I just skinned and fleshed twin whitetail buck fawns that were taken from a roadkilled doe. The little guys were in perfect shape even tho they had been frozen a couple of years. I had zero trouble skinning and fleshing them. My concern is since they were unborn and never had their feet on the ground their hooves are totally soft and have extra tissue on them that almost looks like flashing on a repro fish. Do I need to do anything special to preserve the hooves? I plan on using sodium sulfate and Ben Mears spray tan on the skins. Didn't find this addressed in the archives. Thanks
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The hooves themselves are not soft. It's just that the hoof SHELL is so thin that it seems soft. Take your thumbnail and peel off that small cuticle on each hoof. That's Nature at its most beautiful. The fawns are given soft cuticles on the tips of their hooves so that they don't tear the birth canal when they are being born. They come off very easily and will leave your tiny hooves intact.
I'd suggest that you soak the hide a few minutes in denatured alcohol before you spray the liquid DP on them. The skin is very fragile and the alcohol will tighten it up somewhat. Be VERY CAREFUL with them, however, as they will still slip with the slightest pressure.