How to Cure a Bear Pelt

Whether you are hunting bears for meat, a trophy or for the competition, the animals are extremely valuable. Almost all parts of a bear can be sold or kept, especially the bear pelt. If you do not sell your bear pelt, cure it to display in your home. Bear pelts are commonly used as extravagant rugs or wall hangings in homes across America.

Things You'll Need

  • Sharp knife
  • Latex gloves
  • 3-by-3-foot plastic sheet
  • Table salt
  • Protective gloves
  • Protective mask
  • Protective clothing
  • Protective goggles
  • 20-gallon containers
  • 1/2 gallon sulfuric acid
  • 25 lbs. table salt
  • Wooden rod
  • 10 lbs. aluminum sulfate
  • 1 lb. baking soda
  • 12 oz. neat's foot oil
  • 4 oz. ammonia
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Instructions

    • 1

      Skin the bear and remove the pelt from the body. Cut a straight line up the belly of the bear to the hind quarters. Pull the fur from the flesh.

    • 2

      Wear latex gloves. Cover a 3-foot-by-3-foot area with a plastic sheet. Rub table salt directly on the interior side of the fur. Use 4 to 5 lbs. of salt. Let the salt absorb for three days. The salt assists in removing muscle, fat and other body fluids from the bear's skin.

    • 3

      Shake the loose salt off the hide. Scrape the inside of the pelt with a sharp knife to remove remaining tissue.

    • 4

      Fill a 20-gallon container with 15 gallons of water. Pour 1/2 gallon of sulfuric acid and 10 lbs. of salt into the water. Do not reverse the process or the sulfuric acid will spatter. Stir the solution with a metal or wooden rod until the salt completely dissolves. Submerge the bear pelt in the solution and leave it for two days. Stir the solution twice a day. Remove the pelt when the interior side is white.

    • 5

      Fill a 20-gallon container with 15 gallons of water and 1 lb. of baking soda. Submerge the pelt in the solution. The solution neutralizes the acid. Let the pelt sit for two days. Stir the solution twice a day. Remove the pelt.

    • 6

      Fill a 20-gallon container with 15 gallons of water, 8 lbs. of salt and 10 lbs. of aluminum sulfate. Mix the solution with a metal or wooden rod. Soak the bear pelt for 12 days.

    • 7

      Remove the pelt; squeeze it to eliminate excess water. Hang the pelt on the wall to dry for two days.

    • 8

      Place the pelt on the ground. Mix 12 oz. of neat's foot oil, 12 oz. of warm water and 4 oz. of ammonia in a container. Brush the solution on the inside of the pelt. Cover the entire interior portion. The process softens the skin. Dry the pelt for one day.