Meat processing and hide tanning

[brianakell]

First time for both, would love some advice or just what procedures and time frames you've used with good success.

Got a deer 2 days ago, skinned that afternoon/evening, skin in cool garage, then hung outside to freeze last night. I'd like to tan it with hair still on. Im at the point or working on the fat and meat off the hide. Any suggestions? Seems it was 50degrees or warmer, and was having not luck at getting the stuff scraped off. So at recommendation to help preserve, and not let it rot, I hung it outside, which should have frozen it last night. Im thinking maybe the meat/fat getting cold will help me get it scraped off?

As for processing the meat, got it all off the carcass 2 days ago, right after skinning, and put it in the fridge that night. Hung in tree the next day to help drain off blood. Back in the fridge last night to prevent freezing, and back hanging today as its still bleeding a decent bit.

Current plan was to hang today, and tomorrow, then process into steaks, and grind, vacuum seal, and freeze. Picking up the grinder attachment for a kitchenaid mixer. Grinding 2:1 with pork, or Ive heard of using beef brisket as well. Id like to do some ground jerky as well.

Recipes, tell me I'm a bonehead, anything is helpful at this point, thanks!

Oh, and wanting to do a european mount on the head, any tips there would be great as well.

[Robb]

Hide: Salt it and keep it cool or just put it in a game bag and freeze it and get it to a tanner. Don't stress about getting the fat off. Do some looking and get some recomendations, most taxidermists should know a few. They may send your hide off to have the work done. I don't remember, but I'm thinking 4-6 months to get a hide tanned if memory serves.

Meat: Sounds like you know what you're doing. Never made my own jerky so I can't help.

Euro mount: There's youtube vids out there that explain it all and much better than I can. Make sure and keep the antlers out of the water and if you're married make sure and do it outside! A taxidermist would do a euro for around $100-200.00 depending on what you want. If you do it 1-2 days, axidermist-6 months.

[brianakell]

Hide: Salt it and keep it cool or just put it in a game bag and freeze it and get it to a tanner. Don't stress about getting the fat off. Do some looking and get some recomendations, most taxidermists should know a few. They may send your hide off to have the work done. I don't remember, but I'm thinking 4-6 months to get a hide tanned if memory serves.

Meat: Sounds like you know what you're doing. Never made my own jerky so I can't help.

Euro mount: There's youtube vids out there that explain it all and much better than I can. Make sure and keep the antlers out of the water and if you're married make sure and do it outside! A taxidermist would do a euro for around $100-200.00 depending on what you want. If you do it 1-2 days, axidermist-6 months.

Wanting to do hide myself. Doesnt sound real difficult, one the hide is cleaned off anyway!

[Robb]

Oh, i understand.
You need to freeze your hide as I believe you have alot work ahead of you before you tackle tanning the hide.

I used to be buds with a marine who brain tanned hides. Cut the ties when he went head over heels apeshit in love with Oblamer.
Anyway, brain tanning a hide is a very labor intensive process. You need to build a big frame to stretch the hide. You need to flesh it out and then there's the cow brains and you need to be careful handling them. I don't know the process but there's alot more to tanning than I believe you're aware of. If you just flesh it out and salt it, it will rot. The brain tanning is the original way of doing things, and the chemical way of tanning is regulated by the environmental nazis. I'm unaware of tanning 'kits'. Hopefully someone else can help you out, and you need to do your research, best of luck and do report back if it works out.

http://www.fieldandstream.com/node/57386
I just read this, maybe it is easier than I thought...

[Dave]

Never tanned a hide so I'm not much help there. With the meat you are going to use for jerky go a head and freeze it beforehand, the ice damaged cell walls will allow moisture to seep out faster. For the sausage, I've known people to use pork belly in the grinder with deer or elk since you get some pork meat for texture but a good amount of fat to keep it from drying out when cooked. Not sure what their ratios are, but it depends on the cut you are using, i.e. belly, boston butt, etc and if any fatback is added.

[CO Hugh]

I have done a couple of European mounts. I searched online and distilled the information. The NRA had some instructions in a magazine a few years ago.

Flesh the skull as much as you can. For tools later you may want to go to Harbor Freight, any hardware store will do, but get some probes or clay tools, basically scrapers and hooks, they will be useful later to get all the last bits of flesh. I use a wash tub, bought it at home depot, fill it with water and boil. Put foil around the antler bases and keep out of the water.

Two key ingredients are "washing soda" and Dawn dish soap. Buy the washing soda, it is not hard to find but not everyone carries it, search online so you can see what it looks like, made by arm and hammer. Not exactly sure but put a couple cups of the washing soda into the water and stir. Then place skull in water and enjoy. Every so often take the skull out and scrape off the flesh until it is completely clean. There are areas that are a pain to get clean, like sinuses, that require the probes, or tweezers. I used a spoon to scrape so you don't damage the skull.

After cleaning many recommend new change of water and put the dawn in and set the skull in it. I boil, you could decide not too, or just warm water. I cannot vouch but if you look online purportedly Dawn is better at degreassing than other brands.

Once it is clean, you need to find a bleaching agent to make it white. Then you are done. Hang it up and enjoy.

Cabelas and Van Dykes Taxidermy used to sell kits, that came with the washing soda, and degreasser, etc.

Monitor it while boiling so it is not in the water too long, as it may warp or you will lose pieces. You can glue them back on. While you can boil it without too much scraping and work, it takes longer and may warp the skull.

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[brianakell]

Oh, i understand.
You need to freeze your hide as I believe you have alot work ahead of you before you tackle tanning the hide.

I used to be buds with a marine who brain tanned hides. Cut the ties when he went head over heels apeshit in love with Oblamer.
Anyway, brain tanning a hide is a very labor intensive process. You need to build a big frame to stretch the hide. You need to flesh it out and then there's the cow brains and you need to be careful handling them. I don't know the process but there's alot more to tanning than I believe you're aware of. If you just flesh it out and salt it, it will rot. The brain tanning is the original way of doing things, and the chemical way of tanning is regulated by the environmental nazis. I'm unaware of tanning 'kits'. Hopefully someone else can help you out, and you need to do your research, best of luck and do report back if it works out.

http://www.fieldandstream.com/node/57386
I just read this, maybe it is easier than I thought...

Brain method seems like a pain, with a lot of chance of error due to real limited supplies

I found this method as well
http://www.texasmonthly.com/story/how-tan-deer-hide

RMT says once theyre salted, theyll preserve for quite a while. Just need to finish the tanning process to make them useful. Figure I want to get it scraped and salted first, then nail down a method and go for it.

[sniper7]

Looks good co Hugh!
im working on my antelope right now. Although I should have put the head in the freezer to kill the maggots....oh well! Got it all pretty much ready to go and boil. Just need the time to do it

[davsel]

Tanning kits are readily available. Just get one and follow the instructions that come with it.
http://www.mckenziesp.com/Tanning-Kits-C1943.aspx

European mounts are not difficult.
boil, de-meat, and bleach. Try to keep the heat off the antler bases when boiling - it will discolor them.
There are also kits for this.
http://www.mckenziesp.com/Skull-Bleaching-C2025.aspx

[Great-Kazoo]

Rock / water softening salt, applied heavy and rubbed in to flesh side. You need to salt ,if you're not going to flesh right away. If you don't salt and the hide is rolled , you get mold & bacteria. The salt does a real nice job of drying the flesh / fat on the hide, making it easier to scrap. I have a nice scraper for fleshing, somewhere in the shop.
For sausage i suggest 2 parts pork to 1 part venison, depending how moist or dry you like the brats.