Processing Deer Hide

[Tubby]

Does anyone ever get a deer hide processed for use? I have one that I've been drying but that's as far as I know how to get in the process. Are there services you can send it to for processing into a usable hide?

[Grandpa]

With all the hunting around here, we just hang them over the corral fence and a guy comes by and buys them. The old Indian methods were labor intensive and required more than a little knowledge. I'm sure you can google up a method somewhere and it would be a good craft to learn before the fan gets dirty. Maybe I can talk one of the grandkids into learning.

[mikepond]

I have never even heard that people still do this anymore, interesting thought though. I wonder how long it would take to learn this and if what starts out as a hobby could grow into a business?

[Grandpa]

Even taxidermists send the capes in to be comercially tanned now. It's mechanized and chemical rather than manual and deer brains. The last I heard there were still a couple of elderly Shoshone Indian ladies tanning the old way on the reservation near here, but even that has been several years ago.

I have known a couple of young guys that gave it a try but it didn't work out for them. I'm not sure how dedicated they were at the task though.