How to tan a deer hide/skin (start to finish) | DIY taxidermy guide

Welcome to our comprehensive guide on how to tan a deer hide and embark on your exciting journey of DIY taxidermy! In this detailed tutorial, Chris Waters will lead you through each step of the process, enabling you to preserve your deer hide effectively and transform it into a stunning deer rug.
Learn the art of tanning deer hides and discover the satisfaction of creating a beautiful and functional masterpiece. From start to finish, you'll gain invaluable insights into the techniques, materials, and tools necessary to achieve professional-grade results.
By following Chris Waters' instructions, you'll be equipped with the knowledge to skillfully handle the tanning process. Embrace the rewarding experience of working with your own deer skin and watch it undergo a remarkable transformation into a luxurious deer rug, a prized possession for any nature enthusiast or interior decorator.
Unlock the secrets of successful deer hide tanning, and immerse yourself in this engaging tutorial that covers every aspect you need to know. Whether you're a seasoned DIY enthusiast or a beginner eager to explore taxidermy techniques, this guide provides step-by-step instructions that are accessible to everyone.
The Process (video timestamps)
00:00 - Introduction
00:27 - Materials and tools you'll need
00:44 - Make sure you've skinned and fleshed your hide
01:15 - Salting your hide
01:48 - Creating your deer hide pickling solution (aluminum sulfate)
02:51 - Creating your deer hide tanning solution (chromium sulfate)
03:38 - Mending & sowing up holes
04:01 - Tacking & drying your deer hide
04:28 - Applying your fat liquor & drying
05:15 - Breaking in (softening) your deer hide - secret tip!
05:47 - trimming your hide
06:10 - Completion
Watch full hunting episodes of The Huntsman - Season 1: • The Huntsman - Season 1
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[@BoereworsRoll]

That was great, mate. I’ve been looking forward to this video. You’ve definitely made it look easy!

[@Thehuntsmanshow]

It's just a lot of info, the actual process is pretty easy. I think the long gaps between processes is what puts people off and scares them away. But it's well worth doing!

[@rabbiez934]

Brilliant video mate. The best instructional video I've seen on the topic!

[@Thehuntsmanshow]

Ah nice! Thanks Rabbie! Glad it's informative and helpful!

[@aaronthain6200]

Fantastic work Chris, very informative video mate. Now I just need to come along for a hunt with you and get one myself

[@Thehuntsmanshow]

Indeed mate, don't let me hold you up though! The best deer are the ones you get yourself 😀

[@phillipzzz9293]

Great Video! Im gonna try it this year. A simple process but had a lot more than i expected! Thanks

[@Thehuntsmanshow]

Good on you Phillip. You won't regret it. It's very satisfying when you have the rug completed. It also gets easier the more you do it. Less stressful too haha 😂.

[@ghazwanjabrou9710]

That was a great video mate, I've been looking forward for someone to explain the whole process of tanning with products that you can purchase in Australia, .. Keep the great work coming.

[@Thehuntsmanshow]

Glad it was helpful Gazza! Hopefully, now you can tan some hides yourself. Let me know if you have any questions mate.

[@moonanxiety2993]

This is a Godsend. Much appreciated!

[@Thehuntsmanshow]

Happy to help!

[@markrussell1742]

How would I fix an over oiled hide just not sure if I’ve over oiled my 2nd one…1st skin turned out a treat thanks to your advice Awesome video by the way

[@Thehuntsmanshow]

Hi Mark, try washing it with some dish soap. That should help remove some of the excess oil :)

[@LynnJynh9315]

Was going to scold you for killing a spotted fawn.... but you're in Australian, and only God knows what deer are out there.

[@Thehuntsmanshow]

Haha, it wasn't a fawn. It's a menil colour fallow doe. To answer your question, we have 6 different species of deer in Australia. All introduced during the late 1800s.

[@elliotweaver5805]

Calm down karen

[@LynnJynh9315]

@@elliotweaver5805 Lol.

[@Flying_Flaming_Emu_Army]

Scold him for what you wast what you don't want on your dinner plate every night you sad sad man dreaming of eSports fame

[@WaitWhat99]

Great video mate. Always good to practice and good at it now and have bulk chemicals rather than trying to learn without the gear…when its not possible.

[@Thehuntsmanshow]

Absolutely. I feel like if you're not learning something new ever so often you're not living. Tanning is a great skill to have. Beats paying someone else to do it too. 😆

[@australianhunterscollective]

So good!

