Anyone ever tanned a hide before?

I got my first bow kill last week, and definitely want to remember this one.

I skinned her, fleshed the hide as best I could, and it’s now salting away.

If any of you have ever done it before, I’d love your expertise:

Do I need to worry about the wound holes tearing open wider? If I do, is it too late to either glue or stitch it up?

Brain tanning?

Brain tanning?

No, although I might give that a whirl one day.

I’ll be using the Deer Hunters and trappers tanning formula(the stuff in the orange bottle)

No, although I might give that a whirl one day.

 

I’ll be using the Deer Hunters and trappers tanning formula(the stuff in the orange bottle)

I've only tanned a couple of hides, and I did brain tanning both times - with an old timer looking over my shoulder. It smells like death, but the hides came out great. Being meticulous about stretching it well and getting everything taught, and then scraping it down well seem to have been the keys to success, as I remember.

I've only tanned a couple of hides, and I did brain tanning both times - with an old timer looking over my shoulder. It smells like death, but the hides came out great. Being meticulous about stretching it well and getting everything taught, and then scraping it down well seem to have been the keys to success, as I remember.

Did you have to salt the hide?

I’ve got another question if you did... the directions are telling me to salt for two days. All of the videos I watched showed dudes that ended up with hides that were super stiff. I’m on day 3, and I don’t have that stiffness. The fur side was damp when I started the process, and I think that’s the culprit.

Do you think I should dry it out completely, as in until it’s stiff, before I put it into the salt bath(which is the next step)?

No, but my mom used to tan mine on the regular. :eek:

Congrats Thrillville ... nuttin like bow hunting ... never tanned a hide before but routinely got mine tanned as a youngin !!! Deserved all of them probly ...

Did you have to salt the hide?

 

I’ve got another question if you did... the directions are telling me to salt for two days. All of the videos I watched showed dudes that ended up with hides that were super stiff. I’m on day 3, and I don’t have that stiffness. The fur side was damp when I started the process, and I think that’s the culprit.

 

Do you think I should dry it out completely, as in until it’s stiff, before I put it into the salt bath(which is the next step)?

We didn't salt them. We would fold them in a plastic garbage bag and put them in a deep freeze until we were ready for the tanning process. First thing post-thawing, was to flesh the hide, completely, and then soaking it in the brain solution.

After it soaked, you have to wring out the hide, and then stretch it.

We didn't salt them. We would fold them in a plastic garbage bag and put them in a deep freeze until we were ready for the tanning process. First thing post-thawing, was to flesh the hide, completely, and then soaking it in the brain solution.

 

After it soaked, you have to wring out the hide, and then stretch it.

That’s cool, I definitely want to use that method next time. Did you use the deersown brain?

No, but my mom used to tan mine on the regular. :eek:

I don't believe that for a second.

Side note about the process:

I saved and cooked up the fat and fleshings, then froze them for dog treats. Traceygirl is going bananas for them.

That’s cool, I definitely want to use that method next time. Did you use the deersown brain?

Yessir

There isn't much in this world I imagine I'd want to do less than make brain solution. :puke:

There isn't much in this world I imagine I'd want to do less than make brain solution. :puke:

My experience thus far has proved tanning is nasty work.

My thought is that if you’re going to do it, you might as well do it big.

My experience thus far has proved tanning is nasty work.

 

My thought is that if you’re going to do it, you might as well do it big.

Mike Rowe did an episode at a tannery when they were still doing Dirty Jobs. Said it was one of the nastiest episodes he ever filmed, or something along that line.