I've been having problems with the front of the deer lips when I'm turning them it's like they are hard and don't want to split especially upper lips. Can I get a couple of responses thank you.
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over 8 pages of info. It sounds like they may be freezer dried.
First, why would they be hard, unless they are dried out? Maybe soak them in the pickle a while? Then try to split them. I open the lips up just enough so they unfold, then pickle, then tan, oil overnight, tumble, then I open the lips and thin them the rest of the way. On the first split, I make sure that I make cross cuts in the meat down to the skin, not through it, this will let the pickle penatrate through the meat. I do it in two steps because I'm self taught, this works for me. Maybe someone else has a better way.
Deer lips need to be fleshed out before tanning this helps the tan get in the lip skin you don't need to tan that meat it has to be removed any way. I take it out when I am turning the lips. I just work it and role it out with the lip and cut it off the edge of the lip skin with my sissore. Go slow and it will take some pratice but its not as hard as it seams. I could show you easyer then type it all out here. Jack F