Just gotta love that little "location" information above the avatars....I assumed, apologies..
The borax will preserve it, but it will be near impossible to soften in this state. Borax is also strongly alkaline, hides preserved with it go through a "slip stage" or a loosening of the hair until it is dried flint hard. Upon re-hydration, this slip stage usually shows up again with a vengeance. It is possible to re-hydrate, wash off all of the borax and use a pickle/tan, but the odds are greatly in favor of slip..
The ENP cannot provide you with enough freezer space for a bobcat?
Where I am in the Everglades is about 100 miles from a freezer large enough. This is an enormous place, and I'm in one of its outposts.
Below are directions on tanning I found online but not from this site. Tell me what you think of them. I've removed the Borax, cleaned thoroughly with Dawn, and it's now in a cooler wrapped up with the wood ash and salt mixture.
Contributor
By Maria Scinto
eHow Contributing Writer
Article Rating: (50 Ratings)
If you hunt for small game you probably know all about how to clean and
dress
and make a tasty stew from your haul. If you can add tanning to your
repertoire,
you'll be able to make good use of the pelts as well so that nothing goes to
waste.
Email
Difficulty: Moderately ChallengingInstructionsThings You'll Need:
Fresh hide
Mild dish soap
2 lbs. plus 2 cups salt, divided
1 gallon bucket
2 cups fireplace ash
Gallon-sized freezer bag
Dull knife
5 gallon bucket with lid
Safety goggles
Rubber gloves
8 oz. battery acid
Paint stirrer or similar stick
Brick or similar weight
Sharp knife
Nails
Board
Spray bottle
Dryer
Tennis balls or sneakers
Wire brush
Step 1Wash the hide with dish soap, rinse well, then gently squeeze (do not
wring) out excess water. Soak the hide in one gallon of water mixed with
one
cup of salt for an hour or so.
Step 2Mix one cup salt with two cups fireplace ash. Remove the pelt from
the
salt water, squeeze out the water, then lay it fur-side down and spread the
salt/ash mixture all over the skin side until the mixture gets crumbly.
Step 3Fold the pelt lengthwise with the fur side out, then roll it up and
place it in a gallon-sized freezer bag. Put it in the refrigerator for two
weeks.
Step 4Remove the hide from the refrigerator, shake off the excess salt and
ash, and place it fur side down on a solid surface. Scrape off the salt and
ash with a dull knife--you'll also be scraping away a thin membrane
covering
the skin.
Step 5Mix 2 lbs. of salt with two gallons of water in the five gallon bucket
and stir well. Then add the 8 oz., battery acid--be sure to put on your gloves
and goggles first. Add the hide, stir again, then weight it down with a brick
and let it sit in a warm room for a week.
Step 6Check to see if the hide is tanned by making a small slit in the
thickest part with a sharp knife. If the tanning solution has penetrated all
of the way and the color is uniform, the tanning is done. If not, let it sit
another three days, then check again. Repeat as necessary.
Step 7Remove the hide from the tanning solution, wash it in a mild soap
solution, then squeeze out the excess water. Nail the hide to a board and let
it sit until almost dry and stiff but not hard. If it does get too dry (hard),
re-wet it with water from a spray bottle.
Step 8Work the hide over a chair back, clothesline, or something similar.
Pull
it back and forth (with the skin side down) until it is entirely dry and soft.
Step 9Toss the softened hide in a clothes dryer with a few tennis balls or
sneakers. Let it tumble around on the fluff (no heat) cycle for half an hour
so it gets even softer and the fur fluffs up.
Step 10Use a wire brush to scrape away any bumps on the underside of the
hide.
Author
