How to Soften Deer Hide

Softening a deer hide takes a little effort, but is easy to accomplish.

Avid hunters who successfully harvest a deer in hunting season can look forward to having the deer mounted to be able to display it for family and friends. Following a few, easy steps will enable you to preserve the hide properly and soften it so it can be mounted by a taxidermist.

Things You'll Need

• Water
• Salt
• Plastic Bag
• Refrigerator

Instructions

Instructions

1. Skin the animal immediately upon return to your hunting camp or home. Use care to not place any puncture holes in the skin. A helpful guide on skinning a deer is available in the Resources section.

2. Apply a heavy dosage of salt to all areas of the hairless side of the hide.

3. Let the skin sit out overnight to allow it to drain. Remove the wet salt the next day, apply another heavy dose of salt and let it sit overnight again.

4. Mix a solution of saltwater in which to soak the hide overnight. Use about a cup of salt per gallon of water for the solution.

5. Remove the hide from the solution and place it into a plastic bag. Place the bag into a refrigerator overnight to allow the hide to sweat. The hide should be softened after a night in the refrigerator.

References

• Learn Taxidermy: Deer Hide Tanning

Resources

• Manataka: Deer Hide Tanning