RE: what to do with a hide.
I usually tan them and keep them around the house. This year, I need a new possibles bag so I'll be making that out of at least one of them.
To tan them, I tack the hide to a piece of plywood and cover it with salt to dry out for a few weeks. Then I scrape the salt off of it, and crack a half dozen eggs on the hide and work it in like brain tanning. Then I just work it until it's dry and smoke it over a firegive it some color.