• With a little effort you can make your own deer skin rug.whitetail buck image by Bruce MacQueen from Fotolia.com
  
  There are several methods for preserving game hides. Native Americans used a natural method of tanning hides that is still widely consider by many to be the best and works very well for making deer skin rugs. There are four steps in the process and they must be executed properly and in a timely manner for best results. Of the four steps, fleshing--the removal of all fat and flesh from the hide--is the most critical.
  
  

Skinning

• Remove the hide from the deer as soon as possible after it has been harvested. Bacteria begins breaking down tissue immediately upon death. The fresher the hide is the less work it will require, and the better the results will be. Take care not to nick the hide during skinning. Remove the hide from the tailbone by making a slit on the underside of the tail.
  
  

Fleshing

• Fleshing is the most important and time consuming part of the process. It cannot be stressed enough that you must remove as much flesh and fat from the hide as possible, or it will not tan properly. An effective technique is to place the hide over a log or beam at a slightly downward sloping angle, with the hair side facedown. Straddle the hide with your legs to hold it in place and use a dull two-handled knife, pushing down away from you in a scraping motion. If you do not plan to tan the hide immediately, sprinkle the newly fleshed side with salt and roll it up tightly and freeze.
  
  

Tanning

• The least toxic and most effective way of tanning a hide is the traditional method of using the animal's brains as a tanning agent instead of chemicals. Puree the brains in a blender and mix well in a gallon of warm water (hot water will ruin the hide). Be sure the hide is just damp to the touch and use a sponge or brush to saturate the flesh side of the hide with the mixture. Let it soak for an hour and repeat. Fold the hide over so it will not dry out. Repeat once more in 24 hours.
  
  

Softening

• The key to keeping the hide soft is to constantly work it as it dries to prevent the fibers from re-aligning. Stretch the fleshed side across a semi-rough object and use a back-and-forth sawing motion on all areas of the hide until it is dry. Since you are using it for a rug you do not have to put as much effort into softening it as you would if it was going to be used for clothing. If it comes out too stiff you can dampen it slightly and rework it. The more you work the hide the softer it will become.