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How to Tan Elk Hides

Tanning an elk hide at home can be an educational and challenging process. Tanning hides is fairly labor-intensive. Tanning an elk hide includes several days of scraping and washing the hide. Tanning hides also creates various foul smells and should be done outside the home. A hide may be tanned with the fur intact or removed. Finished elk hides are thicker and sturdier than smaller game animals, and can be used to create jackets, hats, rugs and blankets.

Things You'll Need

Fleshing knife
Rubber gloves
Plastic trash cans
Sheet of plywood
Finishing nails
Borax
Non-iodized salt
Liquid dish soap
Washing soda
Tanning oil
Soft brush
Aluminum sulfate
Plastic sheeting

Instructions

Cleaning
- 1
  Tack the elk hide with finishing nails at all four corners, fur-side down, to a plywood sheet.
- 2
  Scrape the fat and flesh from the skin with a fleshing knife.
- 3
  Rub all exposed skin with non-iodized salt. Wearing rubber gloves, work the salt into the skin. A regular-sized elk hide requires approximately 2 lbs. of salt to cover the entire hide. Lean the plywood and hide against a wall at an angle to allow for moisture runoff; let dry overnight.
- 4
  Fill a large plastic trashcan with cold water. Remove the hide from the plywood and submerge it completely in the cold water for 10 to 15 minutes. Wear rubber gloves and rinse all the salt from the skin into a trashcan.
- 5
  Remove the hide from the water and allow to thoroughly drain. Tack the hide back to the plywood flesh-side up. Scrape the hide again with the fleshing knife.
- 6
  Mix approximately 10 gallons of lukewarm water in a plastic trashcan with 10 oz. of borax and 5 to 10 tbsp. of liquid dish soap, depending on how greasy the hide is. Completely submerge the hide in the mixture for one to two hours, and stir the hide around in the solution with a stick or paddle to break down the grease.
- 7
  Place the skin on the plywood, flesh -ide up. Work the skin with the back edge of a knife, held nearly flat against the skin. This is called "scudding;" scud the skin and remove any loose tissue and debris.
- 8
  Rinse the hide in lukewarm water until all the dish soap is gone. Hang the hide and allow to dry overnight.
Tanning
- 9
  Prepare the tanning solution by dissolving 3 lbs. aluminum sulfate in 3 gallons of water in a plastic trashcan. Mix 12 oz. washing soda, 1 1/2 gallons of water and 24 oz. non-iodized salt in a separate trashcan and dissolve. Once all ingredients are dissolved, slowly pour the washing soda solution into the aluminum sulfate solution.
- 10
  Immerse the hide into the tanning solution for seven to 10 days. Remove the hide after seven to 10 days with rubber gloves and wash the skin with dish soap. Rinse with lukewarm water; hang to dry until damp.
- 11
  Place the hide on the plywood, flesh-side up. Heat the tanning oil in a pot on the stove or in the microwave in a microwave-safe container. Apply half of the tanning oil onto the skin with a soft brush. Wait 30 minutes, then apply the remaining tanning oil in a second coat. Cover the hide with the plastic sheeting and let sit over night.
- 12
  Drape the hide over a chair or sawhorse and allow the fur side to dry. Stretch the hide on the plywood by tacking it down about every 6 inches, about 1/2-inch from the hide's edge. Allow to dry until slightly damp.
- 13
  Remove the hide from the plywood and work the skin from corner to corner stretching it across the back of a chair or other wooden edge. Work the skin several times, before it completely dries, to produce a soft skin. If necessary dampen the hide with water and work it again. Once it is sufficiently soft, allow to completely dry.

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