Don't waste your deer hides!

[dscubame]

Off topic but when I do gutless I go from gut towards back skinning because you end up with less hair over your meat and it gives you a nice clean mat once you roll it down.  To each their own though.  There's more then one way to skin a deer lol

In what way does it keep less hair off your meat?  Honest question?  I go back down because I don't ever have to lift a leg up to make a cut.  Only time I have to manhandle the carcass is to roll it over.

BLR from 6 or so deer and just a couple elk down the spine it was clean enough with the deer for sure.  Thought about how to answer your question "in what way" and really could not come up with a specific answer rather it seems to be just in general during the process, is all I could come up with.  I tried the elk this year from the gut just due to size of the beast and rolling it and just generally had a better experience.  I did not think about it ahead of time just came to me when I knelt down with the knife and it felt natural so I went for it.  For deer I think either is good enough. 

[MtnMuley]

As mentioned earlier, look at the author of the thread before jumping the gun on bashing something that might seem laughable. I appreciate the fact she wants to make use of the entire animal. As for many of us, this isn't an option a lot of the time. About the skinning method, gutless or not, if you're making your cuts against the natural lay if the hair, your're leaving way more hair than needs to be on your meat. Regardless if you trim the complete out later off the quarters like I do, you have to admit that the less hair present, the better.......

[police women of America]

As mentioned earlier, look at the author of the thread before jumping the gun on bashing something that might seem laughable. I appreciate the fact she wants to make use of the entire animal. As for many of us, this isn't an option a lot of the time. About the skinning method, gutless or not, if you're making your cuts against the natural lay if the hair, your're leaving way more hair than needs to be on your meat. Regardless if you trim the complete out later off the quarters like I do, you have to admit that the less hair present, the better.......

I don't really understand how making use of hides is laughable? In my original post I didn't say that everyone and anyone absalutly HAS to make use of their hides. I simply said that I thought it was a waste to throw them away rather then giving them to someone who can use them. And I also gave links to companies who will pay for the hides. If people get offended by other people's opinions, maybe they shouldn't be on the internet 

[police women of America]

Off topic but when I do gutless I go from gut towards back skinning because you end up with less hair over your meat and it gives you a nice clean mat once you roll it down.  To each their own though.  There's more then one way to skin a deer lol

In what way does it keep less hair off your meat?  Honest question?  I go back down because I don't ever have to lift a leg up to make a cut.  Only time I have to manhandle the carcass is to roll it over.

I'm honestly not all that concerned about some hair on the meat, because when I butcher it I trim off the outer fascia anyway.

I've also seen a guy use a small blowtorch to lightly burn the hair off the meat before freezing. But he did it just light enough so it wouldnt cook the meat.

[police women of America]

Hides For Veterans

The Elks Leather Program was initiated in 1948 when the Elks of California
launched a hide-gathering program in their State during hunting season. The raw hides
were collected at central points, salted and shipped to a Los Angeles tannery for
processing. Finished leather, in brilliant colors, was made available to Veterans Medical
facilities throughout the State.
 To make this popular program available to all VA Medical Centers (VAMC), the
Elks National Veterans Service Commission arranged funding to pay for tanning and
shipping of the hides nationwide. Today, over nineteen States donate or are developing
plans to support this program. All States are invited to donate hides, make use of the
“Gloves for Wheelchair Veterans” program and participate in the tanned leather
distribution.
 Since the government does not budget money for leather for wheelchair gloves
for veterans, it falls upon the Elks to keep the supply line open.
 The Elks National Veterans Service Commission has pledged that: “While there is
a committee of Elks on the job, therapists will never experience a shortage of leather”.

http://www.elks.org/vets/VeteransLeatherProgram.pdf

I love this idea. I think if it was more well known, and easier for hunters to drop off hides, even more hides could go towards veterans. I would love for an organization like this to go nation wide.

[Karl Blanchard]

One thing that would need to be considered with that idea is how frequently those barrels would need to be checked.  With the temps often into the 70's and 80's during rifle and even the 90's during early archery and muzzleloader seasons, youd have to be checking barrels twice daily.  A hide would cook very fast in a bin sitting out in the sunshine.

[MtnMuley]

As mentioned earlier, look at the author of the thread before jumping the gun on bashing something that might seem laughable. I appreciate the fact she wants to make use of the entire animal. As for many of us, this isn't an option a lot of the time. About the skinning method, gutless or not, if you're making your cuts against the natural lay if the hair, your're leaving way more hair than needs to be on your meat. Regardless if you trim the complete out later off the quarters like I do, you have to admit that the less hair present, the better.......

I don't really understand how making use of hides is laughable? In my original post I didn't say that everyone and anyone absalutly HAS to make use of their hides. I simply said that I thought it was a waste to throw them away rather then giving them to someone who can use them. And I also gave links to companies who will pay for the hides. If people get offended by other people's opinions, maybe they shouldn't be on the internet 

15 miles in with your camp on your back and attempting to provide a solid reason to pack the hide out is very laughable. Even a cape off a 200" buck is laughable if I'm in camp.

