I recently tanned a deer hide for a wall hanging. I used a home tanning kit from a commercial supplier. The hardest part by far was the breaking stage. Since I planned to hang the hide on a wall, it didn't have to be really soft and pliable. Even though, the folding and bending was tough in the beginning

If you want a soft, pliable hide I recommend sending it to a tanner. Your time, as labor, to do it yourself will be a lot more than what a tanner would charge.