# tanning/preserving a deer hide



## Mapes3

hey guys. I just shot my first bow deer, and want to tan/preserve the hide. i dont have the money to have a taxidermist do it for me and i was wondering first, what it would cost for me to do it. second what i would need and third what is the process. it costs about 150 around here to have it done for me. I am already going to have the antlers turned into a euro mount as my nighbor knows a guy with beatles, then im going to do the rest myself. either post here to help others as well, or you can PM as to not get your methods away to many people. Thanks guys!


----------



## pwahuntn

Alot of work labor & expspenses just for 1 hide. pay and have it done for about $50-$70


----------



## MIbowhunter49

pwahuntn said:


> Alot of work labor & expspenses just for 1 hide. pay and have it done for about $50-$70




Did you even read his post?


----------



## 82nd Airborne

Just look at vandykestaxidermy.com they have tanning kits that aren't that expensive.


----------



## M.Magis

MIbowhunter49 said:


> Did you even read his post?


You apparently have no idea what sort of work and materials are needed. I'll repeat what pwahuntn said, *send it to a tannery. * You will not get a good soft tan on you own.


----------



## MIbowhunter49

M.Magis said:


> You apparently have no idea what sort of work and materials are needed. I'll repeat what pwahuntn said, *send it to a tannery. * You will not get a good soft tan on you own.


Oh really? Because I have to hanging on my wall right now... I know exactly what kind of work and materials are needed. But great assumption!

I said PWA didn't read the original post, because the OP said it costs 150 to get it done in his area, and PWA just decided that he could suggest go get it done for a 1/3 of the price.

Had you read the original post, you would have figured that out for yourself, and made the connection. Both of you guys need to work on your comprehension skills.


----------



## M.Magis

MIbowhunter49 said:


> Oh really? Because I have to hanging on my wall right now... I know exactly what kind of work and materials are needed. But great assumption!
> 
> I said PWA didn't read the original post, because the OP said it costs 150 to get it done in his area, and PWA just decided that he could suggest go get it done for a 1/3 of the price.
> 
> Had you read the original post, you would have figured that out for yourself, and made the connection. Both of you guys need to work on your comprehension skills.


 First, get off your high horse. Just because you have two cardboard hides on your wall doesn't mean someone else wants one just like them. I have no idea what you did, but I know for a fact you did not get them as soft and clean as a tannery. Period. 
If you had more comprehension skills you would see that it was mentioned that anyone can get one tanned for $50-75. The internet is an amazing thing. It no longer takes a taxidermist to get a hide tanned.


----------



## MIbowhunter49

Oh really? You KNOW I couldn't get them soft? Its a basic process that has been done for THOUSANDS of years... You don't have to be a taxi to get a nice result. But again, great assumption! You are truely one of the most close minded people on this forum.

And my comprehnsion skills are fine. I saw that PWA mentioned, (reitterated by you), "anyone can get a hide tanned for 50-75 bucks." What you fail to recognize, even after having it pointed out to you clear as day in my previous post, is that the OP said he did did his reseach and found out it would cost TRIPLE the arbitrary cost that PWA suggested.


Regardless of price, the OP said he'd like to do it himself. Who are you to tell him he can't do it right? I did it the right way, twice in fact, and couldn't be happier with the way it turned out. And knowing I did it myself, from start to finish, makes it even more of a thophy.


Just because your taxidermist has your nuts in a vice, doesn't mean everyone that comes in contact with you is incapable of tanning a hide. Like you said, the internet is an amazing thing. As it turns out, the products used, and the proper processes are just a few clicks and key strokes away.


----------



## M.Magis

MIbowhunter49 said:


> Just because your taxidermist has your nuts in a vice, doesn't mean everyone that comes in contact with you is incapable of tanning a hide. Like you said, the internet is an amazing thing. As it turns out, the products used, and the proper processes are just a few clicks and key strokes away.


