Deer Hides

[greymundos]

Hello,

I'm Douglas Cowan I will be apprenticing with Wilderness Awareness School, a non profit organization, in the fall with their adult program. I know it is a bit early to be looking for hides but I am trying to put myself on peoples radar early.
When hunting season arrives please think about donating your hide to me to teach the art of brain tanning to adults.

I would greatly appreciate any hides that are going to be left in the woods. I do not get paid for apprenticing with the school.

You can contact me at 505-307-9399 or lasantavaca@gmail.com
calls are preferred but texts and emails are also accepted. Please leave a message if I do not answer and I will get back to you as soon as possible, I know no one wants a hide laying out for too long.


Thank you for reading this and your time.

[snowpack]

Wouldn't you need the brains too?

[Blacktail Sniper]

For those outside the area, how would they get them to you?  Are you willing to travel, if so how far?

[biggfish]

tagging

[lokidog]

Good questions guys.  I hate tossing the hide but have too many for myself.

[greymundos]

If you want to pull the brains out for me I'd take them, its kind of a pain to do that. I usually go to Uwajimaya to get pork brains. They are like $3 a pound.

I'd be willing to travel pretty far if there were enough hides involved. How far away are you? I'd go to Yelm for sure.

Thanks for your interest everyone.

[jagermiester]

How does brain tanning work? Is it as simple as it sounds? Do you just mash the brain and rub it into the hide?

[Elk whack master]

How does brain tanning work? Is it as simple as it sounds? Do you just mash the brain and rub it into the hide?

You drill a hole and insert straw and suck then spit into bucket! Just don't swallow the brains or you will become a zombie deer
You can have mine if I get one.

[elk247]

  The siphen method also builds up your woods cred.   

[jechicdr]

I'd be interested in the process too.

[greymundos]

How does brain tanning work? Is it as simple as it sounds? Do you just mash the brain and rub it into the hide?

It takes about 8 days to go from Deer Hide to buckskin. I'll give you the run down here

5 Days in Lye or KOH

1 day to scrape

put hide in river

Next Full day

wring out the hide

Put hide in hot water with Vinegar

Wring out the Hide

Put hide in brains

Wring out the hide
(I like to do the braining process 2-3 times but I've seen it done just once)

Stretch the hide 4-8 hours

Day 3

Smoke the hide with punk wood

I make a balloon with two hides and a jean skirt.


There is a lot more to it but that is the run down.

[greymundos]

Anyone successful with a bow out there yet?

[Turner89]

How much of the hide do want/need? I would be cutting mine off at the knees. Still want it? How about the head?

[greymundos]

Yes at the knees is fine. The cutting it at the neck is fine, no need for the head. Thanks for asking. Most of the time when I get hides from hunters the hides are sliced up pretty bad. It's quite easy to just peel the whole hide off the animal and not leave any slice marks. But I will take what I can get.

[Black Ghost]

Have you tried any of the meat shops in your area? Might me a couple dollars but will save ya from driving around to get quantity. Fuel is expensive for 1 hide.

[greymundos]

I have looked into that, no one seems to skin deer for people in my area. Do you have any meat shops in mind? I asked in Woodinville and Monroe last year.

Also I'd love to get deer legs. Sinew is really useful I've also been making fish hooks out of toe bones.

[greymundos]

Good luck this weekend everyone!

[scottr]

I talked to one of your instructors on Sunday at Salmon days with my son. Another was shaping a nice looking piece of wood into a bow at the back of the booth. Sounds like a cool program.

Try calling Fisher Meats in Issaquah, they process game so they may have capes and brains.

If (BIG IF) I get one I'll give you the hide.

[deltaops]

I would love to have a tanned on for myself, but can not afford to have one do it. So if we get any, I will call you. Last year a friend of mine was going to tan one for me, but he flaked so it went to waste.

[greymundos]

I talked to one of your instructors on Sunday at Salmon days with my son. Another was shaping a nice looking piece of wood into a bow at the back of the booth. Sounds like a cool program.

Try calling Fisher Meats in Issaquah, they process game so they may have capes and brains.

If (BIG IF) I get one I'll give you the hide.

That was me, working on an osage bow!

[greymundos]

Got my first hide of the season in today!

[WAcoueshunter]

Got my first hide of the season in today!

 

[lokidog]

I'll be in Mount Vernon/Burlington Tuesday and could drop my hide somewhere, there are a few holes (.44 mag entrys and exits) in it though no cut marks.  Let me know.

[greymundos]

I'll be in Mount Vernon/Burlington Tuesday and could drop my hide somewhere, there are a few holes (.44 mag entrys and exits) in it though no cut marks.  Let me know.

I'm off Tuesday and can come up there to grab it. Where are you thinking? I'll message you.

[greymundos]

Anyone going for late season this weekend?