I am mounting a whitetail cape over a form decoy to hunt with next season. Have tanned the hide which will harden once dryed. However I want the tail soft to provide flexability for positioning in the field. I do not want to remove the tail from the hide. Question: how do I treat/oil only the tail to that it stays soft?
Return to Tanning Category Menu
Whitetail's tails (that alone sound confusing) usaly have a lot of fat in the tail and the base of the tail. It isn't just on the skin but also IN the skin. You must degrease the piss out of this area and use a good tanning oil to boot. However! Tanned hides STINK to a deer! They hold odors like you wouldn't belive, and some of the crap we use on them to tan and oil them make them stink any way.
IMHO you would just be beter off using a painted decoy rather than trying to make a decoy look more lifelike by adding a hide or ls skin.
Joe
If the whole skin is tanned, you should be able to move that tail after it is dried if you have made the form under it moveable. Work it back and forth to give the skin a "hinge" point.
Were you going to install an armature to enable remote moving? If so, you'll probably be better off removing the tail and mounting the mechanism separately after it has dried.
I'm with Joe as far as the smell goes. IMO the decoy would definitely spook any deer downwind, and a buck is going to circle that way automatic.
Hope you'll post how it worked if you decide to go forward with it. If you really douse it with buck scent...who knows...