RE: tanning a deer hide
brushbustin,
As a taxidermist and from experience, I can tell you that you would be best suited taking your skin to a taxidermist to have it tanned. I have tanned skins and it is a job. The actual tanning is not so hard, but "breaking" the skin once it it tanned so it will be soft and plyable is a lot of work and tanneries have the equipment to do this. I tanned a whitetail skin two years ago for my little boy to put across his bed and I learned then that next time I would send the skin to a tannery for tanning. You can buy the kits through cabelas to tan your own skin, but, like I say, breaking the skin once tanned is the work and there is no substitute or shortcut to it. You might want to try it just for the experience, though. Hope this helps.