Just out of curiosity
 

How many of ya'll tan your deer hides? I try to get all of mine since we get so many does over the years here in Georgia. It just seems like a waste to me if I don't tan them. Hides are almost as good and much more usefull than antlers to me.

"Hey ya'll, watch this"

RE: Just out of curiosity
 

I haven't tanned any. But, I can see where they could be used in many ways.

On the other hand we could also use the antlers for alot of things as well.

Thanks for sharing. I will make a point to tan one this year.

Happy hunting!

KEEP HUNTING THE GREAT OUTDOORS & GOD ALIVE, PASS IT ON!

RE: Just out of curiosity
 

I don't tan the hides...but t is something to think about. MAybe making mittens or really anything you want. But I'm only 15 right now and have no need for them. Maybe in the future, I willl enjoy something like a rg or quilt for my own house, Who knows?

RE: Just out of curiosity
 

Deerhugger11,

The picture on the bottom of your posts is very funny lol :)
When I saw it I laughed for about an hour <img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>
Brighted up my day.

&quot;Hey ya'll, watch this&quot;

RE: Just out of curiosity
 

I have had a few tanned made a buckskin coat and a set of leggin's
getting kinda expensive any more,but a bunch of us go to a rondevou every year and you cant wear nothing modern gotta dress the part

RE: Just out of curiosity
 

We donate all of ours to the local Wildlife fed. They inturn sell them to various groups, the money received goes directly back into keeping the tradition of hunting a live and various wildlife projects, such as habitat for wildlife, etc.

RE: Just out of curiosity
 

Does anybody have any good resources for tanning your own hides? I've always wanted to learn. Thanks.

RE: Just out of curiosity
 

I have never tanned a hide. Here in Ontario we have a &quot;Hats for Hides&quot; program which allows hunters to turn in their deer hides to one of the Hats for Hides Depots (usually a local butcher shop or game club)in return for a hat. The hats we recieve are blaze orange (all hunters in Ontario, by law, must wear blaze orange headware while rifle hunting) with a nice embroiderd and dated crest. I believe all hides are given to various Aborigional and Native groups.

Nothin' better than the second week of deer camp.

RE: Just out of curiosity
 

Kodiak, I kant really take all the credit for it. I seen the phrase off another site... then made it. But it is funny and that's why i use it. Anything to brighten someone's day no matter how small is worth it.

On topic now...how would you go about tanning your hides? Can you do it yourself? Can you get someone else to do it? How much will it cost in different scenarios (Do it yourself vs someone else if that applies)???

RE: Just out of curiosity
 

I think doing a dashboard or interior of my truck would be cool. But I don't know how or have the priority to pursue it. Sure would feel nice though.

RE: Just out of curiosity
 

I can tell you all the way I do my hides.

First if you get your deer done by a processer like I do, you tell him to save the hide. When you pick it up with the meat from the deer there will be alot of chunks of meat still on the hide they couldn't get off. The first thing you do when you get the hide is thaw it out because it will be frozen, there is no special way of doing this , just leave it out for a few hours untill you can stretch the hide out. Then I tack the hide to a big pieace of plywood. Or cardboard will work, or any piece of anything that is bigger than the hide that you can stretch the hide out on. Then you cut all the meat and crap off the hide. There is a membrain on the hide that is extreamly hard to scrape off, don't worry about it now just get all the fat and meat off. Then wash your knife off and get a big bag of salt. Like cattle salt. I think it comes in 50 or 25 pound bags. Table salt will work just as good but you need lots of bags of it. I'd say at least 12 pounds or so. Then spread the salt about an inch thick all over the hide, try to work the first little layer of salt into the hide. It's not all that important but it gets good results. Then leave the hide to dry out for about 2 weeks, or untill the skin side of the hide turns a blue color. Then dump all the salt off the hide and and take a very sharp knife and scrape all the hardend salt layer off the hide, this takes that membrain off. Scrape all over the hide untill it gets a smooth texture to it. Then you can take it off the board and it will be stiff but preserved so if you don't have what comes next you can leave the hide untill later and it won't hurt it unless it gets wet. Now the interesting part! Get some hog/cattle brains. You can get them at most food stores. Butcher shops can give you brains too. Or you can just ask your processer for a deer brain. Now you have all you need to tan the hide. You can rub the brains (warm brain) into the hide or you can do what I do and get a 5 gallon bucket and fill it with real hot water, not boiling but as hot as you can stand to put your hand in it. Fill the bucket about 1/2 full with water and put the brain in it. Mush it around untill it disapates in the water. Now put the hide in it and soak it for an hour or two. Get the hide out and wring it real good. Work it over a board or with a boat paddle or anything, stretch it alot and just keep it moving untill it is dry. This is like 4 hours of constant movement. When the hide is no longer cool to the touch and is a white color. Now the hide is tanned.

Or you can take the easy way out and buy something called &quot;trapper's hide tanning formula&quot;. It comes in an orange bottle. You do the exact same thing with the salt and scraping it and all but instead of all the water and brains you just work this formula into it and let the hide hand for a few days, it'll be all hard when you take it down and then you just take a paddle and work the hide for about 2 hours and it'll turn white and soft. It's great stuff. Makes an off-white tan. It comes with directions but I think they were a little complicated so I just did my own thing. Hope this helps you all, If you have any questions on it I have alot of time to type.

&quot;Hey ya'll, watch this&quot;

RE: Just out of curiosity
 

Or you can take the real easy way out and ask your taxidermist where he sends all his hides to get tanned at. Sending a hide off to get tanned or just having your taxidermist doing it will cost about $80 or so, don't ask for a rug, just an indian style tan. Hog brains in the store are about $3 here. You can use ivory soap and mayonase to tan hides too. I've used egg yolks to tan small game hides. It works great. You can use neets foot oil and rub that in the hide. I've never seen that done so I can't comment much on it. It's not much work if you know about what you are doing. The most easy way to learn is try tanning a squirrel hide. These take about two hours. The salt saves alot of energy getting the membrain off. Rabbit hides are very thin but fairly easy to do. I would not try a deer untill I did a squirrel or possum or coon or something. It's great fun and the hide lasts a lifetime.

&quot;Hey ya'll, watch this&quot;

RE: Just out of curiosity
 

Kool, I'm gonna give this a try in the future! maybe a coyote or something to start...

RE: Just out of curiosity
 

Some mag had an article claiming deer leather was better wearing than cow leather.

I worked a small portion of deer hide last year, came out ok. I plan on keeping the hides, and having someone make some gloves, maybe a possibles bag, maybe a soft sided briefcase, and if I find a design I like, a long coat.

I think a lot of people throw out a very useful part of the deer, one I plan on working with from now on.

--Jim

RE: Just out of curiosity
 

You can get deer hide as solf as flannel. Much better than cow hide.

&quot;Hey ya'll, watch this&quot;

RE: Just out of curiosity
 

i got an elk hide from our local swap meet for $5.00 it's kinda stiff will the neets foot soften it up for me too?????????

IF IT IS TO BE......
IT IS UP TO ME......

RE: Just out of curiosity
 

I'm sure it will. Just remember to put the oil on a rag and rub the rag against the hide. Like dusting with pledge.

&quot;Hey ya'll, watch this&quot;