re: Tanning hides with brains

Thanks eye - I am retired, I have shoulder mounted about forty deer, four bears, a few ducks and such, using both dry preservative and liquid tanning methods. I thought this would be cool to try.

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Thanks eye - I am retired, I have shoulder mounted about forty deer, four bears, a few ducks and such, using both dry preservative and liquid tanning methods. I thought this would be cool to try.

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Yeah if you are looking to expand on your current hobby I think it would be cool to do.

My uncle does taxidermy on the side and has done 1 full bear mount, a moose and a number of deer and elk mounts. His work is ok. It isn't terrible and it isn't great but, he enjoys it and that is what's important.

Do you have any pictures of your work?

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Looks of armchair sportsmen on here.

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AHE(KR)M!!

Never heard of this technique. I first thought "WTF" also.

Do you want to tan it or leave it "hair on"? I've always wanted a nice hair on deer hide.

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think you make a paste our of the brain/water mixture and rub it into the hide. It's pretty labor intensive.

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I think, best I can remember, this process also involves utilizing wood ash for the necessary alkaline and burying the hide as well? Years ago a buddy of mine tried brain tanning on a deer hide. Don't know how it turned out, but the smell would gag a maggot off a gut wagon. I used to have the brain tan recipe, but who knows where it is. This was in the days before internet. Probably could google it and find it now. My old taxidermy instructor told us that Eskimos could tan a hide with a jar of mayonnaise.

My brother did this with the first deer he killed. I don't know many details or how tough it was, but he used the brain to do it. Just like you're taking about.