Something I started doing this year which has been *very* useful is hitting up a local game processing centre - initially for hides, but I've been getting all sorts of bones (whole legs, which give hock skins and sinew as well) and even a couple heads (mostly for the jawbones), chunks of deer fat to render for softening veg tan also. All totally free, since they're just industrial watmste to them. I've got probably 10 hides (some of which will make buckskin, some rawhide, some veg tan - i plan on keeping the thickest-furred one i get to make into a sleeping-fur also) and maybe 60 legs or so so far this year, and I'll maybe do one more run before the season closes on Dec 31st.
Unlike a lot of hunters who skin very poorly, these are skinned with a winch so there are no holes besides those of the shot/arrow (and those i put into the hides before I got better at scraping them...)
If anyone else has had issues getting hides - or just issues getting *enough* for a particular project, I highly reccomend trying this. Apparently some places in the states also have game check stations hunters have to bring their game to and they'll often trade the legs and skin for a skinning which might also be something to try - that's not a thing up here though so wasn't an option.
Game processing centres
- Greg
- Urush bithî 'nKi ya-nam bawâb
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Re: Game processing centres
Very interesting (and resourceful)! Looking forward to seeing what you do with it all.
Now the sword shall come from under the cloak.
Re: Game processing centres
Oh wow! Now that’s some dedication right there! Can’t wait to see the results!
Maerondir Perianseron, also called “Mickel,” Halfling Friend - Ranger of the Misty Mountains
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Re: Game processing centres
I have done this. I ended up with a truck-bed full of carcasses that probably freaked people out driving down the road....LOL...the butchers here don't care about how they get the hide off the carcass. so you end up with just pieces. But, I got a bunch of legs, and those bones comes in handy. And - my dog loved those rib cages
Re: Game processing centres
My dog's been loving the bones too! I got a head as well, to use the lower jaw for a corn-scraper.
A truck bed would def have been easier - I was using a 120L backpack and my bike panniers, lmao, biking along the rural highway bits there was no bus route and taking a bus the rest of the way. I took about five trips over the season
A truck bed would def have been easier - I was using a 120L backpack and my bike panniers, lmao, biking along the rural highway bits there was no bus route and taking a bus the rest of the way. I took about five trips over the season