 Most people would have the common sense to figure out that I AM A TAXIDERMIST.  I'm not going to argue with you. I just want the original poster the know that you do not have a well tanned hide hanging on your wall unless you spent dozens of hours on each one. You would also likely have carpal tunnel from thinning. I will tell you that taxidermists do not do their own soft tanning, because we know we can't do it properly. 
One more thing, that's not an "arbitrary cost". Not sure why you can't understand that we know what it costs to have a deer hide tanned. Including shipping both ways, it's $75.


----------



## MIbowhunter49

M.Magis said:


> Not sure why you can't understand that we know what it costs to have a deer hide tanned. Including shipping both ways, it's $75.




Had you said that in the first place (i.e. offered to do it for him for 75 bucks, shipped), it'd make sense. But trying to insert a random price suggestion into the mix makes no sense, when the guy already said itd cost more than that in his area.


----------



## turkeytom

M.Magis said:


> Most people would have the common sense to figure out that I AM A TAXIDERMIST.  I'm not going to argue with you. I just want the original poster the know that you do not have a well tanned hide hanging on your wall unless you spent dozens of hours on each one. You would also likely have carpal tunnel from thinning. I will tell you that taxidermists do not do their own soft tanning, because we know we can't do it properly.
> One more thing, that's not an "arbitrary cost". Not sure why you can't understand that we know what it costs to have a deer hide tanned. Including shipping both ways, it's $75.


Magis,I am also a taxidermist.Been doing it for 23 years,Let me correct a couple of your statements.You don't have to spend dozens of hours to flesh and thin a deer hide.I can have one ready in 1 1/2 hrs.I use a fleshing knife,so I don't think I will get carpal tunnel from fleshing hides.I have other tools to break the hide.Some taxidermist do know how to soft tan hides.By your statement,you are not one of them.Most taxidermists send their hides off because they don't have the time to do them,or they don't know how to do them.It is much easier to send them out and pass the cost to the customer.


----------



## M.Magis

Turkeytom, you also misunderstood what I said. The dozens of hours was not fleshing alone. If an amateur tries to do a soft tan by themselves, they have hours and hours in fleshing, thinning, tanning, oiling, and staking/softening. Remember, they don’t have the proper tools. Unless you have a 6-8’ tumbler and a staking machine, you are not producing a tan as nice as a tannery. There’s no debate about that. Most taxidermists send them out because they understand that. I tan my own capes for mounting, but I’m not arrogant enough to think I can do what a tannery does for a soft tan.


----------



## MIbowhunter49

M.Magis said:


> I'm not arrogant enough to think I can do what a tannery does for a soft tan.


But you're ignorant enough to conclude everyone else's hides are like cardboard?


----------



## *Kandice*

blah blah blah my dicks bigger blah blah. Seriously.....


----------



## M.Magis

MIbowhunter49 said:


> But you're ignorant enough to conclude everyone else's hides are like cardboard?


 Do what you want, I honestly couldn't possibly care less. I just hate to see someone waste their time. I also hate to see bad information given, and you are giving very bad information. Maybe you've never seend a well tanned soft hide, but you don't get one by home tanning without a *rediculous* amount of work.
Kandice, you are under no obligation to read any particular post. Feel free to move on, you don't seem able to offer any help here.


----------



## *Kandice*

I know I'm not...Y'all arent giving out too much help either. I think you could argue through a PM instead of clogging a thread with your crap. 

Mapes3- Hope you can find some info or someone can help you. I'm going to ask my husband, his family has tanned some deer hides so I'll see if what they did and see if they might have some tips for ya. It does take some time but it is doable!


----------



## MIbowhunter49

M.Magis said:


> Do what you want, I honestly couldn't possibly care less. I just hate to see someone waste their time. I also hate to see bad information given, and you are giving very bad information. Maybe you've never seend a well tanned soft hide, but you don't get one by home tanning without a *rediculous* amount of work.
> Kandice, you are under no obligation to read any particular post. Feel free to move on, you don't seem able to offer any help here.


I think its been proven that the garbage you spew IS the bad information. Did the OP ask if he should get it professionally done? 

