Tanning hides Anyone do it? Advice needed

Bulldog26

Bulldog26

CGN Regular
Rating - 100%
2   0   0
Location
NB
Hey folks, just wondering if any of you have tanned anything that you killed...if so, is there a sure fire method that even a beginner can't screw up?

I've experimented with a coyote, fox, and rabbit....but just using natural ideas found on youtube. Every time I did it the fur would start falling out after about 6 months.

I've harvested enough animals over the years, and would love to have some hides to show for it going forward. Seems like such a wast to just dump a deer hide in the compost.
 
I tanned my first animal fer last year when I got a mountain goat with my daughter. I brought the hide and head home. It went well and seems to be fine. Quite easy all in all just salt, dry and then store your hide in a dry area until you are ready to tan. I used " Deer hunters and trappers hide tanning formula"
https://www.cabelas.ca/product/6134...3UE7c9etEzbgWuJtZY1WBMusl2IlG_0xoCZHUQAvD_BwE

It's comes inna orange bottle and has directions on how to start off with a salted hide.

Since that I have done probably 20 rabbit pelts since we have meat rabbits and kill quite a few a month. Some have neat patterns
 
Last edited:
Trubond. Check it out. Flesh and pickle the hide, neutralize and rub in the tanning oil. Works quite well.
 
Same, I've done a few coyotes with the orange bottle of tanning solution with decent results.

It's all in the prep. Getting it fleshed good so the tanning is preserving the pelt and hair follicles from falling out in the future.

A good fleshing knife and board will do wonders.

I've heard brain tanning works just as good. Every animals brain is the amount you need to tan that pelt.
 
DVXDUDE said:
Same, I've done a few coyotes with the orange bottle of tanning solution with decent results.

It's all in the prep. Getting it fleshed good so the tanning is preserving the pelt and hair follicles from falling out in the future.

A good fleshing knife and board will do wonders.

I've heard brain tanning works just as good. Every animals brain is the amount you need to tan that pelt.
Click to expand...

My friend is a part time taxidermist and he says that’s the key to success. The hard work in the prep is critical for decent results.
 
I did a weekend course on traditional brain and smoke-tanning. We did deer pelts, but it's the same process for rabbit, moose, fish, whatever. If you have an Indigenous Friendship Centre in your town, or a folk school, or a Community College, reach out to them about it. The process is simple. The hardest part is the scraping (which is an all-day process to do right, especially the area between the shoulders).

A bucket, the animal's brain, borax, and punky wood ... all you need.

Hell, I bet YouTube would have plenty of info on that if you wanted to DIY it.
 
"alum" an salt..... an Chrome for flat rugs-

alum an salt for my home made mounts..

temperature / climate plays a huge part in what may work an what wont.

im internet schooled, taxi forum and youtube learned....... some of my mounts are comin up a few years old now an no issue.

just tanned a cow hide... holy hekka it was big job... possibly didnt flesh initially real well, had some minor slippage. i used chrome to final tan it.. its on the floor but i didnt break it enough... may flap disc it an more oil in future but ..i duno if i wanna do another one lol. huge learner curve tho that one


done some deer skins, they r awesome. chrome makes a good finish.


many ways to skin a cat.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom