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.