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What to do with deer hide

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Loope:
I have never done anything with deer hides, but this fall I decided to save one.  Fleshed it with a pressure washer and then rolled it up and put in a trash bag in the freezer.  I am needing to do something with it soon, we are getting a half beef soon and need the freezer space.

What would you do?  I had thought about trying brain tan (I saved the brain in the freezer too), but also though about just rawhide for bow backing.  What would you recommend for a beginner?

Pat B:
Slip the hair and make rawhide. From there you can cut strips for bow backing or go right to brain tanning. By making rawhide you can store the hides outside of the freezer as long as it is in a dry place.

Hawkdancer:
If you opt to brain tan, cook the brains(outside) several different ways to apply the brains to the hide, after brains are rubbed into the hide, stake it by stretching over a pole or rounded stump until dry, them smoke it for several hours over cool smoke, not hot!  The smoking will set the brain oils into  the hide and allow it to dry soft if it gets wet.  Caution, your lady may decide she needs a new dress.  Good move to save the brains >:D.  You can also find them in the meat section or butcher shop.
Hawkdancer

Every critter has enough brains to tan his/ her hide

Outbackbob48:
One more option if you don't want  to slip hair and grain is to salt your hide and roll flesh to flesh and put in a 5 gal. bucket with a good sealed lid, will free up freezer space and will keep in 5 gal. bucket for yrs. Bob

aaron:
For a beginner I recommend rawhide for bow backing and many other uses. brain taning on your own is a complex yet rewarding process that is about as hard to understand and accomplish as making bow. If you do braintan, you can use eggs or other things in addition to or instead of deer brains. so to make rawhide, you can soak the hide to make the hair slip (fall out), then scrape the flesh side with a dull blade over a section of PVC pipe or smooth hard wood. stretch flat to dry.

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