[@bradh74]

I thought that was a Bobcat for a minute! I've heard of people using smoke to tan hide over a fire but you could mess that up in a hurry! I think this method is probably the best way to get good results, that will last. Not sure of how Taxidermists do the hides now I think most send them out to be Tanned. Nice video!

[@Thehuntsmanshow]

Thanks for the comment mate. The taxidermists down here do some very similar, if not the exact same process. I wouldn't be tanning my hide over a fire haha that sounds like a recipe for disaster haha

[@dariostino]

Straight to the point, very easy to follow, and great host. Hopefully i het to tan the hide of a scrub bull that we get up here in the north. Subbed

[@Thehuntsmanshow]

Cheers, thanks brother :) appreciate the positive feedback. Now go smash that scrub bull! Tasty and has a great hide

[@Idontlikethisname-zy3zn]

I found so many ticks on the hide. Is there a fast and easy way to remove the ticks? Thx

[@_Sil_]

I've been patiently waiting for you to make this video, ever since you teased it a while back. You mention an over-fat-liquored hide can be fixed later, what's the process for that?

[@Thehuntsmanshow]

Happy to help Sil. There are a few different ways to can fix an over oiled hide. You can try and wipe the hide with mineral spirits and a damp cloth. You can also try washing it with shampoo (pet dog shampoo works well) or even wash it with a bit of detergent.

[@_Sil_]

@@Thehuntsmanshow Thanks, I appreciate it.

[@nat0rade]

Beauty

[@Thehuntsmanshow]

Thanks Nate ☺️

[@user-tn7uu4he1m]

Thanks Chris, great video. I'm using it to tan a bison hide that I kept from a recent hunt in Northern Alberta, Canada. Any suggestions on where to find chromium sulphate from here in Canada?

[@Thehuntsmanshow]

Ed a bison hide sounds amazing! Good work for tackling that. Should be a lot of fun and provide a great learning opportunity. For some reason it seems that North American's and Canadians have trouble buying chromium sulphate in country. Which is strange. It's readily available in Australia. You could try using an alternative tanning chemical/solution as the process should be relatively similar. Have you tried googling "buy tanning solution" or "buy tanning chemical" into google/ebay/amazon? That's how I would approach it if I were you.

[@peterjuricek8936]

Same problem here in New York. What did you do?

[@karolispasukys5193]

Hi Chris, Could you tell me where I can buy exactly the same last one chemical part for this proces. The oil is glicerolis? Or special oil for taxidermia? Thanks for links to product. Best regards

[@Thehuntsmanshow]

Karlos It's a special oil. You can buy it here. The green commercial kit has everything i used. www.dshorne.com.au/hornes-practical-tanning-kits

[@peterjuricek8936]

Can you use Chromium Potassium Sulfate instead of Chromium Sulfate?

[@Thehuntsmanshow]

Yes Peter, I believe you can. Chromium Potassium Sulfate is also called Chrome Alum or Chromium Alum which is commonly used in tanning hides.

[@thaynebrowning803]

Where do you go to get the aluminum sulfate and the chromium sulfate having a hard time finding them

[@Thehuntsmanshow]

The best way to find them is to include the term "tanning" in your search. Like "Chromium sulfate tanning". That should help you find them. BTW where are you based? Some places are easier to source than others.

[@toddturbide5145]

Where did you get the Chromium sulfate? I'm having a hard time finding it.

[@Thehuntsmanshow]

Depends on where you are based. If you're in Australia try this link www.ebay.com.au/itm/126000023099?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=705-154756-20017-0&ssspo=77RxYv0jT4K&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=L0yh25JdTbm&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY Otherwise try googling chromium sulfate tanning powder in ebay or google to find it.

[@ASimao71]

Tip for breaking the hide the lazy way... Put it in a laundry dryer with 10 tenis balls for one hour @800 rpm, they turn out great😊😊😊

[@Thehuntsmanshow]

I have heard that. I've also heard of people using a shoe in a dryer. My issue with this technique is that it can leave deer hair in your dryer which sucks to get out. Have you had this issue? Thanks for sharing too! It's a good tip

[@ASimao71]

@@Thehuntsmanshow It can hapen for sure, but a quick vacuum cleaming makes short work of it...

[@MAZMAN2002]

Great video Chris, I have a fallow buck hide that I want to try tanning myself, just wanted to ask where you got aluminium sulphate, chromium sulphate and fat liquor from? I’m from Melbourne Victoria

[@Thehuntsmanshow]

Hi mate. You can buy it here. www.moroka30.com.au/horne-green-commercial-tanning-kit-1166 That's exactly the one i used :)

[@danielpetraccaro5893]

Where did you get the fat liquor in Australia? I can’t seem to find a supplier

[@Thehuntsmanshow]

You can get it here www.moroka30.com.au/horne-commercial-fatliquor-1168

[@bladeuser101]

where can you buy those chemicals ? great video.

