I am newer to trapping and new to fur handling. I have done 10 coons and 1 skunk this year. All have been with the orange bottle tanning solution. I have had decent results. There were two coons that had some slippage, but only on the ears. No where else. There were several that didn’t get quite as soft as I hoped, but overall most have turned out decent. Anyways, to the point of my question; I have followed the directions on the bottle, but realized after reading several different threads that this method does not use any sort of pickling. I could see how this would be a concern. Does anyone have recommendations on pickling solution? Homemade vs commercial? And also where it would fit into process in between the steps?

Citric acid and salt solution.

I also use the orange bottle tanning with good results.

BOCO knows what he is talking about & is respected when it comes to tanning.

The citric acid & salt solution would be worth trying & it would be used in place of the two days of just salting.
Not sure how long i would soak with that. Maybe BOCO can suggest a time

Properly maintained pH level you can let a hide sit in the pickle for eternity. 3-4 days is the normal required time in the pickle for most hides deer and smaller

Alum and salt.