- 1). Cut off the deer's legs 6 inches above the ankle -- or just below the knees -- using a handsaw or reciprocating saw.
- 2). Dress the legs to remove unnecessary tissue which would otherwise decay. Slide the tip of a sharp knife between the skin and the bone. Cut through the skin and hair from the top of the leg, past the dew claws and to the hoof. Repeat this for all four legs.
- 3). Severe the hoof knuckle with the knife or a set of wire cutters. The joint must be completely severed.
- 4). Pull the skin away from the bone. Pull slowly so the skin does not tear. Peel the skin from the leg bone to the hoof.
- 5). Cut and discard the dew claw from the leg.
- 6). Snip the tendons that attach the skin to the hoof. Do not damage the skin when you cut loose the tendons.
- 7). Pull out and discard the leg bone.
- 8). Lay a sheet of newspaper on your working surface.
- 9). Lay the leg skin-side-up on the sheet of newspaper. Coat the leg in salt. Pack salt into the leg cavity where it approaches the hoof. Repeat this process for all four legs.
- 10
Place all four legs in a dehydrator, or in a location receiving full sun. - 11
Alow 48 hours drying-time before working with the legs further. Allow them to dry longer if moisture is present after 48 hours. Check the legs every 24 hours until the skin feels leathery. - 12
Wash the legs with a mild dish soap and room-temperature water. Remove the excess salt from the surface. - 13
Mix a taxidermy tanning solution according to the manufacturers directions; apply it to the legs as instructed. Some solutions can be brushed onto the skin's surface; others call for the legs to be fully submerged. - 14
Insert the foot forms into the skin. Push the form as far into the foot as possible; this will give the foot a more realistic shape. Forms are reinforced with metal rods designed to hold the weight of guns on the rack. The forms include bolts in the base for easy mounting. - 15
String dental floss through the eye of a leather needle. Use baseball stitches to close the back of the leg, where the bone was removed. Tie off the end of the dental floss when your stitching is complete. Cut off excess floss with a knife. - 16
Allow the legs to dry for three days to a week. The skin will shrink around the foot form. - 17
Cut away and discard any hide that sticks out past the end of the form. - 18
Mark the positioning for the four legs on the mounting board. Measure the placement of legs with a measuring tape to ensure they are even. Uneven legs will not securely support a gun. - 19
Predrill holes at the marked positions using a drill and bit. Use a bit size that corresponds to the bolt diameter of the bolts in the foot forms. - 20
Push the bolts through the predrilled holes; secure them in position with the provided nut. - 21
Brush the hooves with a clearcoat to protect them, and to create a polished appearance.
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