# What can I do with this deer hide?



## jubal (Feb 2, 2009)

When I got my deer last fall, I took the hide and scraped most of the fat/meat off of it, then salted it really thickly, and left it on the concrete floor of my garage until I could get back to it. It was not long after that that I had shoulder surgery, and the bottom line is, I haven't ever gotten back to it. I wanted to try tanning it myself, so I picked up the hide, which is now quite stiff, shook off the excess salt, and right now have it tacked on my backyard fence. Why I tacked it there, I don't really know, other than it got it off the garage floor, and I thought it might need further scraping.

I guess the question I have is, at this point I be able to salvage it and make it into leather, and would it be worth it to do so?

And question two is, if salvageable, what's my next step?


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## HOGAN (Sep 8, 2007)

I am no taxidermist but I would guess it is salvagable, the next staep seems logical that you would oil it up with something , then start softing it up by scraping etc. hopfully someone jumps in with some know how. I am interested in the answer also. Best of luck anyway.


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## tuffluckdriller (May 27, 2009)

I wonder how to get the hair off.


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## jubal (Feb 2, 2009)

tuffluckdriller said:


> I wonder how to get the hair off.


I haven't tried, but I'm thinking it will practically fall off at this point. I could be wrong though.


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## swbuckmaster (Sep 14, 2007)

jubal said:


> tuffluckdriller said:
> 
> 
> > I wonder how to get the hair off.
> ...


+1 sounds like a mess.

Ive however have seen loads of hides siting on a taxidermists floor salted an stacked on top of each other. They are in a cool room and out of the weather. I think once you put it on the fence you might have ruined any chances for salvation. The sun and other elements probably started rotting it.

Ive just never heard any good stories of anyone saying I left my bear rug on the fence over the winter and summer and want to do a full body mount do you think you can do it and it will still look like a bear?


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## jubal (Feb 2, 2009)

swbuckmaster said:


> jubal said:
> 
> 
> > tuffluckdriller said:
> ...


It's only been on the fence about 4 days and it's on the north side of the house. Make any difference?


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## 71nova (Jan 9, 2008)

you have to soften it then pickle it. if you drove all the way home from the mountains before you skinned and salted it, the fur will fall off, but it will be splotchy. Try Vandykes for tanning supplies and walkthroughs.


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## skeet4l (Sep 11, 2007)

jubal, I have a buddy that has been doing this type of thing all of his life and per his reply I think you'll find the answers you're looking for, It's lengthy but quite informative.

Answer to the hide on the fence.

This assumes the hide is already clean of fat and flesh………………..

Your hide is probably ok if it's only been out in the weather over the winter. ( I wouldn't bother had it been any longer as hides deteriate quickly out in the weather . The hide needs to be soaked in cool water until it becomes soft…..shoudn't take more than over night, too long and it will begin to rot.
You need to decide if you want the hair on or off………….i would suggest hair off at this point but if it's still in good shape it's up to you. If the hair is to stay on simply tack/nail it out flat after it's softened up in the water. Stretch it out as much as ya can.
If the hair is to come off the easiest ( but messiest) is to continue to let it soak in the water until the hair slips..this may take several days but as soon as the hair slips easily ( check different areas by just grabbing and pulling the hair out). If the hair doesn't slip yet leave the hide in another day and check again….keep an eye on it as if the hide stays too long it rots, what you are doing is a controlled rotting of the hide just enough to slip the hair.
When ready remove the hide and place somewhere convenient over a smooth log, large PVC pipe etc. now using a dull draw knife, back of a machette or large knife simply scrape the hair and epidermis ( the grainy peppery lookin' stuff just under the hair) off. Start at the neck and work in the direction of hair flow.
After all the hair and epedermis is off wash the hide real good using warm water and mild dish soap. Rinse well.

