How to Tan a Bear Fur Hide

Tanned bear hide is ideal for rugs and blankets.

Tanning a bear hide at home is possible, but it does require a significant time commitment. The tanning process is labor-intensive and you must spend hours bent over the hide as you wash the skin and scrape away flesh and fat. Bear skins are commonly used to create comfortable blankets and rugs. The skins are thick, durable and provide a soft mat of fur. You may remove the fur from the hide, but fur removal on a bear is a rare option.

Things You'll Need

• Knife with sharpener
• Non-iodized salt
• Rubber gloves
• Saw horses
• Plastic trash cans
• Liquid dish soap
• Potassium-aluminum sulfate
• Washing soda
• Borax
• Soft brush
• Finishing nails
• Tanning oil

Instructions

Preparation and Cleaning

1. Scrape the flesh from the hide using a sharp knife. Be careful not to puncture the skin as you remove the first layer of flesh. Sharpen the knife every 30 minutes to maintain a strong blade that will slice through the flesh.

2. Pour several pounds of non-iodized salt onto the skin-side of the hide. Put on rubber gloves and aggressively rub the salt into the skin. Drape the hide over two saw horses and leave it to dry for two days. The salt will expose more flesh as it dries the hide.

3. Continue working the hide with the knife to remove all of the flesh and tissue. Look for white patches and scrape with the knife blade until the hide appears to be void of flesh and tissue. This process requires one full day of scraping.

4. Fill a plastic trash can with cold water. Place the hide in the water for 30 minutes to remove the salt and rehydrate the skin. Fill another plastic trash can with warm water and add 1/2 cup of dish soap to the water. Place the hide in the water and work the skin with a soft brush for one hour. This will remove the grease from the hide.

5. Remove the hide from the water and rinse with cold water until the hide is clean. Use the knife to remove any last bits of flesh and tissue from the skin. Repeat the washing process two times to remove all of the grease from the hide.

Tanning

1. Pour 10 gallons of water into a plastic trash can. Add 3 pounds of potassium-aluminum sulfate to the water. Separately mix 1 gallon of water with 8 ounces of washing soda. Combine the washing-soda mixture with the mixture in the trash can.

2. Place the skin into the solution and use a stick to ensure it is completely submerged. Leave the skin in the solution for six days to ensure the hide is properly treated. Remove the hide from the solution and rinse with cold water.

3. Mix 1 gallon of water with 1 ounce of borax and use a soft brush to scrub the hide with the solution. Rinse the hide with cold water and hang it on two saw horses overnight. This allows the water to drain from the hide.

4. Stretch the bear skin on a large piece of plywood or wooden wall. Attach the skin with finishing nails and use your hands to stretch the corners and sides of the skin.

5. Warm hide-tanning oil in a pot over the stove. Apply the oil to the skin with a soft brush. Continue applying warm oil until the skin stops absorbing the oil. Allow the oil to dry until the skin is supple.

Tips & Warnings

• Take the hide to a taxidermist if you want to keep the head attached. The taxidermist will turn out the lips and ears to ensure rotting flesh is not inside the finished skin.

• Tan the hide in an outdoor workshop or open space. The hide will emit a foul odor and airflow is important to control the odor. Wear rubber gloves and safety goggles to avoid contact with the hide-tanning chemicals. Direct contact with the eyes and ingesting the chemicals is dangerous.

References

• New Mexico State University: Tanning Deer Hides and Small Fur Skins
• Lower Kuskokwim School District: Frank Cook's Fur Tanning Instructions

Resources

• The Tannery, Inc: Bear Skin