NO


SO STFU AND GTFO


----------



## M.Magis

MIbowhunter49 said:


> I think its been proven that the garbage you spew IS the bad information. Did the OP ask if he should get it professionally done?
> 
> NO
> 
> 
> SO STFU AND GTFO


 Wow, how mature. I know what I know and I know what you don't know. Hopefully most people can see you're just in internet tough guy that actually doesn't know half of what he claims. But that's okay, you're not the only one. It's funny, you've run your mouth more than anyone, yet you've yet to offer even a little advice on something you claim is so easy. Interesting.


----------



## MIbowhunter49

M.Magis said:


> Wow, how mature. I know what I know and I know what you don't know. Hopefully most people can see you're just in internet tough guy that actually doesn't know half of what he claims. But that's okay, you're not the only one. It's funny, you've run your mouth more than anyone, yet you've yet to offer even a little advice on something you claim is so easy. Interesting.


Great detective job, troll. You've still yet to answer the OP's question. Thanks for the contribution.


----------



## M.Magis

MIbowhunter49 said:


> Great detective job, troll. You've still yet to answer the OP's question. Thanks for the contribution.


You realize that I'm the one that DID answer him? Find a tannery online and it will be about $75 after shipping both ways. Didn't we go over this? Again, what have you contributed? You flap your gums like a 12 year old kid. I expect you know about as much too.


----------



## MIbowhunter49

M.Magis said:


> You realize that I'm the one that DID answer him? Find a tannery online and it will be about $75 after shipping both ways. Didn't we go over this? Again, what have you contributed? You flap your gums like a 12 year old kid. I expect you know about as much too.


You still haven't read his first post huh? Did he ask how much it would cost to send it out and have it done? 


NOPE!

You just couldn't help yourself. You seem like the type that loves to hear themselves talk. Congrats, you're a self-labeled taxidermist. No one gives a rats ass.


----------



## M.Magis

I see you're going to be around a long time.  You sure will be missed, with all the help you provide.


----------



## Dry Feather

I'll add to it. If all he has are guys charging $150 to tan a hide, he is getting ripped off. I see most other taxidermists charging anywhere from $60-$90, so that $150 is way too high. And, a tanner will get them much softer than the beginner.

Whether he asked how to do it yourself, or not,. I see no fault in trying to pursuade him to send it to a less expensive place for tanning. He is just trying to help in another way. Geeeez!!!!


----------



## MIbowhunter49

M.Magis said:


> I see you're going to be around a long time.  You sure will be missed, with all the help you provide.



Theres no shortage of screen names.


I see you've been around a long time. Glad you've had 945 chances to hear yourself talk.


----------



## Texan_Hunter

I just read those 2 fight over the entire thread and didnt learn one thing on how to tan a hide yourself......


----------



## MIbowhunter49

Texan_Hunter said:


> I just read those 2 fight over the entire thread and didnt learn one thing on how to tan a hide yourself......


Thanks for the input.


----------



## TimberlandTaxi

Okay, I'll shed some light. To tan yourself...properly, you will first need a beam and fleshing knife. Beams run about $40, and a good Sheffeild knife is $165. Flesh all of the meat, fat, and sinew from the cape. You will now want to pickle your hide in an acid pickle. The most common acid used in the tanning industry is formic. This will run you about $35/gallon, plus another $25 hazardous shipping fees. After pickling you will need to shave the skin thin, so that it can be broken into soft leather later. This cannot be done by hand, and must be done using a fleshing machine. VanDykes sells a decent one for $1,400.00. After the hide has been completely and evenly shaven, you will want to neutralize the acid before tanning. After neutralization, you can use a paint on or immersion tan. I use LiquaTan in my shop, which is $59.00 per gallon. After the tanning has taken place, the hide will have to be broken in a tumbler filled w/ hardwood sawdust. You can try to get by with a small 55 gallon tumbler which runs $896.00, but a much larger tumbler will likely yield better results. Now you have a soft, leather hide, and instead of getting "ripped off" to the tune of $150, you got by doing all of the labor yourself for a measly $2,620.00 (not counting freight for any supplies and equipment). 