[@Thehuntsmanshow]

You can buy a great pack from @moroka30 which has everything you need. Here's a link www.moroka30.com.au/horne-green-commercial-tanning-kit-1166

[@Drgon4549]

Do you know if this will work with whitetail deer? They seem to have thicker skin and much more hair. Also, do I have to salt the hide, or is that just for preserving it?

[@Thehuntsmanshow]

Hi Jason..it will definitely work for whitetail deer. No problem there. You are correct regarding the initial salting. It's just for preserving. You can accomplish the same thing by freezing the hide.

[@Drgon4549]

@@Thehuntsmanshow Thanks for the info!

[@Thehuntsmanshow]

My pleasure brother

[@scottclarke1367]

is the sea 20kg bags from bunnings okay?

[@Thehuntsmanshow]

No idea. Are they non ionised?

[@marcelaa.c5223]

how much weeks/days does this process takes?

[@Thehuntsmanshow]

You can get it done in 2 weeks. Most of that time is the time the hide spends in the two different bath solutions. There is only about 3-4 hours of actual labor in the process.

[@tsewedi726]

Awesome 👍.. does this process work with fur of hides. What would be the process after deliming your hide before tanning with chromium sulphate..

[@Thehuntsmanshow]

The process should work regardless of the type of hide or fur, you wont need to change any of the steps

[@Thehuntsmanshow]

Just be conscious of ensuring that you have enough pickling and tanning solution to completely cover your submerged hide.

[@tsewedi726]

Thanks.. I thought the hides have to be pickled with sulphuric acid to get the ph up to accept tannins... Il try it your way...

[@Thehuntsmanshow]

Good luck!

[@AsifShaikh-co7cn]

Hi I had use oxalic acid and unable to find non iodised salt..

[@Thehuntsmanshow]

How did the oxalic acid go???

[@whixhd3010]

If I hang the deer hide up after everything is done, how long does it last? A lifetime? A couple years? I’m new to this stuff

[@Thehuntsmanshow]

Good question:)

[@Scared_paws-]

What if you don't have most of these? What else can you use?

[@Thehuntsmanshow]

There are a bunch of different tanning methods. A quick google search will help point you in the right direction:)

[@noahacres9627]

Where do you get the sulfates and fat liquor at?

[@Thehuntsmanshow]

I think it was from the Maroka.30 website??

[@tophatman6687]

I'm considering tanning a deer hide and then tailoring some piece of clothing from it, would the process be any different?

[@Thehuntsmanshow]

Exactly the same process :) What are you thinking of making?

[@tophatman6687]

A poncho, nice and simple, I'm not a very good tailor so it's the safest choice for me.

[@ishwormharjan9210]

Hey mate nice video! Can we tan a hide using only salt?

[@Thehuntsmanshow]

Hi there. Salt is useful for curing hides but not sufficient for full tanning. To tan a hide, additional steps involving specific chemicals and processes are necessary to achieve the qualities of leather. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

[@ishwormharjan9210]

@@Thehuntsmanshow thank you. But can we use that hide to make any drums??

[@Thehuntsmanshow]

Yes you can :)

[@user-vt2uj2uh4x]

Can you reuse the tanning solution next year? The chromium chemical is really expensive.

[@Thehuntsmanshow]

Hmmm good question. I don't think you can use the solution again once you've added the water, but I could be wrong. I don't think the chemicals are that expensive. You should be able to buy a decent bag for around $20-30

[@Wachunky]

Wanting to get into this, why do most people remove the fur/hair as opposed to keeping it on? Going to attempt tanning a whitetail hide this winter

[@Thehuntsmanshow]

I guess it depends on who you talk to and where they are from. I'd say 99% of Australian hunters keep the hair on the hide. Very few would remove it for just the leather.

