Hunting & tanning hides

Riverrose28 · Sep 5, 2011

We all know times are tough! I've been freezing and canning for over 30 years, and buying my meat from the grocery store. We used to raise chickens but the county has made it really hard with all the new rules, so we don't raise them any more. I haven't allowed my husband to hunt for years, seeing as how I can buy meat at the store, but times have regressed. He is going to hunt turkey and deer this year. I know how to dress the turkey, and he can dress the deer and butcher. I was thinking I would try and learn how to tan the hides, as the guys accross the way get around 10 deer a year. Do any of you know how to tan the hides?

Sonya · Sep 5, 2011

there is a kit you can buy for about $30, you can do about 3 deer hides w/that...it comes with the chemicals you will need and directions. I'd find you the link but I'm replying from my smart phone, and it's just not that smart enough to copy and paste. We tan all ours to tie flies for fly fishing. One thing: be sure to scrape the hide very very good of all flesh/membrane or it won't come out right..

weebiscuit · Sep 5, 2011

Riverrose28 said:
We all know times are tough! I've been freezing and canning for over 30 years, and buying my meat from the grocery store. We used to raise chickens but the county has made it really hard with all the new rules, so we don't raise them any more. I haven't allowed my husband to hunt for years, seeing as how I can buy meat at the store, but times have regressed. He is going to hunt turkey and deer this year. I know how to dress the turkey, and he can dress the deer and butcher. I was thinking I would try and learn how to tan the hides, as the guys accross the way get around 10 deer a year. Do any of you know how to tan the hides?

I've never tanned a hide. We take our deer to the locker to get processed and usually don't want the hide back, but many years ago when we wanted a few hides we just had the locker plant clean and tan them for us.

We raise our own meat chickens every year, and also raise enough for our daughter. I guess it upsets me when you say there are new rules making it hard for you! This is AMERICA! Why in the world can't you raise your own chickens if you so desire, unless, of course, you are trying to raise them in an apartment complex, LOL!

I also thought it was funny when you said you hadn't allowed your husband to hunt for years! Oh my... I just could never imagine myself telling my husband he couldn't do something that he just absolutely LIVES for once a year! I can't imagine telling him he wasn't allowed to do anything, and he couldn't tell me that, either. I'm not his slave, nor is he mine! I guess the way you said it just gave me a chuckle!

cretahillsgal · Sep 5, 2011

I've done it before and honestly it is HARD! Especially if you dont have the right tools.

Once the skin is off you have to scrape the flesh side of it to be sure and get all the meat/fat off. Then you have to cure it in salt for so long. Then using the actual tanning chemicals starts. I gave up at that point. LOL

But like I said not having the right tools to scrape the hide down makes it more difficult. Do you have a taxidermist in your area that would do that part for you for a small fee?

The taxidermist that I use scrapes and cures his hides. But he says that the chemical part has to be done just right or they are ruined. So he cures them all and then sends them all out together to a tanner to have them tanned.

bevann · Sep 5, 2011

I don't have any advice on how to do this,Terry, but I really want to see what you make from the hides.Purses, jackets, boots,leggings etc.Any ideas on what you will try?I use ground venison for chili and spagetti sauce and really prefer i to beef-far less fat and I'm sure it doesn't have all the growth hormones in it that much commercial beef has.I live in a very rural area and when I was growing up we had our own pigs and steers and not many chemicals were used in farming-just old fashioned manure.Who says we have made progress

Riverrose28 · Sep 6, 2011

We raise our own meat chickens every year, and also raise enough for our daughter. I guess it upsets me when you say there are new rules making it hard for you! This is AMERICA! Why in the world can't you raise your own chickens if you so desire, unless, of course, you are trying to raise them in an apartment complex, LOL!

We used to have lots of chickens, but several years ago the county passed a law that all poultry has to be kept in a hen house and yard with cover, and NO free ranging or you will be fined. We have a chicken coup and had a yard but we no longer have the covered yard. We do live on a farm and I think the new laws were put into place because of flu being spread by free ranging.

As for allowing my husband to hunt, yes that is funny. He used to hunt but the kids hated seeing the deer hung up and then wouldn't eat. They would ask is this deer or beef? If you told them the truth they wouldn't eat deer or even beef, they thought we were trying to trick them into eating it. All the kids are grown now, so they wouldn't see anything.

Bev, I thought I would make bags from the hides, but after reading some of the responses it may be too difficult for me with my bad hands. I then could sell them at the local farmers market.