How to Prepare a Deer Skin for Mounting

Remove all of the fat and skin from the hide. Scrape as much off as you can with a deboning knife. Avoid weakening or damaging the deer hide in the process. Drape the hide fir-side down over a table and allow the remaining liquids to drain off.

Rub non-iodized salt into the flesh side of the hide. Roll up the hide, skin-side in, and let it sit overnight. If the flesh still feels wet after 24 hours, repeat this step.

Hydrate the flesh once it feels dry to the touch. This step prepares the deer skin for tanning. This process is often referred to as "pickling." Mix a solution of 1 gallon of hot water and 2 ounces of citric acid. Submerge the deer hide in the solution and leave it to soak for 24 hours.

Remove the deer flesh from the pickling mixture and blot off any excess liquid with a cloth. Lay out the deer hide flat on a table.

Mix 1 pound of salt, 1/2 pound of aluminum sulfate and 1 gallon of water in a large, plastic storage container to make a tanning solution. Allow the hide to soak in the tanning bath for three days. Flip and turn the hide once a day to ensure an even tan.

Shape and stretch the deer hide with your knife and hands once it develops a bluish tone. Be sure not to shave off too much of the skin, making it too thin. Once you have a dried pelt, you can mount the deer skin.