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What to do with deer hide?

TNbowhunter

TNbowhunter

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 12, 2019
Messages
1,023
Location
Middle Tennessee
I typically discard my deer hides, but this evening, I shot a big healthy doe with a great coat, and I decided to save it. Any ideas, tips, or suggestions on what to do with it? My first choice would probably be a throw blanket or something like that, but I’ve read that deer hair is brittle and therefor not suitable for that kinda thing.
As for care, I rough skinned it (didn’t remove fat, etc. from the hide), and I have it in a contractors bag destined for my freezer tonight. Is the next step just to decide on what I want done and get it to a taxidermist? (Not interested in tanning or working it myself—just too much on my plate at the moment with work, wife, and two small kiddos.)
Thanks in advance for your insights!
 
I’m just here to follow. Shot a big girl myself a few days ago and the cape is still out back but I’m gonna do the work myself
 
TNbowhunter said:
I typically discard my deer hides, but this evening, I shot a big healthy doe with a great coat, and I decided to save it. Any ideas, tips, or suggestions on what to do with it? My first choice would probably be a throw blanket or something like that, but I’ve read that deer hair is brittle and therefor not suitable for that kinda thing.
As for care, I rough skinned it (didn’t remove fat, etc. from the hide), and I have it in a contractors bag destined for my freezer tonight. Is the next step just to decide on what I want done and get it to a taxidermist? (Not interested in tanning or working it myself—just too much on my plate at the moment with work, wife, and two small kiddos.)
Thanks in advance for your insights!
Click to expand...

My wife had the skin of her first deer tanned from when she was younger. We used it as a tree skirt at Christmas a couple of times. It sheds like crazy any time you pick it up and move it. It just hangs in the basement now.
 
I was thinking about tanning the one I have outback and using it to train my beagle to blood trail
 
I tanned a few myself when I was younger, they turned out great but I unless your wife is good with a house that looks like a trapper cabin they soon find themselves rolled up in some closet, garage, or basement until you finally get rid of them. If I were going to do anything, I would have the hair removed and just have that buttery soft doe skin.
 
Another vote for some kind of leather goods. Buckskin gloves, vest, shooting gloves or tabs, a quiver, bino harness, kill kit, scouting ruck…I dunno, depends on yield but there’s lots of cool stuff they can make out of that material and it’s a great kind of leather.
 
TNbowhunter said:
I typically discard my deer hides, but this evening, I shot a big healthy doe with a great coat, and I decided to save it. Any ideas, tips, or suggestions on what to do with it? My first choice would probably be a throw blanket or something like that, but I’ve read that deer hair is brittle and therefor not suitable for that kinda thing.
As for care, I rough skinned it (didn’t remove fat, etc. from the hide), and I have it in a contractors bag destined for my freezer tonight. Is the next step just to decide on what I want done and get it to a taxidermist? (Not interested in tanning or working it myself—just too much on my plate at the moment with work, wife, and two small kiddos.)
Thanks in advance for your insights!
Click to expand...
You’d be better off making buckskin out of it honestly.
 
My dad brought one of mine to a taxidermist. It got used as a decorative throw but shed a bunch of hair, as I had intended to donate it at one of the MDHA drop boxes - and consequently didn't take proper care of it - before he talked me out of it. Not sure where the taxidermist sent it for tanning but as I understand it, there aren't that many places that tan hides skin-on. If your taxi is crushed and doesn't want to play middleman for you, he might tell you where to send it.

If you did a good job skinning out the head, he might be willing to buy it off of you.

Deer hairs seem to be tough enough for the deers, but it might be better to use it for something decorative than functional. A rug or wall hanging, maybe?
 
following, as i too have a doe hide in a trash bag in the freezer. thanks for the thread, after reading these replies i think i'm going to try for the buckskin method - somewhat ignorant question (i haven't shot a mature buck yet, just does and a spike so... ) is there a difference in thickness or anything in a buck vs doe? or is buckskin just a name, and is made from either on a regular basis, but sounds better than deerskin lol?
 
Iron_llama said:
My dad brought one of mine to a taxidermist. It got used as a decorative throw but shed a bunch of hair, as I had intended to donate it at one of the MDHA drop boxes - and consequently didn't take proper care of it - before he talked me out of it. Not sure where the taxidermist sent it for tanning but as I understand it, there aren't that many places that tan hides skin-on. If your taxi is crushed and doesn't want to play middleman for you, he might tell you where to send it.

If you did a good job skinning out the head, he might be willing to buy it off of you.

Deer hairs seem to be tough enough for the deers, but it might be better to use it for something decorative than functional. A rug or wall hanging, maybe?
Click to expand...
Remember, every deer that the Taxidermist mounts has it’s skin tanned with the hair on. So I would offer that there are places that tan hair on….like the same place the Taxidermist sends his mount hides to get tanned.
 
Just google tanneries to locate one in your state or area. All taxidermists either tan their own or send em to a commercial tannery. We have a couple here that I have used w/excellent results. Keep in mind deer hair is hollow for warmth and therefore will break. Once broken it will always look like that. Take care in the field to not drag them backwards or ruff them up too much and they will turn out nice. They'll be so soft and smell like a new pr of leather gloved.
 
Ive never had a deer skin/pelt so don't know squat there but I wear gloves to protect my hands everyday at work. Deer hide is much softer than pig hide, thinner, about the same cut resistance, but handles heat much better...pigskin shrinks, shrivels up, and gets stiff were the deerskin stays nice and soft and very little shrinkage

I too am interested in using a hide but have not saved one yet unfortunately
 
thedutchtouch said:
following, as i too have a doe hide in a trash bag in the freezer. thanks for the thread, after reading these replies i think i'm going to try for the buckskin method - somewhat ignorant question (i haven't shot a mature buck yet, just does and a spike so... ) is there a difference in thickness or anything in a buck vs doe? or is buckskin just a name, and is made from either on a regular basis, but sounds better than deerskin lol?
Click to expand...
Far as I know buckskin is just a name for deer leather. Dunno if there’s a difference between sexes as far as durability but my guess would be that there’s more of a difference in ages classes, with mid-age deer being the most durable and super young deer/geriatrics being the thinner, less durable ones. Could be way off.
 
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