Tanning A Bobcat

Crazywolf

New member
I am Ready to work on a Bobcat I got this Year(still frozen)
Can any of you give me some advice on how to tan it from start to finish..
Thanks
 
I'd reccomend thawing the skin out and salt drying it first, Crazywolf.
It'll take a few days to salt dry it and in the main time you can be looking over the different tanning kits available.
Step by step directions will come with each kit and will also vary a little with each kit.

Call VanDykes at 1800-843-3320, and request a catolog, they have many home kits available.
Each kit lists it's pro's and con's depending on the results your looking for.
Once you decide on a tan to use we can go from there.
But the hide should still be salt dried first. That's the first step in converting raw skin to leather.
 
River Runner,
Got the cat out of the freezer. He should be thawed out by morning.

Do I flesh Him first or salt dry him first?

How much salt will I need?

I assume I just Rub the salt into the skin...

I have never done this before always just took the yotes to The buyer Whole.

Thanks for your help.
 
The salt will do it's job faster if you do some clean-up fleshing first. Meaning, don't leave on any big wads of meat or fat and try to salt over them.
The salt won't be able to penetrate it, leaving it moist underneath and it will rot the skin in that area.
You don't have to have it perfectly fleshed. It won't hurt if you do, but it's not necessary at this time. Besides, fleshing is much easier once the skin has gone through a complete dehydration stage and rehydrated again.

Once you have her scraped down real good, lay the hide out flat, flesh side up and cover every square inch of that flesh with a good coat of fine grade salt. Roughly 1lb of salt to 1lb of hide weight. Rub it in and don't leave any flesh uncovered.
Roll the hide up flesh to flesh, and set it somewhere to drain over night.

24 hours later, shake off all the old salt, and give it another complete rub down with fresh salt, covering the entire flesh side again. Don't reuse any salt that came off the hide from a previous salt down.
You'll have to to this up to three times to drain the moisture from the skin.
Once the hide begins to stiffen up, as it will during the saltings, you can shake off as much salt as you can and then hang the hide somehwere as dry as possible for several days to finish drying.

The hide will become rock hard, paw pads, nose tip, everything. That's what we're waiting for.
 
Is the Chrome tan A good one to use??
I am wanting to make a rug so what would be the best tanning kit to get?
what about rittel's ez tan kit? Have you ever used it??
I really appreciate your help River Runner..
 
Chrome tans are good but they are highly toxic, and very expensive to use. Also the Chromium Sulfate in them requires disposal in accordance with state regulations.

I use around 200lbs of Rittel's tan each year. It's stable, safe to handle, it goes a lot further then the other tans ounce for ounce, and it makes a good garment quality water proof hide.
 
I took one to the taxidermistt (he sends it to a tannery) and got it tanned for about $40 bucks. I skinned it out with the claws on and turned out great. I don't know how much the kits and stuff cost but I thought this was pretty reasonable. I got a river otter done for $36.
 
Both those prices are right there in the ballpark, YellowHammer. Well worth it in my book verses the risks of messing up a hide you admire.

Some folks just want to try it out themselves for the experience and the reward of having done it.
 
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