[JDHasty]

As mentioned earlier, look at the author of the thread before jumping the gun on bashing something that might seem laughable. I appreciate the fact she wants to make use of the entire animal. As for many of us, this isn't an option a lot of the time. About the skinning method, gutless or not, if you're making your cuts against the natural lay if the hair, your're leaving way more hair than needs to be on your meat. Regardless if you trim the complete out later off the quarters like I do, you have to admit that the less hair present, the better.......

I don't really understand how making use of hides is laughable? In my original post I didn't say that everyone and anyone absalutly HAS to make use of their hides. I simply said that I thought it was a waste to throw them away rather then giving them to someone who can use them. And I also gave links to companies who will pay for the hides. If people get offended by other people's opinions, maybe they shouldn't be on the internet 

They can be used for crafts etc.  perhaps the reason that I recognize the potential value is that I wore buckskin shirts when I was a kid.  They are warm in the winter and believe it or not comfortable in the summer and indestructible.  I'll post a picture one my aunt made for me in 1964 when I was five.  I wore it daily for at least two or three years.

We didn't have a lot of money when I was a kid.   

[police women of America]

As mentioned earlier, look at the author of the thread before jumping the gun on bashing something that might seem laughable. I appreciate the fact she wants to make use of the entire animal. As for many of us, this isn't an option a lot of the time. About the skinning method, gutless or not, if you're making your cuts against the natural lay if the hair, your're leaving way more hair than needs to be on your meat. Regardless if you trim the complete out later off the quarters like I do, you have to admit that the less hair present, the better.......

I don't really understand how making use of hides is laughable? In my original post I didn't say that everyone and anyone absalutly HAS to make use of their hides. I simply said that I thought it was a waste to throw them away rather then giving them to someone who can use them. And I also gave links to companies who will pay for the hides. If people get offended by other people's opinions, maybe they shouldn't be on the internet 

15 miles in with your camp on your back and attempting to provide a solid reason to pack the hide out is very laughable. Even a cape off a 200" buck is laughable if I'm in camp.

I never said that everyone has to use there hides. I just think they're very valuable and shouldn't go to waste. I've hunted that fare out before and I brought two other people with me and something to help haul the deer. That way nothing went to waste.

[police women of America]

One thing that would need to be considered with that idea is how frequently those barrels would need to be checked.  With the temps often into the 70's and 80's during rifle and even the 90's during early archery and muzzleloader seasons, youd have to be checking barrels twice daily.  A hide would cook very fast in a bin sitting out in the sunshine.

I think if they had them at WDFW stations the employees could check them twice a day. But that's just an assumption, I'm not even sure if they would be able to. But I'm sure there's some kind of system they used that kept the hides usable.

[JDHasty]

One thing that would need to be considered with that idea is how frequently those barrels would need to be checked.  With the temps often into the 70's and 80's during rifle and even the 90's during early archery and muzzleloader seasons, youd have to be checking barrels twice daily.  A hide would cook very fast in a bin sitting out in the sunshine.

I think if they had them at WDFW stations the employees could check them twice a day. But that's just an assumption, I'm not even sure if they would be able to. But I'm sure there's some kind of system they used that kept the hides usable.

I helped out with them when I was a teenager growing up in Lakewood.  I only volunteered to help out and do not know the particulars of how it worked.  It was very, very popular.  I would help to collect the hides and then salt and stack them and by the end of the season they had stacks taller than I was. 

[police women of America]

They can be used for crafts etc.  perhaps the reason that I recognize the potential value is that I wore buckskin shirts when I was a kid.  They are warm in the winter and believe it or not comfortable in the summer and indestructible.  I'll post a picture one my aunt made for me in 1964 when I was five.  I wore it daily for at least two or three years.

We didn't have a lot of money when I was a kid.
[/quote]
Wow I didn't know buckskin was that good for shirts and pants. I always thought it might be more delicate, but I guess it is leather. Those could make great Christmas gifts too.

[JDHasty]

They can be used for crafts etc.  perhaps the reason that I recognize the potential value is that I wore buckskin shirts when I was a kid.  They are warm in the winter and believe it or not comfortable in the summer and indestructible.  I'll post a picture one my aunt made for me in 1964 when I was five.  I wore it daily for at least two or three years.

We didn't have a lot of money when I was a kid.

Wow I didn't know buckskin was that good for shirts and pants. I always thought it might be more delicate, but I guess it is leather. Those could make great Christmas gifts too.
[/quote]

That shirt had a lot of tough use.  Buckskin is indestructible and very soft.  Mom used to clean it with saddle soap. 

[police women of America]

They can be used for crafts etc.  perhaps the reason that I recognize the potential value is that I wore buckskin shirts when I was a kid.  They are warm in the winter and believe it or not comfortable in the summer and indestructible.  I'll post a picture one my aunt made for me in 1964 when I was five.  I wore it daily for at least two or three years.

We didn't have a lot of money when I was a kid.

Wow I didn't know buckskin was that good for shirts and pants. I always thought it might be more delicate, but I guess it is leather. Those could make great Christmas gifts too.

That shirt had a lot of tough use.  Buckskin is indestructible and very soft.  Mom used to clean it with saddle soap.
[/quote]
Good to know. I'll have to make a pair of pants for my brother someday.