freezer burned & VERY dried out bear hides

[bugsplat]

A friend dropped off two bear hides he wanted tanned and then "ears only" placed in so he could "make a jerimiah johnson type bear hat" (guess he has a badger hat?) .. Well, the hides were NOT prepped at all, not even rolled up, 1 stuffed into a plastic bag, the other in a cardboard box, then placed into a freezer...4 yrs ago.

 I thawed the smallest and started to try and flesh out the face, hair slippage stopped me, DA'd the damned thing with several quarts, rolled it up, back in the freezer. Thawed it out 3 days later, rough fleshed the body, salted heavily, re salted next day, soaked in salt brine for 2 hrs, ( 2 cups salt per gallon), into pickle w/degreaser.

 2nd hide, thawed it out, first two feet fleshed out well, 2nd two, so dried, could only get to 2nd knuckles, Face so dried out, the lips are fused together and cannot split, cannot open the ears due to the same reason. I rough fleshed out the body,(even areas of fat are dried onto the skin) salted heavily 2 X, then also  brined in salt solution for several hours...(did both seperately) then into the pickle w/degreaser with the 1st hide... 3 days now in the pickle, feet are still like rocks, lips not softening up, nor the ears... the first one still slipping a bit...

   Looking through the search, will stop rot actually soften things up at this stage?, have I read correctly that the one slipping will just continue, and is basically junk? I spoke to the client, he is prepared for it to be junk, I was thinking of continuing, and then fiddling with paint, glue and scissors, and re -hairing the face just for practice, but if its just going to continue to slip,not interested in farting with it... Any suggestions on how to soften these two hides so I can finish the prep and get them tanned and back out the door?... I am planning on tanning myself, and not sending out. Previous couple of bears Ive done have had decent results with McKenzie tan and was going to use same again...any suggestions (other than sending them out) for a product to use, will be graciously considered... 

[pir^2h]

http://www.whitetailsystems.com/HardTissueTonic.html

I have not tried this product (Hard tonic tissue) so I cannot say whether it works or how well it work.  It is made by the folks who make stop rot.  I was having a problem with information specific to this item coming up on my computer.  You may want to call them and ask if they think it will help you.

Best of luck

Vic

[oldshaver]

A low psi pressure washer should do the trick?

About 1800-2200 psi pressure washer works very well, to "force" water into the areas that wont rehydrate well. Use a jet tip.

This works well on ANY air dried skins that are hard to rehydrate.(small african included) On small game, just be carefull you dont blow holes in the belly area.

The affected areas will "jelly up", and make shaving easy. Then back to pickle.

[Michelle Nelson's Taxidermy]

I had a guy bring in a 4 1/2' Black Bear that he pulled the head out of and salted with about 15lbs of salt.  Rolled it up and put it in the freezer for 8 months.  Fleshed it out if 20 minutes with a Presure washer. 

[bugsplat]

thank you for the help guys, the hard tonic: deer proven only, no bear experiance... Will try pressure washer in the future, gotta be easier than this!.. Kept the hides in the brine for 14 days, (keeping acid level low), and face and paws softened enough so that it was liike spliting wet leather...Not a process I want to repeat again!