help from the hunters please

[psykicpup]

Yesterday the templater for the company my hubby works for, hit and killed outright a deer, driving about 4:30am on a dark country road.Now in this country - don't know about yours- but its illegal to pick up any deer that you kill that way as they are protected- stops people deliberately running them down I guess! Anyway the guy call the cops to report the accident but when the cop comes he just tosses the deer to the side of the road. So he then calls through to the Boss to let him know as its a Hire van...Now this is too good to miss so the boss sends out my hubby (the only one with a big enough boot/trunk lol) to go collect if its still there. It was, so he brings it back to the 'yard'. Now it just so happens that the boss trained as a butcher in his youth, so the deer is skinned & butchered and shared out between all the staff (& a passing Rep lol)
We are now the proud owners of a very nice leg of venison (already further jointed by hubby into steaks & roasts & stewing chunks) and a deer pelt.......which we would like to keep as its so  attractive
???So now the question......
we know we need to scrape off all the fat  but are at a loss what else needs to be done... someone mentioned salt? but wont that make it go stiff like leather & we would really want to keep the hair/fur on it too
Can anyone tell us what we need to do to 'tan' it if thats the word if you keep the fur?

[Old Moparz]

I hunt for car parts & I can barely boil water so I can't help. But.......... I've had smoked venison, & that was my favorite way so far.

[253862656971]

Find yourself some instructions for taxidermy online.  The hide needs to be tanned or it will rot.  My uncle used to do taxidermy and a fuy I hunt with is doing it too but I never got around to asking how it's done.  My hide this year will be made into a vest after I get some instruction.

Just curious but why did you want a roadkill deer?  The bones are usually pulverized into the meat and the animal really has a bad taste to it.  Were you able to cut off some parts that weren't damaged?

[Shakey]

As far as the fur goes, clean it really good and make a carpet out of it. 

You can lay it in front of the fire place and make love on it on Saturday nights! 

Did I mention you should clean it!  Leaving the head on is optional.

[ck1]

never herd of a deer skin fur rug, if I remember right deer fur wont stay on long for some reason like other animals like fox, bear, etc. when tanned out for that purpose, so thats why its better to make buck skins out of it for it is a very good leather product....................

[psykicpup]

Shakey - the head is already off!

& 'numbers' only one leg was broken & it was a clean break - the head hit the bonnet/hood & it was that that killed it but there were some signs or internal damage - it had jumped out between bushes straight it to van but it wasn't run over... & with the price of venison ( although its good value 'cos there very little fat or wastage) would you turn down free food? this has given us 4/5 meal sized or over chuncks of meat & this was just one leg - not to mention the rump & back ot the other 3 legs ! which as I mention was all shared out with all 7 staff & a rep who happened to mention he had never tried it.

[67_Dodge_Charger]

Tanning the hide takes a little expertise and a lot of time.  Consult the literature.

Good Luck
Robert

[psykicpup]

Tanning the hide takes a little expertise and a lot of time.   Consult the literature.

Good Luck
Robert

dont have a clue where to start although did find website on tanning with brains!

[RD]

http://www.hidetanning.net/

[253862656971]

Shakey - the head is already off!

& 'numbers' only one leg was broken & it was a clean break - the head hit the bonnet/hood & it was that that killed it but there were some signs or internal damage - it had jumped out between bushes straight it to van but it wasn't run over... & with the price of venison ( although its good value 'cos there very little fat or wastage) would you turn down free food? this has given us 4/5 meal sized or over chuncks of meat & this was just one leg - not to mention the rump & back ot the other 3 legs ! which as I mention was all shared out with all 7 staff & a rep who happened to mention he had never tried it.

Oh, I see.  Usually the roadkill deer I see is nothing but a gelatinous lump and isn't worth eating.  I love venison too but don't care much for having to filter out bone fragments with my teeth.

[Chargerguy74]

you're going to need a sheet of plywood to stretch the hide, tack it down around the edges with nails, pull it as tight as you can so it wont shrink too much when it dries. You'll have the remove all the fat and tan the hide or the fur will fall out and the whole thing will eventually land in the trash. Sporting goods stores have tanning kits.

[Chargerguy74]

I'd never eat roadkill. My reason for that will probably offend some people here, so I'm keeping it to myself. But the bladder and guts would most likely have exploded and spoiled the meat.

[psykicpup]

I'd never eat roadkill. My reason for that will probably offend some people here, so I'm keeping it to myself. But the bladder and guts would most likely have exploded and spoiled the meat.

Those bits were just fine & whole

& RD thank for the link

[PocketThunder]

As far as the fur goes, clean it really good and make a carpet out of it.  

You can lay it in front of the fire place and make love on it on Saturday nights!  

Did I mention you should clean it!   Leaving the head on is optional.

[Dodge-Charger]

But the bladder and guts would most likely have exploded and spoiled the meat.

  Some times the bladder will bust and man it aint good. As for tanning, it aint that hard just takes time . Like said before, scrape all the fat off, when you think youve got it all off scrape some more.
  I have a few furs up at my place on the farm. They are good for blankets, wall hangers, covering drafty windows and yes they do make nice rugs for the living room. ( just dont walk on them or you will have to vaccume twice a day )

   Oh , and down here in the south. We eat all kinds of road kill. I think a Skunk is the only thing I have not eaten yet. Opossum is good if you Boil it long enough and coon is good for stir fry. Hell Ive got a Book of stuff for animal meals. Most of it was wrote by me and my family over the years. Need some Ideas ?

[Chargerguy74]

But the bladder and guts would most likely have exploded and spoiled the meat.

  Some times the bladder will bust and man it aint good. As for tanning, it aint that hard just takes time . Like said before, scrape all the fat off, when you think youve got it all off scrape some more.
  I have a few furs up at my place on the farm. They are good for blankets, wall hangers, covering drafty windows and yes they do make nice rugs for the living room. ( just dont walk on them or you will have to vaccume twice a day )

    Oh , and down here in the south. We eat all kinds of road kill. I think a Skunk is the only thing I have not eaten yet. Opossum is good if you Boil it long enough and coon is good for stir fry. Hell Ive got a Book of stuff for animal meals. Most of it was wrote by me and my family over the years. Need some Ideas ?

Things are a little different here. But you guys actually pick up dead animals off the road and eat them? Interesting!

[4402tuff4u]

I've had on two occassions venison from deer hit by automobiles and both occasions gave my portion to my dog. In my opinion, when a deer gets hit by a vehicle, the deer's body goes through more trauma - andrenaline runs through the meat or something (slower death) than being shot by 30-06 placed correctly. It might be in my mind or I might be full of it, but I sure did taste it twice and the second time I was not told that deer was recovered from a deer/car collision.  I could'nt eat the venison, it did'nt taste right again and I love venison. It also could of been that it was not prepared correctly, but it did'nt taste right on both times that the venison came from a vehicle collision. I'll stick to my bow and rifle killed deer. Just my opinion. 

[Shakey]

I go to the grocery store to buy meat. 

[psykicpup]

This tasted just fine maybe it was 'cos it was instant so no adrenaline maybe - did taste different from the farmed stuff we buy usually but going from the size of the leg etc I think it was older & male so that might have made a difference (& prob fresher lol)

[Chargerguy74]

I don't think adrenaline will alter the taste. Some of the best meat I've ever had was shot in the field, and then tracked until the animal gave up or was finished off. Endorphins would just relax the body and block pain signals to the brain. if you were to chase the animal until it dropped, then beat it to death, then it would taste different.