Hi all, newbie trapper here, I've gotten a few beaver this year and have salted the pelts in preparation to send to Moyle Tannery. But for a variety of reasons, I'd like to try to board or hoop them to dry them instead. It is do-able to soak the pelts for a few days, changing the water, to leach the salt out, and then board them or put them on a hoop? Would there be any damage to the pelts by doing this? It might be a waste of time, but I'm curious anyway.

Also, is there any quality difference between dried and salted pelts for tanning? From my research, I don't think so, but thought I'd tack that question on as well.

In my opinion, no difference between salted and dried pelts when tanned. I know some one that send lots of coyote to moyles, some salted, some dried. Can’t tell the difference. Assuming both types were well fleshed to begin with.

I don’t think it is necessary to leach out the salt. They have to be dried to ship. Moyles doesn’t like sloppy wet pelts. Just shake off the loose salt, lay flat skin side up and let them dry.

The process you describe sounds like a waste of time. In my opinion.

Dont soak the salted pelts for "days".
Soak the salt dried pelts in COLD water for a couple or 3 hours,then take them out,throw them over the beam and scrape(scud) them out with a dull fleshing knife.
Then wash the pelts with laundry soap or dish soap and give them a scrub with a stiff brush.Dont leave them in the warm soapy water any longer than 5 or 10 minutes while you scrub them.
Then rinse out ALL the soap and soak them in cold water for another hour or so.
Then wring the skins out in a rolled up towell so the fur is just damp then board them.

The only difference in a salt dried skin and a normal dried skin for tanning is that salt dried skins are prone to damage from the leather cracking when folded.A properly air dried pelt wont crack when folded.(if dried with heat it will crack when folded like a salt dried skin)

You may as well get it tanned as you're 1/3rd the way there. Rehydrating it just to board it runs the risk of slippage.

Salting takes some of the extra crap out of the leather and is bit better result.

Any pelts that I tried hooping that where commercial tanned always ripped on me. Home tanned or raw seems to work better for me. The only commercial tanned hides that did work for me where re-enforced with another thicker piece of leather.

That would be a function of them shaving the hides. One maybe could call the tannery if you can have them not do so.