BottleRocket Report post Posted February 8, 2022 (edited) Hello everyone! This is my first post and I'm entirely new to this, but looking forward to learning it all. My very first question is regarding using hide from dead cows, deer, goats....even bear that has been sitting in the desert from anywhere from a week or two to possibly a couple of months. I come across dead carcasses of different animals all the time here in the middle of the desert. Most of which were stripped of meat and dumped there by people, leaving the fur/hide and bones. I have collected some up and wondering if its possible to make leather, rawhide or just tan the hide/fur and maybe just hang it somewhere? Or any possible use there is for it? I know it's best to use a freshly dead animal. And I can't seem to find info on possibly treating and using this type of 'not 100% freshly dead' animal stuff for projects. Any insight at all would be greatly appreciate!!! Or maybe these questions are all just crazy and I should ditch them. Just seems to be a waste when I come across these on hikes. -PICS- 1st is a dead cow. Originally wanted the skull, but cut a bunch of the neck hide out when gathering the skull. 2nd is the hide from the cow the that i save, non-fur side view. 3rd is from a bear! (pretty sure) 4th is LEFT/FORWARD: another part of the bear OR something else? RIGHT/BACK: is a goat. 5th is possible another part of the bear OR something else? Any info at all is great! Thanks in advance! Edited February 8, 2022 by BottleRocket Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chuck123wapati Report post Posted February 8, 2022 (edited) those last three are elk hides. you can soak them and soften them up and see how they look. I don't know if you can tan them if the fat has soaked into the hide, i heard you cant, you will have to research that but i can tell you that here the local elks club collects hides for tanning and they usually stay in a pile for a month or more before taken away. BUT I'll warn you you need to call your game a fish department before moving them. Some states have laws against that sort of thing. If you get caught with a hide and you don't have proof , a license, of where you got it you could be in trouble. Edited February 8, 2022 by chuck123wapati Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DrmCa Report post Posted February 9, 2022 Every such carcass is a health hazard. Approach with care as diseases possibly carried by them range from tularemia to plague to anthrax. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BottleRocket Report post Posted February 9, 2022 Thank you guys for the info!!!! I will be as careful and with health AND law situations as possible. Much appreciated! Would still love to get more info on how to continue OR with possibilities with these skins Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chuck123wapati Report post Posted February 9, 2022 6 hours ago, BottleRocket said: Thank you guys for the info!!!! I will be as careful and with health AND law situations as possible. Much appreciated! Would still love to get more info on how to continue OR with possibilities with these skins soak them in water to soften them up then flesh them out, de hair them, then tan them. and see if it works. There's tons of info on tanning. I would try a small piece before you commit to a full hide its a lot of work and its going to stink. Good luck!!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
