I know I have read on here some time ago about the process of pickling fresh green hides, So my question is what is considered as being fresh? I think the process eliminated salting and putting the fresh skins right into the pickle am I correct?
I have 3 capes that I skinned out from deer taken after thanksgiving, I did not turn anything on them I just skinned out the head and bagged them and put in the freezer, I am ready to start on them now and wondered if they are still considered fresh.
Thanks in advance for any help.
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Fresh hide is a hide taken straight off the carrcas not being frozen yet.
you should still salt your hides for 12 to 24 hours it helps set the hair and this can be a step you don't want to skip
To me fresh skins and capes are the ones that are salted and still damp. Or - they were simply skinned, fleshed and never even salted. Either way - They were never dried. When such skins arrive at a Tannery - they complete the process by drying them - immediately! Later - they relax them and pickle!
Rick: if you turn the lips,eyes,ears . then put it in your pickeling but first put alum in it, go on the orange button and search or phone me at (705)476-0483 and I will explain it to you. Many other taxidermist think this is a bad way, but i've been doing all my own tanning for 32 years and I never loose a skin,why dry out a skin and then fight to rehydrate it.