Tanning Black Buck Antelope

[Rachelle]

I have a black buck antelope hide that has been in the freezer for a month. It was not salted but immediatly put on ice and then in the freezer. Do you think it would be OK for tanning or is it too late.

[The Tanner]

It should be fine.  When you put a hide in the freezer it will be fine for up to a year.  Then they become freezer burned.  When you tan a hide that has been freezer burned it will look fine for a little while and then all the hair will fall out.

Just take the hide out of the freezer and thaw it, remove any meat and fat chunks that remain and salt the hide.  Let it sit for a week and then you can roll it or fold it until it is time to tan it.