tanning a deer hide help? please

[Redneck Archer]

ok so I shot a cull last night, and got a nice peice of hide of him to learn how to do this.

I have the hide off right now and laying out, but I still need to scrape it.

from what I read I should scrape it, and then nail it to a board, and but sea salt on it daily for a week. then to soften it just roll it up, and work it around.

really? is that all there is to it?

help or advice would be muc appreciated! thanks. gonna mess with it this afternoon

[Redneck Archer]

no one?

[rubydog]

Well you could have used the brains of the animal to tan it too. Googlr it and see what is out there.

[HEADHUNTER71]

like to see finished product,and how you did it,thanks

[ebluvr72]

I just tanned one and I'm working on another. Lay it out flat and scrape as much meat and fat off of it as you can. Then use non-iodized salt to cover the entire skin side of the fur. Don't just pour it on; rub it into the hide. Roll it up and place it on an incline so the blood and salt can leak off the hide. The next day, take it out and shake the salt off of it and do it all over again. Get as much of the meat off of it as you can. I suggest using a pre-made kit. I got one from Cabela's and it works great. There are a couple of different dips you have to keep it in for 72 hours and then nail it up to dry. Don't use rock sea salt. The non-iodized salt locks the hair into the hide. Once it's dry you just have to work the hide to soften it up. Hope this helps.

[Bowtech Lefty]

For a better looking hide I would take it to a tannery. The Nugget Company near downtown SA does an awesome job on tanning hides and with a 30 day turnaround.

[huntmaster]

I've still got my 1st deer i killed and tanned from 1963. I used reg mortons salt then alum. It has gotten stiff over the yrs but the hair is still on. I think the main thing is scaping all the meat off, suckin the moisture with salt and cleaning. i used the brain way a couple of times and it is good. I never could get any women to chew on the hides to make em soft like the indians tho.

[Roamer]

I have been wanting to do this for a long time.

[Redneck Archer]

ok... going to start some scrapping now...

then will do what eblover posted. salt and roll and sit at angle...

[ebluvr72]

How's it coming? My second one is about to come out of the brine tonight and I will rinse it and put it into the last soak. I think that requires 48 hours. It's the Lutin F Process if I remember correctly. $20 bucks at Cabela's.

[BigTree]

I have done several hides...it comes out better from the tannery. Breaking the hide to make it soft is a real pain. Alum and noniodized salt worked the best for me.

[texan16]

They sell a kit at Gander Mountain, Cabellas and/or Bass Pro- costs about $15 bucks and has a scrapper and some "tanning" chemicals in it. Easy to follow directions and the hide will come out really clean and fairly soft. The key to a decent hide is getting all the meat off and keeping the dirt and grass off while skinning. Good luck.

[Texas8point]

pay the 125$ its worth it.

[Dru]

Krowtann

http://krowtann.com/krowtann.htm