Hey all,

Last year I shot a deer and finally got around to tanning the hide with hair on. It took me a while to get to it so it stayed in the freezer for a couple of months. I followed the Nu-Tan instructions and the hide started to look really good but I think after doing the oiling step I let the hide dry too much before breaking the fibers. Now its stiff as board and I'm not making much progress in breaking it.

Is it possible to re hydrate the hide and start over with the break-in?

Yes
Need to add moisture to it without soaking it. I’ve used a plastic spray bottle to mist water on the hide, then covered with a sheet of plastic to trap the moisture so that it absorbs. Have to mist it down several times over an hour or two til you achieve the flexibility you need to break the hide. I’d get it pretty moist and flexible. Then stretch and work it til dry. I’ve used damp towels to rehydrate a hide before too. Found I liked using the spray bottle better.

Great, thanks.