- Location
- North Bay On
I am a new hunter and i would like try and shoot a wolf i know how to skin it but how do you tan so i can use it as a rug?
how to tan a hide
- Thread starter chrised2899
- Start date
Chris,
I tried doing my elk hide with a brine using alum I think the cure worked but I never did get the time put in to soften the hide while it was drying out. It was so stiff even my 3/4 Chev didn't take the crease out of it. The hair is still very much intact, the hide hangs on the garage wall and that's been 6 years. * Be prepared to put in some quality one on one time to get a quality job.
Maybe you have a better source of wolves there but they are hard to locate here, maybe do a pratice trial on a coyote or two so you know what's involved and get a game plan figured.
Halford's in Calgary and Edmonton both have kits you can buy for doing the deed yourself too. I sent my wolf in to them in Edmonton and let them do it. Doubt I'll get many more chances at them and didn't want to wreck it.
All the best in your hunt!
I tried doing my elk hide with a brine using alum I think the cure worked but I never did get the time put in to soften the hide while it was drying out. It was so stiff even my 3/4 Chev didn't take the crease out of it. The hair is still very much intact, the hide hangs on the garage wall and that's been 6 years. * Be prepared to put in some quality one on one time to get a quality job.
Maybe you have a better source of wolves there but they are hard to locate here, maybe do a pratice trial on a coyote or two so you know what's involved and get a game plan figured.
Halford's in Calgary and Edmonton both have kits you can buy for doing the deed yourself too. I sent my wolf in to them in Edmonton and let them do it. Doubt I'll get many more chances at them and didn't want to wreck it.
All the best in your hunt!
You need to rub some neetsfoot oil into your hide to soften it up. You will have to work it and keep applying oil in the dry spots. Just don't saturate it. An elk hide is big and lots of work. If you can get it to fold up a tumble in a big industrial dryer would speed up the process. Just keep it gentle so you don't damage the hair. As far as chrised2899 's wolf hide buy a tanning kit for the first time and follow the instructions carefully. You won't be disappointed.
I used liberal amounts of neatfoot oil. All it seemsed to do is make it stink like KFC. lol
There is no way that thing would fit in a dryer. Its not worth the effort, better to just do a better job on my next one.
Thanks for the tips tho!
There is no way that thing would fit in a dryer. Its not worth the effort, better to just do a better job on my next one.
Thanks for the tips tho!
There is also brain tanning and aging. You can work the animal's brains into the hide, then roll it up and put it in a canvas bag (or don't roll it up and bury it in the ground, hair down) for a couple of days. That will help to soften it. Take it out rinse off the brains, break the grain on a piece of rope stretched between two trees. Should be soft and supple as can be, and you are done.
Tanning is a profession of its own if you are looking to end up with a nice wolf hide send it in to get dune professionally. If you are just looking at playing with it for something to do than give it a go
The process simply put is you have to “prep” the skin “pickle” the skin than “tan” the skin than “oil” the hide and “break” it
Tanning a hide can be a complicated process, what you would do to tan a wolf hide is not the same as what you would do to tan say a coon hide
The process simply put is you have to “prep” the skin “pickle” the skin than “tan” the skin than “oil” the hide and “break” it
Tanning a hide can be a complicated process, what you would do to tan a wolf hide is not the same as what you would do to tan say a coon hide
Last edited:
What ever solution you use you have to work the hide soft when and while it is drying. If it drys hard make it damp and work/rub it soft on the something round like the end of a bat on the leather side. When you get it soft treat it with neatsfoot.
I use the same solution for all my hides with good results but it is the sulfuric acid one.
I use the same solution for all my hides with good results but it is the sulfuric acid one.
Get to a magazine store and grab a copy of The Backwoodsman. Pretty sure it's the current copy that has a long article on tanning, that shoots down some of the 'common wisdom' and points out the facts O life, that tanning and doing a decent job of it yourself, is a bunch of physical labour.
