Tanning my first deer hide tomorrow... advice please!

[Billy1]

Hi I'm getting a deer from my local butcher tomorrow (friday) morning and I'm going to have a go at brain tanning (hair off).

The problem is I'm going away this weekend (saturday-sunday) so I'm a bit limited on time. I don't have any experience doing this and I don't know how long things will last.

My plan is as follows...

Friday
Step 1: Skin the deer.
Step 2: Freeze the meat.
Step 3: Scrape the hide.
Step 4: Leave it hanging up in the shed until I get back and finish doing everything else on Monday...?

Is this the right way to go about things?
Will the hide start to decompose? (I have no salt to use, and there wont be enough room to store it in the freezer).
Will the brain still be alright to use? (If not I'll use egg yolks).

Thanks Again, I really have no clue what I'm doing lol but I figure the best way to learn is to just have a go.

EDIT: Can I just freeze the brain?

 

[londonscrub]

others who know will answer but... freeze the brain, scrape the hide, pack it in salt - then come back and scrape some more (from what i've seen this can be hard work!).

 

[Billy1]

others who know will answer but... freeze the brain, scrape the hide, pack it in salt - then come back and scrape some more (from what i've seen this can be hard work!).

Like I said I have no salt! Will it be alright over the weekend provided I do a good job with the scraping?

 

[S.C.M.]

Ok, I have no idea about tanning, but if you're going to the butchers for the deer hide, can't you pop into somewhere for a load of salt? or does it have to be some extra-special kind of salt? or is it too expensive that way and you're waiting for a bulk bag to arrive?

 

[Joe tahkahikew]

Well here I am back home in the forests. Snow comes and its below freezing.

We sometimes still tan our own but its very hard work normally done by women. You need to scrape the hide with sharp knife if you are confident of not cutting it or use blunt blade if you aint sure. We don't use salt. No salt in the forests!]


one way was this:-



Skin and scrape all the flesh off the hide until it eveningly thick use knife or make scraper and
put small halls around edge of hide.
make rack
Thread rope or cord through halls and around the rack to stretch the hide flat.
beat the hide with blunt stick for some hours
Every 15 minutes or so, tighten the hide up as it becomes loose

Soak hide in soap water or use animal brains.
Beat and soak again and again until the hide is soft and nearly white.
the hide is now tanned.
Now preserve it by smoking it over a smoldering fire of dead wood for maybe half an hour or more this will give it nice colour.
make sure you don't burn or cook the hide or it becomes stiff.

Here is another similiar way by our people https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNtR8z33H5o

Thank you for listening!

 

[ateallthepies]

I'm giving advice based on reading a book called Deer Skins To Buckskins. It says you start by getting your hide out of storage which is either from a freezer or a salted hide. Once out of storage and wet it says not to go away until the next stage that you can store it again by freezing which is about 5 days into the process.

It says to do the Fleshing(scraping) and then to soak the hide for 3 days before doing the graining, rinsing, acidifying and membraning at which stage you can then store.

The above book mentioned has everything you need to know and is by the author Matt Richards.

 

[Toadflax]

Here was my first (and, so far, only) attempt, based on Deerskins to Buckskins: http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=31988&page=2&p=416232#post416232

Hope it encourages you!


Geoff

 

[Clouston98]

Here was my first (and, so far, only) attempt, based on Deerskins to Buckskins: http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=31988&page=2&p=416232#post416232

Hope it encourages you!


Geoff

That's brilliant Geoff! if I ever get the chance to deal with I hide again that will be a fantastic help .

 

[Angst]

hi joe....just watched that video.....made me realise just how easy us soft europeans have it lolol!.....amazing how much work goes into it and what a beautiful finished product! its made me appreciate the leather i work with every day just that little bit more!

regards

s

Well here I am back home in the forests. Snow comes and its below freezing.

We sometimes still tan our own but its very hard work normally done by women. You need to scrape the hide with sharp knife if you are confident of not cutting it or use blunt blade if you aint sure. We don't use salt. No salt in the forests!]


one way was this:-



Skin and scrape all the flesh off the hide until it eveningly thick use knife or make scraper and
put small halls around edge of hide.
make rack
Thread rope or cord through halls and around the rack to stretch the hide flat.
beat the hide with blunt stick for some hours
Every 15 minutes or so, tighten the hide up as it becomes loose

Soak hide in soap water or use animal brains.
Beat and soak again and again until the hide is soft and nearly white.
the hide is now tanned.
Now preserve it by smoking it over a smoldering fire of dead wood for maybe half an hour or more this will give it nice colour.
make sure you don't burn or cook the hide or it becomes stiff.

Here is another similiar way by our people https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNtR8z33H5o

Thank you for listening!