Keep Them Deer Hides

• Oct 9, 2006

• #1

R

RatherBHuntin

Senior Member

I made these from deer hides I've taken and tanned. The first is a possibles bag for my brother, the hide is from my first deer, the buckskin (shouldn't have bucked it), buttons and toggle are from my first buck (a little spike). I started hunting late in life, and my brother has had a lot of influence on that and many other things, so I put some meaning into this. The hair on hide gussets and flap really added alot of stiffeness to the bag, and I really should have used full grain leather instead of buckskin on the bag front and back. I put two little pockets on the inside, enough for a couple tools and a speedloader. The strap took three god lengths of hide, as my big brother truly is my BIG brother. The center piece acts as the adjustment for size. I put plenty of holes in it so that it can be taken in or let out and tied with bits of buckskin straps. The last piece was the hair on hide on the strap, again to give it some stiffness and keep it flat on top of the shoulder. The little ties I did end up dying brown.

 

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• Oct 9, 2006

• #2

R

RatherBHuntin

Senior Member

The strap

 

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• Oct 9, 2006

• #3

R

RatherBHuntin

Senior Member

Inside

 

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• Oct 9, 2006

• #4

Arrow3

Senior Member

Nice....

 

• Oct 9, 2006

• #5

Handgunner

Senior Member

Fine lookin' work!

Even nicer with the story behind it, and knowing that it came from the heart!

 

• Oct 9, 2006

• #6

R

RatherBHuntin

Senior Member

This I made for me, a quiver for when I'm target practicing. It wont hold up to broadheads, but is just fine for field points. I reinforced the bottom with an extra layer of leather. I really need to take another deer hide and make rawhide with it, then use that as an insert for this quiver. I wanted to decorate it somehow, but really don't have any talents in that area. I was at a loss with what to do until my daughter came home from a field trip to Paint Rock, Texas and shoudl me some Native American cave art, THAT I could do. It is actually a short story, even has a title of sorts. It still was fancy enough, so I added the fringe to the bottom and wish I could have done the sides too without completely taking it apart. The top fringe was easiest, I had the top edge too high, so I just folded it over and sliced it up.

 

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• Oct 9, 2006

• #7

R

RatherBHuntin

Senior Member

The strap

 

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• Oct 9, 2006

• #8

Nicodemus

The Recluse

Staff member

I really like the looks of that. The buttons and toggle add to it as well. Great work!!

 

• Oct 9, 2006

• #9

LJay

Retired Mod

Nice work!!!

 

• Oct 9, 2006

• #10

DCHunter

Senior Member

Looks good!! How did you learn that?

 

• Oct 9, 2006

• #11

Nicodemus

The Recluse

Staff member

That quiver is exceptional!

 

• Oct 9, 2006

• #12

R

RatherBHuntin

Senior Member

A couple of books, one of which was the Deerskins to Buckskins by Matt Richards and the "The Complete Book of Tanning Skins and Furs" by Churchill. Also took a good look at some examples. And trial and error.

Thanks guys. I figured if Cro Magnon man could do it, so could I.

 

• Oct 9, 2006

• #13

Nicodemus

The Recluse

Staff member

I`ve shared a few fires with Matt. He knows his stuff!

 

• Oct 10, 2006

• #14

BIGABOW

Senior Member

fine lookin' work !!!!!!!!!

 

• Oct 10, 2006

• #15

B

buckhunter1950

Senior Member

Very Nice Work. I Just Bought Matt's Book. Great Reading.

 

• Oct 10, 2006

• #16

dutchman

Senior Member

Nice looking work!

 

• Oct 10, 2006

• #17

pnome

Senior Member

Very nice work. Did you do the hide yourself, or did you have someone else do it? If so, who, a taxidermist?

I ask because, I haven't yet killed a deer, but I want to save the hide and use it for something. However, I have no idea how to go about doing that.

 

• Oct 10, 2006

• #18

R

RatherBHuntin

Senior Member

Yep, I did them myself though you can send them off to be tanned or have a taximdermist do it. Either of those books mentioned above will walk you through just what to do with the hide. Basically, when you skin the deer, try to just pull it off without using your knife to do more than cut the long incissions up the belly and down the legs. The more you use your knife to get the hide off, the more likely you are to cut a hole in it or at least cut into it some, and these rough spots will get worse during the tanning process. Try to get as much meat off the skin as possible, lay it out, salt it thoroughly, leave it at a slight angle to let the fluid run off, then when it's dry, roll it up or hang it and it will keep a long time. Or you can keep it in the freezer under the sausage, frozen pizzas and popsicles until your ready to cure it, that's what my wife likes me to do with them.

After you have them cured (salted and dried) you can keep tanning them or store them for later, the rest is a little more complicated and needs to be shown or read up on before doing.

 

Last edited: Oct 10, 2006

• Oct 10, 2006

• #19

Al33

Senior Member

Nice work bud! I also especially like the quiver.

Hope to see more of your work here in the future.