Yes Dry Feather, I have all of this equipment in my shop, and I didn't get it by charging $50 to tan deer hides. Tannery's will do them for that, but the hides must be fleshed, salted, and dried first. When you go to a taxidermy shop, the $150 you pay includes this labor, as well as shipping to and from a tannery. Also, most reputable tanneries will not deal with individuals, but choose only to work with taxidermy shops. I agree with Magis, if you attempt to do it yourself you will end up with cardboard. If you are okay with that, that is great. If you want soft leather, leave it to the professionals. Nothing I have written is directed at Mapes, I understand the question, and hope everything works out for them. My comments are directed at anyone who thinks I am ripping someone off by charging $150 to turn a raw skin into leather. Yep, you guessed it, my fee is exactly that...$150.00 and no I'm not getting rich.


----------



## Dry Feather

TimberlandTaxi said:


> Yes Dry Feather, I have all of this equipment in my shop, and I didn't get it by charging $50 to tan deer hides. Tannery's will do them for that, but the hides must be fleshed, salted, and dried first. When you go to a taxidermy shop, the $150 you pay includes this labor, as well as shipping to and from a tannery. Also, most reputable tanneries will not deal with individuals, but choose only to work with taxidermy shops. I agree with Magis, if you attempt to do it yourself you will end up with cardboard. If you are okay with that, that is great. If you want soft leather, leave it to the professionals. Nothing I have written is directed at Mapes, I understand the question, and hope everything works out for them. *My comments are directed at anyone who thinks I am ripping someone off by charging $150 to turn a raw skin into leather. Yep, you guessed it, my fee is exactly that...$150.00 and no I'm not getting rich*.


Not a word against you at all. The guy who did mine, I should have said, he took the order. He ships all the hides to California, to a tanner, and has them done in batches. Thats how they can be done for $50. If he can find one of those guys, he would be better off, money wise.

I know what is what when doing stuff yourself. I worked with a gunsmith for 4 years, learned all the bluing processes and all, and we made little money bluing guns. It takes the right equipment, and mostly time, to buff one down and reblue it. We might have 8 hours in a bluing job and only make $80. Thats not much, but nobody would pay any more than that. They would ship their guns off to an outside bluing guy to do it for them. We had to go cheap to get all the business. 

I hope you get plenty of business. It just seems that taxidermists around me who have been in this town as long as I have lived here send the hides out to be tanned. Those who do it themselves don't get much tanning business. I am just speaking for my neck of the woods. I know things change just by crossing the state lines. Makes me wish sometimes I moved to the right state and stayed with the gunsmithing full time. Not enough money in it for me here.


----------



## TimberlandTaxi

I don't care how many your buddy sends off, $50 isn't realistic. I send all of my WT flats off for tanning, and not that it's anyone's business, but this is how my costs break down for one of these.

Shop Rate 1 hour @ $50/hr. (This is not a wage, shop rate includes rent, utilities, insurance, equipment, etc)
Salt $1
Shipping to tannery $15
Tanning at Wildlife Gallery Wholesale Fur Dressing in MI $45
Shipping from Tannery $15
Profit $24

Yes, $24 profit for a $150 item. Not getting rich by any means, and even worse...if I were to charge $50 I would be losing my ass


----------



## sharpshooter359

I have to agree with these hot head taxi's on the it's alot of work part but you can use a plowing disc on a bench to soften the hide and if you work hard enough at it it feels like a fleece blanket. I think that the OP was just interested in where to look to get the materials and wanted to learn how to put the hard work into tanning his own hide to have something to do as a hobby that goes along with hunting. vandykes.com is a place to take a look at and I'm sure that they might have step by step instructions that go with the pickling bath and the tanning bath.


----------



## GenesisAlpha

I have to say I think both Magis and Cole are trying to do the OP a favor by giving them the truth, Tanning is very unforgiving when you make mistakes and the costs unless you do brain tanning are better spent on getting the pros to do it.

My advice would be get all the flesh and fat off, double salt it, stretch it and let it dry. When you get the cash roll it up and send it in.

JMHO

Bob


----------