[@desmondnorman1940]

Will Himalayan salt work in place of the non-ionized salt? How much water is needed to dissolve the chromium sulfate? The amount that was lost during the pickling process? And is chromium potassium, sulfate the same as chromium sulfate or is there difference Good job by the way

[@Thehuntsmanshow]

Not sure about the Himalayan salt. If it's not treated through a chemical process it should be fine. You'll just have to test it to be sure The water to dissolve the chromium sulfate is dependant on how much you used for the pickling solution. The ratio is I'm the video I believe :) You need to add that dissolved solution PLUS the pickled water. I'm no chemist, but I believe that chromium potassium is not the same as chromium sulfate. I wouldn't risk it personally. Best to use the sulfate derivative. You could test it though... See what happens? Good luck Desmond! Let me know how you go :)

[@desmondnorman1940]

Himalayan salt is natural Without chemical alteration, It’s just pink in color. I agree completely, 😅 they are not the same. It’s a bit tricky finding the chromium sulfate derivative. Without the potassium and without needing a license. Bloody American😊. Either way I will let you know for sure. It may be a hot minute before I’m done though. I’m just now throwing the skin in the freezer. Is there an expiration time in the freezer and can I use a power washer to remove the skin from the hair 🤔 if I said that right…. I’ll go back and rewatch it I may have missed it. All is well. 😊

[@Thehuntsmanshow]

It's strange you guys can't seem to get your hands on it. Maybe it's also an active ingredient in something more sinister too haha. If the salt is natural it will be fine :) Regarding the power washer (we call them pressure washers) you can use them to remove the flesh from the skin, but you need to be careful you don't cut through the skin. As for a time limit on the freezer.. I'm sure there is a number, but it's probably in the years .. you've got plenty of time.

[@user-rc6hf5zw9t]

Can you post a link for the chromium? I can only find it as a supplement! 😂. Awesome video thank you!

[@Thehuntsmanshow]

You can try searching "Chromium Deer Tanning". Here's a link I found on ebay. www.ebay.com.au/itm/155741421378?chn=ps&_ul=AU&_trkparms=ispr%3D1&amdata=enc%3A1CzOyZKRBQO6U_e4UtRO6_A58&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=705-139619-5960-0&mkcid=2&mkscid=101&itemid=155741421378&targetid=1598469862078&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9071297&poi=&campaignid=19657035767&mkgroupid=143201283022&rlsatarget=aud-1175687084833:pla-1598469862078&abcId=9305369&merchantid=119231877&gclid=Cj0KCQiA6vaqBhCbARIsACF9M6lF3U0yVC8lGCitI5MDKVWQ6ysTLK0Jd6YZ2nUzmqeOEcxFVYPqacgaAtVSEALw_wcB

[@mattluszczak8095]

Anyone can advise where you can get alumium sulphate and chromium sulphate?

[@Thehuntsmanshow]

Good questions. Originally i bought all my chemicals as part of a tanning kit from the Maroka.30 website. But now it's easier to buy them in bulk from large Australian chemical businesses like this one www.australianchemicalsuppliers.com/list/search?search=chromium+potassium+sulfate

[@kingofthefleetians7569]

Does this imply aussies can have guns?

[@Thehuntsmanshow]

Haha, yeah we do.

[@leegaesswitz181]

Dang, the measurements are tough to keep up with as an American lol lot's of conversions needed.

[@Thehuntsmanshow]

Haha, well it just goes to show.. you guys need to get on the same page as the rest of the world haha.

[@rossmara8377]

I salt and send mine away in the mail. 8 weeks later it’s mailed back to me. Under $200

[@Thehuntsmanshow]

That's awesome. Do you get it done by the people in Ballarat?

[@rossmara8377]

@@Thehuntsmanshow they’re in Bunkers Hill

[@Thehuntsmanshow]

Nice!

[@stalker-anoniem3515]

Videos like these make me wonder if "Ed Gein" was on to something.

[@Thehuntsmanshow]

Wow, that's dark. Especially coming from someone with "Stalker" in their KZbin account name.

[@MLMguitarguy]

I dont remember my mom going through this many steps to tan my hide as a slightly rambunctious youth.

[@Thehuntsmanshow]

There are a lot of different ways you can take a hide :) for instance you can do what's called "brain tanning 🧠" and a bunch of others. Maybe she did another method. Lol plus points for being rambunctious though haha

[@evanbeavers6138]

You lost me at Al-you-men-ium lol

[@Thehuntsmanshow]

Haha, you guys just need to join the rest of the world and say it correctly 😂

[@__seeker__]

With respect, I don’t get it. I mean, people have been using animal hides for millennia.

[@hunterlahti6342]

Bro what are you on about

[@Thehuntsmanshow]

I agree. I don't understand. I think he's pro hunting and tanning... But I'm not sure haha

[@Thehuntsmanshow]

Hiu???

[@user-vt2uj2uh4x]

Can you reuse the tanning solution next year? The chromium chemical is really expensive.

[@Thehuntsmanshow]

No, I don't believe you can reuse it