salt ?

[Bobby5]

I herd of people putting salt on the end of squirral tails and deer hooves. I was wondering what the salt does?

[coyote caller]

Salt removes the moisture from the skin, and tightens up the hair in the skin, preparing the skin for tanning.

[AlaskaMagnum]

Also,

Salt inhibits bacteria growth, which is the cause of hair "slipping" off of hides.

[Bobby5]

I am making a deer feet gun rack and I know im suppose to skin the feet and tan them and stuff but i dont have the money. I was wondering i pour some salt on the feet it will make them last longer?

[M.Magis]

Will they last longer, yes, but it's not something you want in your house for long. It's still raw flesh, especially inside the foot. Eventually, the bugs will find it.

[Bobby5]

Does it matter if you iodized salt or does it matter?

[coyote caller]

No it doesn't matter. They only add a very very small amount of iodine to the salt antways. Don't let it bother you, it doesn't make a difference. The real only difference is the price. Non-iodized salt is cheaper. You can go to any feed store and buy a 50lb bag for around $4.00 or $5.00.

[Bobby5]

coyote caller, do you just sprinkle salt on lets say a deer foot or do you poar salt into a tub or something and just bury it in the salt?

[coyote caller]

Bobby5

What I do is to put an ample amount of salt on the skin. Then I rub it into all areas making sure not to miss any folds or creases. And when doing feet making sure the salt get's down into the hoof. Then I pour on more salt then leave this set on for 24 hours. Then the salt is scraped off the next day, and the whole process is repeated. Also never roll up a skin or hide when salting. I will on occations fold a hide or skin. But rolled up skins or hides will not allow the moisture to escape or drain. For large skins or hides, I always salt them on a salting rack I built. This can be anything from a piece of plywood to 1x1's screwed together, then it's set up on an angle to allow the moisture to drain away from the skins. I also set everything in a salting room that has a dehumidifier in it to help dry out the hides and skins. Don't be afraid to use salt, it's cheap to buy and when resalting a hide or skin always use fresh salt. I hope this answered your question. Good luck to ya.