More like, I'm home for a minute and the hunting season is open for bear, and I need freezer space. The YL is coming out this year and we'll need all the space we can free up.

Opening the freezer I pulled out the first bag I felt like pulling out. It turned out to be my elk from last season. It's easy to tell for me. The aroma of sage was still in the fur and unforgettable. First up, defrost in a cooler of water.



Then hang it up on a ladder and rinse it some more to thaw out.



That's what it looks like when wet and after I had fleshed and salted it the day after the kill. Another couple times of fleshing and salting should take care of it.
More to come!

Wow, this looks cool.

Ya picked a warm week to mess with this, though

See the sun in the back? I work in the shade

What are your plans for the hide? I can appreciate that you use all parts of your Kills dreadi, i am not a hunter myself but if i were that's what i would do.

The YL wants some small rugs for under the coffee table and for next to the bed. So that's what I'm working on making.

will the rug match the drapes?

I'm sure Dana prefers hardwood.

Keep us posted. Love more details. What is YL? How do you flesh and salt it? Sage, like the plant? Did you rub it in it intentionally?

Black Chestnuts


Another evening of fleshing.

Out of the cooler it's still wet and salty.


An hour and a half later


There some bullet holes and knife holes in the hide. On the flip side they aren't visible. If this was to be a hair off tan I'd be a bit miffed at my work.


Back in the cooler, salted, until tomorrow.

This should be on The Discovery Channel...a new show....

Hide Tanning Season, with the YL & the OM

What's OM stand for?

Today's work took less time but, there's more to do tonight.

Out from the cooler and it's time to scrape again.


Afterwards



It started drying faster while fleshing because I had a fan blowing on me and due to how dry it is outside. It's very pliable at this point. The fur is quite nice in the sun. Since I began learning about elk, the fur has intrigued me. Especially the transition of colors in the shafts. Here the hide will soak until later tonight in a hot salt bath.

Sorry, I missed your post.

YL is amateur radio speak for girlfriend. I have a fleshing board and fleshing knife from a trapper's supply store. Here's a picture of the fleshing beam the morning after the kill.



For salt, I get the largest and cheapest bags of Mortons table salt I can find, normally from Cash N Carry. You're supposed to rub it in so that it gets in and helps dry the membrane and other parts you want to take off.



Yes, wild sage. I killed that elk in a sage field. My hunting clothes and some of my gear still smell of sage and I don't know how long he'd been out there but they were and were eating it too.

Where are you Bear hunting this season?