Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Predators and Varmints Tanning Coyote Hide

I shot a coyote, skinned and fleshed it today. I salted it on a stretcher, actually just a board I had, and was wondering how long I should leave it salted. I ordered a tanning solution from Amazon and it should be here in about four days. Been a while since I tried any hide tanning and was looking for a little free advice. Appreciate any advice, Thanks Chuck.

I send mine out to be tanned, but I was told never to salt them. If you flesh them right it should be unnecessary.

The directions on the bottle of tanning solution read that the green hide needed to be salted. I always have in the past also.

No salt, just flesh and dust with Borax. You can't properly tan a hide out of a bottle.....one word, Moyle Tannery, send it off, get a quality tanned hide back.

You've taken on a project that is interesting and worthwhile if that's where your curiosity and interest lies. You can wash out the salt when you start tanning. I've tanned several coyotes and a good number of other hides and because of that, now send hides I want tanned to a tannery. I know better how to prep a hide etc. because I went through the process of tanning myself and am glad that I learned how to do it. Most of mine turned out pretty nice though I never achieved as high quality as a commercial tannery, and didn't expect to.

IME the most critical factor is getting the hide fleshed perfectly. You can't leave ANY of the membrane on the inside of the hide, and it is tough to get off or even to see in places, especially on the head of the animal. I assume you know to turn the ears and split the lips, to allow tanning solution/chemicals into those areas. Otherwise the lips and ears will gradually disintegrate and fall off of the otherwise tanned skin. Ditto for splitting the tail to the tip.

It is very hard to get a soft, supple hide by home tanning means.

I agree Okanagan, I've tanned several using the salting and tanning process from the old Firefox books using salt water and adding electrolyte from the parts store until you get the ph down to about 2.5 to kill the enzymes in the skin and neutralize with borax. They still look good after 15-20 years. I've done deer hides the same way. Like you said, not for everyone, a lot of work and most people would just rather pay to have it done. I don't probably get the same results as professional tanners, but I like the experience. Just checking if anyone had any experience with the "store bought" tanning solutions, think I will try something different than the electrolyte this time. Appreciate the feedback, Chuck.