I've been lucky enough to be offered a hunting freinds 5 deerskins, freshly shot with the hides and heads removed I collected them today and here they are...
Theres 3 heads and 5 hides so I'll make up the difference in brain quantity with eggs (6 whole +3 yolks per skin so I'll need 18 in total).
The fleshy undersides are really fresh, all the flesh and the membrane need removing.....
First job was to remove the brains from the heads. My yard axe and a good heave was sufficient to get a couple of fingers in to the spinal opening after it was pulled apart some, then the brains were easy to scoop out.
Now I have a good idea of the sizes of a deerskin (I tell ya, a REAL noob ) I could raid the kindling pile for some battoning to make some rough frames. When the skins are on, I might need to lash them to a more substantial frame when I'm working the skins hard. (EDIT- these were'n't nearly man or big enough for the job, they stretch to about double their size when stretched & worked!)
I've fleshed 2 so far this afternoon- not well but I want to get them all done fairly quickly and brains on so I can win some time with so many to do.
So the picture above is about 1/2 fleshed- I've got the occasional nick in em which will be sewn over the weekend (amazing really as anyone who knows me and my knife will know, we ain't the sharpest in the woods!)
I'm thinking I'll Egg & Brain the ones I've done and fold them flesh side in while I flesh the others in the woods this weekend I might try fleshing them on the frame to see if theres much difference, then work in the Egg & Brain whilst still framed. I've made notes from Cyclingrelf and Dogwoods posts but its all wing and a prayer stuff
Theres 3 heads and 5 hides so I'll make up the difference in brain quantity with eggs (6 whole +3 yolks per skin so I'll need 18 in total).
The fleshy undersides are really fresh, all the flesh and the membrane need removing.....
First job was to remove the brains from the heads. My yard axe and a good heave was sufficient to get a couple of fingers in to the spinal opening after it was pulled apart some, then the brains were easy to scoop out.
Now I have a good idea of the sizes of a deerskin (I tell ya, a REAL noob ) I could raid the kindling pile for some battoning to make some rough frames. When the skins are on, I might need to lash them to a more substantial frame when I'm working the skins hard. (EDIT- these were'n't nearly man or big enough for the job, they stretch to about double their size when stretched & worked!)
I've fleshed 2 so far this afternoon- not well but I want to get them all done fairly quickly and brains on so I can win some time with so many to do.
So the picture above is about 1/2 fleshed- I've got the occasional nick in em which will be sewn over the weekend (amazing really as anyone who knows me and my knife will know, we ain't the sharpest in the woods!)
I'm thinking I'll Egg & Brain the ones I've done and fold them flesh side in while I flesh the others in the woods this weekend I might try fleshing them on the frame to see if theres much difference, then work in the Egg & Brain whilst still framed. I've made notes from Cyclingrelf and Dogwoods posts but its all wing and a prayer stuff
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