Here is where it gets tricky..there's many ways to "tan" a hide. The easiest for your first attempt to just get some usable hide is to lay the hide out somewhere, draped over a fence, closeline etc. and let drain real good and let it start to dry..really keep an eye on it……..BEFORE it's dry and still a bit damp apply a good coating of neatsfoot oil, this can be bought at most hardware stores ( not home depot or lowes they don't know what it is !) a (horse)tack shop or feed store will have it. If this is too much trouble, baby oil, crisco oil or anything like that can be applied. Rub in a good coat on both sides and let sit for a spell ( in the shade is best) till the hide is almost dry then……….
The real work begins……...the hide must be manipulated in every direction, stretching, pulling, twisting etc, until it is COMPLETELY dry. Failure occurs when this step is quit too soon. If ya get tired you can put the hide in the fridge for a few hours or freezer for a day or two till your ready again. Leaving in the fridge too long will dry it out stiff again. I recommend the freezer as the freezing action actually opens up the pores a bit and seems to help make the hide work softer. If ya goof and quit to soon and the hide drys stiff you'll have to dampen it real good and start over with the softening process again ( ya don't want to do this )!.
Keep at it till the hide is nice and soft. When complete some very rough sand paper or pumice stone can be used to "soften up" any hard spots but be carefull as you can easily rub a hole in the hide.
If hair on do all the same steps but just put the oil on the "leather" side and work just this side or the hair will be damaged. This is a bit trickier and I actually use a frame to stretch all my hides in. but it can still be done by working over a stake in a vice etc. simply "saw" the hide back and forth over the stake in all directions until soft.The stake is simply a 1x4 or the like ( an old ax handle works good) with an edge put on the end and clamped in a vice or nailed to somethin'. 

I have personally used this method on small critters like coyote, bobcat, fox, possum, ****, squirrel, deer , bear and even a small elk so it does work but keep in mind this is only one simple method , I have used several and there are many ways to tan a hide. I personally like brain tanned hide but that’s another story.

If you have a cloths dryer and want the hair off on the hide………….when it gets close to being done you can toss it in the dryer ( if the wife will let ya !) with a couple of small towels and old shoes but air dry only NO HEAT this will help soften it. There may be some light oil left in the dryer so minor cleanup there would be necessary, I kept an old dryer outside strickly for this purpose.
Hope this helps………good luck !!!!!


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## jubal (Feb 2, 2009)

71nova said:


> you have to soften it then pickle it. if you drove all the way home from the mountains before you skinned and salted it, the fur will fall off, but it will be splotchy. Try Vandykes for tanning supplies and walkthroughs.


Thanks for the help, 71nova. I'd like to go to Vandykes and see what they have.


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## jubal (Feb 2, 2009)

skeet4l said:


> jubal, I have a buddy that has been doing this type of thing all of his life and per his reply I think you'll find the answers you're looking for, It's lengthy but quite informative.
> 
> Answer to the hide on the fence.
> 
> ...


Thanks, skeet! I think I'll give this method a shot. So if there's still a little fat and flesh (there is a little of both, but dried up due to the amount of salt I had on it), should I just scrape that off too, using the same kind of tools as I would to scrape the hair side?


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## skeet4l (Sep 11, 2007)

Per his IM, YES BUT YOU CAN USE A SHARPER KNIFE TO GET THE FAT ETC. OFF. DO THIS AFTER YOU SOAK IT.


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## jubal (Feb 2, 2009)

Thanks!


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## Packout (Nov 20, 2007)

Sounds like a lot of work for something that may no even be useable. You've got a lot of advice, so if you're willing then go for it. Best of luck.


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## jubal (Feb 2, 2009)

Packout said:


> Sounds like a lot of work for something that may no even be useable. You've got a lot of advice, so if you're willing then go for it. Best of luck.


Thanks. Yeah, it sounds like a lot of work, but if it doesn't pan out, then at least I've learned from my mistakes. I guess it wasn't really a mistake that I had to have shoulder surgery right after I got the hide, but maybe my mistake was in not sticking it in a garbage bag, then putting it in a freezer until I could get healed up and work on it.


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