[benelli21]

I am getting ready to put salt on my fresh deer hide. Problem is, I have blood on the hair. Should I wash the hide before I put salt on the hide and freeze it, or just salt/freeze it and when I am ready to tan it wash the blood out then? How do you reccomend removing the blood? Thanks.

 

[arrowhead]

You can wash the blood out before you put the hide in the acid bath.

 

[benelli21]

so salt and freeze, then when i am ready to start tanning down the road wash the blood out?

 

[johnny z]

yep

 

[benelli21]

how do I wash the blood out?

 

[KennyC]

You realize that if you salt it, then it will not freeze, right?

 

[benelli21]

Hmm... Ok if I want to preserve it for now, so I can tan it later in time, what should I do? Thanks.

 

[wife-to-mike-o]

i am not the taxidermist my husband is....but he is not here to ask!

what i have seen is... either freeze the raw hide (skinned, with as much meat off the hide as you can, dont get it wet or salt it. once you de-thaw it, then you could salt it for a few weeks to remove the moisture, then he sends them to the tannery after they are like cardboard. he does not tan is own so i dont know if that is done from salted or raw state. or....get as much meat off as possible (split the lips, remove ear extras(?) i dont know what the extras are but he has a tool for seperating the cartlage) then salt after doing this. you will get a LOT of run off liquid so funnel it into a container of some sort.

this is just what i have wittnessed i am NOT an epert but i didnt want you to go unanswered for too long a time.

 

[Gitzit]

The blood won't be a problem if left on, it will come out in the rehydration bath and pickle.
If you are going to freeze it don't bother with the salt . Just freeze it raw now until you are ready to tan it.