Deer Hide Tactics

[Kentucky Colonel]

As some of you know, I am deer crazed at the moment. 
As part of my prep, I would like your help. 

I would like to take the hide of my next deer in a traditional manner. 
There is a lot of field experience here. I know that if you don't do it right, 
the hide will shed. I do love supple hides.

So, best hide preservation tactics for the field? Thanks in advance.

 

[Buck Conner1]

As some of you know, I am deer crazed at the moment. 
As part of my prep, I would like your help. 

I would like to take the hide of my next deer in a traditional manner. 
There is a lot of field experience here. I know that if you don't do it right, 
the hide will shed. I do love supple hides.

So, best hide preservation tactics for the field? Thanks in advance.

What are you going to do with the hide KC ? Do you want it with the hair on (pretty hard to do with your warm weather).  Are you going to have it tanned, comm. or brain tan?

 

[Kentucky Colonel]

I want it for my study to cover a table where I can lay out my rifles 
when visitors come to call and they are not in the safe. I also would 
use it at certain muzzleloading events for display. 

I also thought it might open up other future uses.
As to method, I do not know, yet.

 

[Buck Conner1]

One you have your deer down, skinned (becareful not to nick the hide), lay it flesh side up and sprinkle the raw hide with salt. Double check with your tanner to be sure this is what his customer do in FL so the hair doesn't slip. You want the hair to be in the best shape possible.

 

[patocazador]

Just to add; very few (maybe none) of the taxidermists in Florida tan the hides of animals they mount. They preserve them with a solution of various ingredients including borax. Arsenic was used in days gone by but was outlawed for obvious reasons.

Most of the tanneries are located in California and turn-around time is almost a year. They also will not guarantee that the hair will be intact when the hide is returned. You will be better off to kill 2 or 3 deer and try to tan the hides yourself and perhaps be successful or buy a tanned hide from a taxidermist.

 

[Buck Conner1]

There several of the larger tanneries in Colorado and Utah, they get a large percentage of the hides in the mid-west.