# Fleshing, Pickling and Tanning Question for beginner!



## arhanna

Could someone tell me if I have the necessary steps to fleshing, pickling, and tanning a deer hide to do a shoulder mount? If there are other steps recommended please advise.

1) Skin deer head, split lips and nostrils and turn the ears.
2) Salt the hide for 1 day, shake out salt and reapply salt 1 more day.
3) Soak in a salt solution for 3-4 hours in 2 lbs of salt per gallon of water solution.
4) Pickling the hide. I am using Saftee Acid, 1/2 fluid ounces of Saftee-Acid and 1 pound of salt per each gallon of water. Pickle the hide 2-3 days minimum, take it out and put in a neutralizing solution of 1 tbs. of baking soda to 1 gallon of water for 15 minutes. 
5) Take out and flesh the hide
6) Put back into the pickling solution for 1 more day, take out, neutralize and do final fleshing. 
7) Rinse cape, apply Liqua-Tan to the entire flesh surface Roll up the hide and allow the tan to penetrate well for 6 hours 
Either process to mounting or freeze hide

Thanks,


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## jbaker

It sounds like you pretty much have it. I hang my capes after two days of salting with a fan on them and dry them out till they are hard, usually takes 12 to 24 hours to rehydrate in salt brine. No need to neutralize hide before shaving just drain for thirty minutes and use latex gloves while working on hide to avoid skin irritation. Just be careful to make sure ph levels are correct at all times through all the processes no matter which way you decide to do it, it will save you alot of headaches.


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## speedimager

Just a suggestion. Salt the cape or hide and send out to get professionally tanned. The results will be better and the hide or cape will last longer.


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