Friends of mine are hunters and continually offer me large portion of deer skins. I continually turn them down, and only cut a small portion of hair for tying. One reason is I don’t know how to DRY the skin and is it worth all the work. I doubt if the wife would be happy with the skin hanging anywhere inside, and the nabors would not appreciate it hanging outside.
TonyC
After one deer season, my uncle sent me some tails that the butcher was kind enough to save for him. The butcher really did a good job on them and all I had to do was rinse them. I coated them with Borax and put them on a piece of plywood for drying. I put (read ‘left them out’) them out in the sun (I would bring them in the shed when it would rain). I never had an insect/smell/critter problem. I dyed a few (RIT) and ended up with enough that I had to give some away. Tyed up some jigs for my uncle as a “thank you”.
The next year, he sent more tails. Only this time, the tails still had tails in them. To make a long story short: It wasn’t worth it and I politely asked him not to send anymore. 
Hope this answers your “question”.
What?! And you didn’t send me any bucktails, Phil? For shame. Just kidding, good buddy :). Got any natural white ones left? 
BTW, I was up your way at BPS a couple of weekends ago over on International Blvd. First time I ever was in a BPS. Too many products there without their BPS logo on it. That’s the only thing I didn’t like about BPS. Got some hooks, materials, and other odds and ends though. Really liked the fish tank and fly shop the best.
This is how I prepare animal/bird skins, including deer, for tying material.
Flesh the hide/skin, the most work but necessary!
Tack down on an old sheet of plywood.
To cure use a 50/50 ratio of pickling salt and 20 mule team borax, use plenty and add as needed.
Baking in the sun will speed up the process but isn’t really necessary.
Once cured, place in plastic zip-lock bags, throw in a moth ball or two if it will give you piece of mind, and said skin should last forever.
Large skins/hides will need to be cut up 1st into manageable pieces.
This technique has no warranty implied or otherwise! :lol:
All you need to do for a deer is use stock salt or borax. Don’t worry about mixing all your doing is drying them out before bacteria takes over. Just get all the red meat and fat off. If you use salt make sure the moisture coming out of the skin drains away.
Some will disagree—A freind of mine that many will know as the man that knows deer — Chris Helms only air dries his hides. Cleans them, flesh the meat off and air dries. No powder mess to remove after drying. Dont use salt that attracts moisture–if anything use the twenty mule team “Borax” To have a soft hide for gloves etc it will have to be taned. The deer tails I debone. BILL
One point all of you have missed in taking care of any hide. After it is fleshed you need to WASH THE DARNED THING. Usee something like Dawn that cuts grease. Clean hair and feathers are a joy to work with. Dirty stuff is the pitts. Save all the salt and borax. A deer hide will dry just fine without it.
fishbum
GLAD TO SEE YOUR BACK — FISH BUM
Thanks for all the info.
I am sure I am not the only one who has picked up a feather on the way to or from the fishing hole. Do you clean these feathers or just use them as is? I have been placing the deer hair in a zip lock bag and spraying with a bleach cleaner. Does anyone have any better ideas for cleaning and storing feathers and hair.
TonyC
How do you wash the skin? Just in a bucket of water and soap? Or spray the hair or feathers with it and rinse?
You wash it in a bucket or a tub that is big enough to hold the hide you are working with. You will be surprised at the dirt and filth that you will wash out of a buckskin. You may have to wash it a couple times to get it clean.
Remember, most deer are killed during the rut and a buck does a lot of awlfull things to himself to smell good to the does.
fishbum