For more information check out taxidermy.net. They have lots of info on anything related to taxidermy with step by step tutorials. Some of the greatest taxidermist in the world are on that site.
Agreed.... youtube is good too....
Here is a some more info I put together...
It’s an alum tanning process....well I guess its not really a true tan....its more of a preserving solution mix...Good for wall hangers and the man-cave, not so much for clothing because getting it wet can ruin it... at least that's my understanding...
There are a lot of versions on youtube…. Here is a good video of showing most of the steps with the alum tanning….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Re_kdBzbwm8
Below is some step by step info I put together…..
1. skin hide best you can.....remove most meat and fat during the skinning process.....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZBMr3AgWQE
2. You need to split the lips ...I find a razor blade works better
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8p3e-ppyZO4
3. You need to split the ears…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqwYzh9UZzM
4. Salt the hide really good..... then 24 hrs later....
5. Remove the old salt and re-salt entire hide again.... this will harden all the remaining meat and fat allowing you to scrape it off easier.
6. You can begin scraping the meat and fat off with a dull knife or big spoon working it slowly until all the meat and fat is gone.... As long as the hide is in a cool place (garage) you can leave it salted for months on end without any ill effects... A couple ways to flesh, here is a pretty easy, simple way to do it without a fleshing beam...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOfMN8Dxkf0
Once you have the fat and meat removed you can begin the preserving (alum tan) process.
1. Rinse the hide with cool water to remove most of the dirt and blood (5 mins) (laundry sink or 5 gallon pail)
2. Now wash the hide in the laundry sink with dawn soap using cool water. (Scrubbing it for 5 minutes)
3. Rinse with clean water to remove the soap
4. Wring dry
5. Place a half lb of alum (available at Bulk Barn) and 2 lbs of salt in 3 gallons of cool water...mix it well so it all dissolves.
6. Put that washed and rinsed coyote hide in this bucket solution.... mixing, moving the hide around at least twice a day. I leave my bucket solution in my basement laundry sink.
7. When you have time (try and do this once a day) lift the hide out of 5 gallon pail and remove swollen fat and meat with a knife. I usually just pull enough of the hide for it to hang off the outside of the pail and use the top lip of the pail as a fleshing bean and run a duff knife down over it. This running the knife scrapes off a lot of this swollen meat and fat off really well. it just takes time...After about a week in this solution the hide should be done...
9. Remove hide from solution, rinse with cool water 5 mins
10. Wring hide and put back in laundry sink with some cool water and baking soda solution for 5 mins...
11. Rinse hide again and then add some shampoo, wash hide in laundry sink with shampoo for 5 mins, rinse, wring and hang to dry over sink or pail.... I usually hang to dry with fur out so it doesn't dry too fast.
12. Next day while its still wet, I sew all holes and sit in the man cave and start pulling, stretching hide in all directions.
13. Once I am tired of pulling hide I put it away, hang hide fur side out again so it doesn't dry before I get a chance to work the hide again the next night.
14. After a couple of evenings of pulling the hide in the man cave while watching tv, stretching the hide in all directions and it’s just about dry…… now would be a good time to put it in the dryer. Put coyote in large pillow case or sack with a couple tennis shoes and no heat cycle will tumble to help make it soft...
15. Keep pulling hide until it dries completely…. You can always pull; break the hide over a 2x4 or rope…
