Advice needed: Salting a deer hide

[Will_]

I went away with a deer hide on Sunday at the end of an excellent day with Wildway Bushcraft.
I fleshed it that night (I think that's the right word), getting all the flesh off.
Then I poured salt all over it and rubbed it in.
Then I hung it.
The next day, I brushed all the salt off and put more on.
The problem is, hardly any salt seems to be sticking to it now, it all just falls off.
Also, it's still super supple, and I thought it should be stiff by now.

What should I do? It's overdue another salting, but I'm not sure it's working...
Can I salt it then suspend it horizontally (fur side down) so the salt doesn't fall off?
Should I make a sort of salt paste to make it stick?
Help!

Thanks in advance,

Will

 

[shutupthepunx]

theres many way to do everything. this is not the 'right' way, as i dont think there is a right way. but this is what i would do.

i wouldnt hang it and all, and i would salt the flesh side plenty and fold it it two, inwards, along the middle of the back of the animal. this will stop the salt from falling out. if you fold it in half the other way the two halfs dont match up well, but folded along the spine line they 'match' much better.

when its salted i would store it somewhere unheated but inside. an outhouse, a barn, you garage maybe. and i would scrape it (get the fat and salt off it) some time in the next 6 months. when you do this you need to tan it or it will rot.

then its deciding if you want to keep the hair on or take it off, and then its tanning it. if it was me i would fat tan it with any veg oil (sunflour, rapeseed, whatever you got) and an egg yolk. then its just a matter of washing off the excess oil that hasnt soaked in and then softening it until its fully dry. hope this helps

 

[nic a char]

best consult an expert - the deerstalkers I worked with used alum for deer and other hides, but that was a LONG time ago!

 

[Macaroon]

I don't think alum is very nice stuff to use; we used it all the time years ago but nobody I know will touch it now, I don't think it's very nice stuff to have around....................