After years of wanting to try this I FINALLY got the opportunity when I found a freshly hit deer near my house. Yes, it's illegal and if a ranger wanted to be a hard *** it could be treated the same as poaching here. I knew the repercussions and accepted the possibility. So if you plan on doing it know your laws. I can't see letting a deer go to waste.
This took many, many moons. Many as in several weeks. It also required a flea bombing of my garage and house, permanent blood stains on my car carpet, and possibly the cause of my Lyme disease. That being said it was still a quick as I can down and dirty practice. I barely saved any sinew, a few leg bones, and hooves.
Found him on the busiest only-way-in-and-out road in my township. Trying to stuff a rigor mortised deer into my trunk with passing cars was probably funny to watch. Legs sticking half in and out. Got it in and popped a fire call immediately. So I got to come back several hours later to a fine smelling vehicle full of festering deer.
Skinning was straight forward. Until I started itching. Fleas like mad. I could literally see dozens jumping across the garage floor towards my leg like a charging army. Stood on my ice chest like a girl, finished up, and bombed the garage. Soaked the skin in some water for a day to stun/kill the fleas.
Moved on to fleshing. Easy peasy.
Bucking solution. Simple.
Graining? I'd rather slam my hand with a cinder block repeatedly. What a nightmare. I took the hair off and thought cool, easy. Almost moved on thinking the grain came with it. Hell no. The grain was on there like cement. Glad I nicked it and saw the difference or I would have one stiff hide. This took multiple days at several hours a session. A sharp knife didn't help. Pretty sure it was the beam. Need a smaller diameter for working more direct pressure. Sure it wouldn't be so bad with proper equipment. I tried using my axe handle and it came off easy. Too easy, ended up putting a few holes in it and switched back to my beam. Ended up giving up on life as I knew it at the rump and left it on. Decided it would be good anyway to see the various levels of what grain left on did. Even left a little on the thin part to see. Glad I did as now I know what i'm in for if I don't get ALL the grain off next time.
Once finally "done" I brained it. This also took several days. By which time working it was a vomit inducing activity. Another part i'm sure wouldn't be so bad if I didn't live in a forest ranging from 80-100% humidity. Had to work it near the fire to get anywhere. Very frustrating to get it so amazingly soft and by the time I got back around have it stiff again. The other hide I previously worked chemically with didn't do that. Once treated, they stayed there until pulled soft and white. Like gum. I literally worked this thing until my fingers were bleeding and blistering.
Ended up finishing the final stretching in combination with smoking as I needed the heat with the smoke to finish it off due to the humidity. Set up a small fire out back, posted up with some tribal music and rum and worked into the night. Felt trance like. This part I loved and had trouble stopping. Of course maybe the rum had something to do with that...
Overall happy with the results for a quick rushed first try. Results were exactly what I wanted. To figure out what to do, and what not to do next time. What's important and not so important. Get ALL the grain off. The rump was disgusting and worthless. The thin part wasn't so bad. It was actually easier to remove the intentional grain left on it AFTER braining. The parts that are good are amazing. Incredible material. So soft and bouncy, warm, stretchy. I almost want to shell out the money and buy some now. The parts that are stiffer (minus rump) aren't bad. They don't fall completely flat like the good parts, but aren't stiff like leather.
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