragua dating back to 1955. At age 17, he was sent off to a school in Germany for a few years to study chemistry, physics and histology. When the Nicaraguan government took over, Armando decided to pursue his passion in the United States and came to California. In the early 80’s Armando started working for New Method Fur Dressing, a tannery in San Francisco. Thereafter, he moved to the central valley where Wildlife Fur Dressing was founded.
Quality Received. Quality Returned.
Our Facility
Located in California, our shop has the capacity to tan your hides no matter the quantity. Wildlife Fur Dressing has state of the art equipment, but we also have hand built many of the drums and tools that are used to provide you with the best quality.
FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to have incisions made?
We can make short incisions and dorsal cuts on skins, but there will be an additional charge depending on the type of animal skin and the incision being made.
- Short Incision on North American, Texan, and exotic skins (except for Blacktail, Coues, Mule, and Whitetail Deer Cape): 15% additional charge
- Short Incision/Cased on African skins and heavy capes (such as an Axis, Oryx, etc.): 35% additional charge
- Dorsal Cut on North American / Exotic skins: 20% additional charge
- Dorsal Cut on African life-size skins: 40% additional charge
All skins with the hide and head attached will be charged the price of life size minus the price of the feet.
What are your handling fees?
We charge a $100.00 handling fee on all incoming international shipments from customs and also charge extra fees for any of the following that apply to your order:
- $75.00 treatment fee for any swine and primate dipping/treatment on skulls.
- $30.00 disposal fee for each wood crate.
- $45.00 processing fee for outbound freight shipments.
- Re-packing fee (will be charged shop time, which is $80.00/hour).
- $5.00/day storage fee (starts 15 days after the Invoice for Dry Tan or after 7 days for the Invoice for Wet Tan).
- Additional shop time charged ($80.00/hour) for skins that arrive improperly treated, such as being damp, poorly salted, greasy, etc.
- Extra charge for quarantine services on shipments with live bugs.
If you choose our rush service, there is a 75% additional fee for Wet Tan and a 100% additional fee for Dry Tan
What should I be aware of in regards to your services?
In addition to our handling fees listed above, there are extra charges for the following:
- Additional shop time charge is added for removing excess flesh, drying damp hides, splitting lips and nostrils, removing tailbones, removing knuckles, and/or turning ears and removing shield on boars.
- Any rejected hides may be subject to partial processing fees based on our discretion.
- Capes with shoulders longer than normal have an extra charge: Deer $6.50/SF, Elk and Moose $9.50/SF, and Bison $17.00/SF on each side of the shoulder.
- Wet Tan conversion into a Dry Tan – additional 50% charge.
- Re-tan service for any skins tanned previously at another facility is subject to a 100% charge of our listed tanning cost. (We do not guarantee the result on this process).
- Sheep (domestic/merino) that arrive: short incision will be required to split it open.
- Bison/Buffalo that require extra attention for bloody, matted hair or is too thick will be charged shop time.
What are your damages, liability and insurance policies?