If you don't want to risk ruining it, run it through a commercial tannery.
Dunno what all is available in your area, but Halford Hide out here does a good job, for not much (around $300 IIRC, check their catalogue) money. OK. $300 is fair money, but if you want to do it, it's gonna be a bunch of work!
If you cannot find the article, check their website for back issues.
It's good read. The guy has an aversion for brains mush, and still gets good results.
Cheers
Trev
If you don't want to risk ruining it, run it through a commercial tannery.
Dunno what all is available in your area, but Halford Hide out here does a good job, for not much (around $300 IIRC, check their catalogue) money. OK. $300 is fair money, but if you want to do it, it's gonna be a bunch of work!
If you cannot find the article, check their website for back issues.
It's good read. The guy has an aversion for brains mush, and still gets good results.
Cheers
Trev
Trev,
you are right.
While I have the know-how to tan a hide, I have only ever done 2, and they were rabbits. Intense amount of work. I should have mentioned that. I won't do it again in a hurry. easier to get it done professionally.
you are right.
While I have the know-how to tan a hide, I have only ever done 2, and they were rabbits. Intense amount of work. I should have mentioned that. I won't do it again in a hurry. easier to get it done professionally.
- Location
- North Bay On
Thanks for the help!! I checked out the halford's site and man the have a lot of stuff but we have ther fur harvester's here in north bay so i think i'll check them out too!!
This is a bear hide done by a pro and I paid big bucks for it. The hide is like cardboard and cracking like a cookie and that is because the pro did not neutralize the hide properly. A yote hide he did I already threw out and those aren't bullet holes in bear hide just poor work.
These are hides I did and have out lasted the pro's work
This is two deer hides with hair on to show leather and hair side. Doing it yourself is a bit of work but you can do a good job if you want. Make sure you check out a tanning places work for hides that have aged and not just done.
These are hides I did and have out lasted the pro's work
This is two deer hides with hair on to show leather and hair side. Doing it yourself is a bit of work but you can do a good job if you want. Make sure you check out a tanning places work for hides that have aged and not just done.
Practice on other hides first!!!!!!!!!!
I do a couple different kinds of home tanning, and the fact is, it's easier and cheaper to get someone else to do it.
That said, I'm cheap and obstinate, so I do it myself. If you want, send my a PM and I'll help you get started, but just be aware even doing a rabbit skin can be a major PITA. for every square inch of extra surface area and every millimeter of skin thickness, the hide will get exponentially harder to work.
I do a couple different kinds of home tanning, and the fact is, it's easier and cheaper to get someone else to do it.
That said, I'm cheap and obstinate, so I do it myself. If you want, send my a PM and I'll help you get started, but just be aware even doing a rabbit skin can be a major PITA. for every square inch of extra surface area and every millimeter of skin thickness, the hide will get exponentially harder to work.
Us to a tannery in Winnipeg they did a good job but I am not sure if they are still there
The other thing is it depends what you want tanned a tannery that does belt leather is not going to do a wolf and a tannery that does a wolf may not do a moose
There use to be a tannery in North Bay behind Carlson Sports just off 17 going to sturgeon
They did nice leather but kiss the feet / legs and faces good buy
Hey chris,
I've never tanned a hide before but i got a magnificent red fox pelt sitting in my freezer waiting for me to tan it. I have fiends that have tanned hides before and was told that as long as you remove all of the meat and as much of the fat as you can it can be neatly folded and frozen for later. As for the tanning process there are many ways you can go such as using the Brains of the animal, tanning with brine or using urine. I chose to go with a much easier method and use a premixed tanning formula. I ordered it online F & T fur harvester's trading post for only 8.95 each bottle and it comes with easy to follow instruction and one bottle can do a deer hide so you could at least do to wolves. I still haven't done mine due to lack of free time but when i do ill put up some pictures.
F&T website:
http://www.fntpost.com/Categories/Fur+Handling/Tanning/Tanning+Kits+Supplies/
