Deer hide questions

[SSMinnow 0]

I have a 2 part question. I picked up a deer hide today. A friend of mine shot the deer during season and field dressed it. Well this hide has been sitting out in the field for at least a month. It looked to be in pretty good shape so i bagged it and took it home. But it seems that when i cut off a small section to experiment with, a lot of hair fell off the hide. Is it too old; and too far gone? or maybe too cold? (clueless)

My next question is about dyeing it. I was thinking about cutting it up into manageable pieces, bleaching them, and then dyeing them. And then cure it using the Borax method that i have read here. Is this a correct way?

[flymanaj 0]

The hyde has probably started to decompose that's why you have had so much slippage. Has it been cured at all? If not I would probably pitch it. Deer hair is pretty easy to come by, just visit some of your local taxidermists. Sometimes they have tons of scraps that they are just going to throw away. Plus, they are already tanned/cured and ready to use.

[perchjerker 0]

flymana hit the nail on the head! Pitch it and pay a visit to your nearest taxidermist. Sometimes they have tanned "unclaimed" hides for a widow's pitance, in addition to 'trimming' scraps.

 

In addition to deer, both whitetail, coastal and mule, you often find elk, moose, and caribou; as well as other 'exotics'.

[Gene L 0]

My bud went through a trapping phase and gave me some muskrat and beaver pieces. It doesn't have to be tanned, just scraped and dried. Although tanning makes it more bendable and otherwise manageable. Sounds like your hide is too far gone to be used.

[SSMinnow 0]

Thanks for the replies. And yes, i can barely manipulate it and the hair is falling off. Oh well, it was free! I have never tied with deer hair yet, so at least it will be stuff i can experiment with and practice with. And can practice some dyes with it as well. This forum is so helpful. I am glad I found it! Thank you again.

[flymanaj 0]

Just tell your friend that you would like to have the next one. You will have to scrape all of the fat from the pelt and at least coat the skin side with salt. I have only cured a few small, thin hydes myself and a can of table salt works fine for those. However, the deer will be pretty thick so you may want to use something more well suited for the job at hand. Maybe other forum members who are more educated than I in this particular area will chime in with some more advise.

[SSMinnow 0]

It wont be for another 10 months or so, unless i get some roadkill..hehe. But after joining here (about a day ago), I spent about 6 hours reading posts with curing keywords. I think from what i have learned, the Borax method is about the best that most people here use. Thank you for your time posting and helping me. It is very appreciated.

 

Oh BTW: I read some more tonight, and i was cutting the pieces the wrong way. I was cutting from the hair side. I took another sample and cut from the hide side. Much better results. I should have known that, as it seems like common sense to do that, but still this hide is not the best. All this hair is going to give my hours upon hours of practice and enjoyment.

[flymanaj 0]

Hey now, don't knock roadkill. I've seen some very nice pelts come from the roadside.

[Gene L 0]

If you scrape all the flesh off the hide and stretch it and turn the flesh side out in dry air, you really don't need salt. But you have to get all the fat and connective tissue off. Salt and borax on fatty skins, like bird skins, help a lot and are probably necessary.

[SSMinnow 0]

Thanks guys! And to flymanaj, i am not knocking roadkill...sorry if it sounded that way. I just meant that roadkill was going to be next best free hair until deer season rolls around next season.

[Harold Ray 0]

Save your time and buy the Wapsi Premo Deer Hair Strips. They are good!

 

You can get all of the deer hides you want and you still won't get the quality of hair offered by WAPSI in these large strips. They only cost around $12.00 per large strip, so they are a great buy and you'll get quality and amount of hair you won't get anywhere else for the price. A friend, Mike George, uses these strips when thying his flies; take a look at his work: Mike George's Deer Hair Flies

 

If you are going to tie deer hair flies, you need quality deer hair. It takes a lot of time, deer hides, dying, and work to get that; with the WAPSI Premo Strips, you get all of that relatively cheap. And, I don't get a cent for saying this; I just know the product is good.

 

A couple of on;ine shops that have this:

 

MountainRiverFlyShop, Cotter, Arkansas

 

Dally's normally has a good selection of this haor. I bought quite a bit when I was there for the Federation Conclave in October, and I'll be going back in a couple of weeks for the Sowbug Round-Up. They are good people and they will appreciate your business.

 

BobMarriottsFlyfishingStore.com

 

Ray

[bowfin47 0]

Save your time and buy the Wapsi Premo Deer Hair Strips. They are good!

 

You can get all of the deer hides you want and you still won't get the quality of hair offered by WAPSI in these large strips...

 

Ray

 

 

I've been tying for 30 years and know a lot of the best hair men (and women) in the Midwest or Southern US, and to a person they ALL use tanned deer hide strip or patches. For instance, you won't find Billy Munn, Royce Dam, Chris Helms, Bill Sargent, Diane Blair, or any other top deer hair tyer with rawhide in their kit...

 

We all go through the stage of attempting the utilization of rawhide patches, but those who stick with tying deer hair find that working t=with the rawhide chunks is not worth it... IMHO.

[Harold Ray 0]

For instance, you won't find Billy Munn, Royce Dam, Chris Helms, Bill Sargent, Diane Blair, or any other top deer hair tyer with rawhide in their kit...

 

Bowfin is 100% correct on that for Billy Munn, Bill Sargent, Diane, and as I mentioned, Mike George. Diane learned much of her deer hair method from Mike, and none of them depend on deer hides from themselves or friends for QUALITY tying deer hair. It just doesn't work out well 90% plus of the time, and I suspect the figure is a lot closer to 100% if you are looking for truly superior quality hair and results.

 

I don't know Royce Dam; I've seen Chris Helm tie, and I know he doesn't use hides as we are speaking of here, and I've bought some of his product. I like the WAPSI Premo Deer Hair Strips better because of the size of the strip, the price, and hair length; the quality is similar.

 

Bowfin have you come to the Toledo Bend Rendzvous in the past?

 

Ray

[Gene L 0]

I'd also recommend buying the strips. The part of the deer hide that's usable is relatively small, down the back where the hair is thickest. And of course the tails, which are so cheap you might as well buy the colors you need.

 

Deer around here are not good sources, as it's too warm to produce long, thick hair.

[primitivepete 0]

There's still a ton of nice leather in that hide, no matter how smelly and gross it seems to be.

 

Check out this website...http://www.braintan.com/

 

It's really pretty easy to make some nice buckskin with a little elbow grease, smoke, and some chicken eggs.